FISHING AS A FINE ART. 123 



before the general public, for in the first place they would 

 not care much about them, and in the second their visible 

 presence might interfere to a great extent with the natural 

 action (if I may so express it) of the fish. Only anglers 

 should be allowed to witness them, and they should be 

 concealed behind screens with " peep-holes," so that the 

 fish, which at the best live a semi-artificial life in the 

 tanks, should have every chance of giving information 

 and suggesting angling expedients without their attention 

 being distracted. 



But perhaps the best way of observing the habits of 

 fish would be to encase oneself in a diver's dress and 

 descend into some good " swim," say on the Thames, and 

 lying down with some arrangements to partially hide your 

 recumbent figure, to take stock of the barbel and other 

 denizens of the deep, as ground-bait is thrown in and an 

 angler fishes the swim in various styles. I have thought 

 too, that it would not be very difficult to fit a glass 

 window in a clay bank well chosen hard by a suitable bit 

 of water, and then for the observer, from an approach in 

 the bank behind to make notes on the fish and the experi- 

 ments of anglers. Or again, a water-tight box with 

 windows in it, and a tube to supply air, might be utilized, 

 and it might be so constructed as not to appear anything 

 very unnatural when let down into the water with the 

 observer in it. 



Once more I must say it is time to conclude this "Note :" 

 and I will do so, by again reminding the young angler who 

 would become an artist, that though it is necessary for him 

 to read instructional books on angling, and make his own 

 experiments in the art, he should never miss an opportunity 

 of taking a personal and practical lesson from an artist. 



