Chapt. vi. Fish see round a corner. 87 



than air, the fish can see you round a corner ; he can see 

 your white paggaree before it is in a line with his eye. 

 This is very simply demonstrated in the old illustration 

 about a shilling. Put a rupee into an empty tea cup or 

 slop basin. Retreat gradually till it is just out of your 

 line of vision. Let a second person pour in water, and 

 you will see the rupee come into sight again. It is true 

 this cuts both ways, enabling you, as well as the fish, to see 

 round a corner, but as you neither of you should see each 

 other, it is an argument for keeping away from the bank. 



If you are not fishing but wanting to observe the 

 habits of fish, and can afford to be perfectly motionless, 

 that is quite another thing. Much may be seen by creep- 

 ing very slowly and imperceptibly up, with a rock or 

 tree-trunk for a back ground, and remaining perfectly 

 motionless. It is movement, the slightest movement, 

 that catches the eye. It is by sitting motionless as a 

 stone for hours together that the cat kills a squirrel. 

 Motion is a sign of life, and when it is absent animals, 

 as well as men, are prone to doubt their eyes, and to 

 take the object for some inanimate thing. 



But do not trust to this if you are fishing, for it is as 

 unnecessary as it is difficult that you should see your fish 

 at all, and as above shewn, the chances are about ten to 

 one that he sees you before you see him, and then your 

 catching him is a thing out of the question. You do not 

 want to interview the fish, you want to catch him. Take 

 a distant survey of the water, and when you see a likely 

 looking bit, take its bearings, and decide whence you shall 

 make your approaches on the enemy's position. Then stalk 



