Little Talk About the Color Sense in Fishes 
Predilection For Certain Flies Shows that Fish Distinguish Colors 
I T SEEMS odd that the old controversy in re¬ 
gard to the color sense of fishes should break 
out anew in such a paper as the London 
Times, but the discussion centers on the Atlantic 
salmon, an immensely important specie in the 
British islands, both as a commercal and sport¬ 
ing fish. 
Also, an extension of the present strict laws 
for the protection of wild birds has been pro¬ 
posed, which would interfere with the manufac¬ 
ture of salmon flies, quite an important indus¬ 
try in England, Ireland and Scotland, by which 
many people gain a livelihood. There is much 
evidence that the laws in force for some years 
are seriously injuring the fisheries, as rapacious 
birds, such as gulls, cormorants and herons have 
multiplied unduly, but the proposed laws have 
to do with foreign birds carrying brilliant or 
beautiful feathers. These birds were, I believe, 
protected in a measure, but fly dressers were 
allowed the purchase of those most necessary to 
salmon fly makers. 
One great difficulty is that men engaged in a 
controversy are apt to grow warm, or to be 
prejudiced, and the strongest assertions are made 
by persons who are evidently poorly informed. 
I have read articles that proved by numerous 
experiments that fish of various sorts could dis¬ 
tinguish between colors. Food of various colors 
was used in one set of experiments. 
Again, it has been asserted that the eyes of sal¬ 
mon were not anatomically adapted for the de¬ 
tection .of differences in color. In some species 
of fishes the male assumes a gorgeous livery on 
approach of the breeding season, evidently for 
the purpose of attracting the female, as is so 
often the rule with many birds. (In birds of prey 
the female is usually the larger and more power¬ 
ful, and the hen woodcock is larger than the 
male.) 
Round-eyed creatures may be very keen of vis¬ 
ion in regard to color and motion, but are, we 
believe, deficient in form, as compared with the 
almond-eyed human beings. But the subject is 
a difficult one, even for a man of great experi¬ 
ence, because of conflicting evidence at various 
times, and on different waters. The light, the 
position of the sun, the insect life of the stream, 
and habits of the fish, and roughness or mirror¬ 
like smoothness of the water. 
In one small lake large fish were continually 
leaping at dragon flies, moths and butterflies 
that flew high above the surface, but when there 
was a birth of small insects the same trout fed 
By Theodore Gordon. 
very quietly, and it was often desirable or neces¬ 
sary to have a good imitation in color and size, 
otherwise one might cast all day without getting 
a fish. 
Salmon fresh from the ocean are not very 
particular, and are usually free risers, and this 
is but natural. They are inexperienced, full of 
life and vigor, and have been in the habit of feed¬ 
ing upon the rich food .furnished by the sea. 
The longer they are in the river, the harder they 
are to lure. The flies must be smaller and 
smaller, and usually quiet in coloring, until they 
resemble some well-known trout flies. 
I was much interested in studying the diaries 
of an old salmon angler who had fished the rivers 
of New Brunswick for fifty years. There were 
diagrams and drawings of most of the pools on 
all the best streams, the lies of the salmon at dif¬ 
ferent stages of water were shown, and the flies 
used, from soon after the breaking up of the 
ice until the close of the season, were stuck into 
the leaves. Now this same angler believed that 
the salmon took the fly in excitement and rage. 
He had hidden himself where he could see the 
fly, which has being worked by a friend, and 
had been very near a number of salmon when 
they seized the fly. Yet from his own records 
one might adduce evidence that after being in 
the river some time the fish actually rose be¬ 
cause of resemblance to natural flies in size and 
color. 
It is so in all fly fishing. Conditions vary con¬ 
stantly, and there are considerable differences in 
the habits of trout in various- streams. They 
sometimes rise at all sorts of flies, and again 
they are very particular. Some waters are pecu¬ 
liarly suited to small flies, as the fish are in the 
habit of feeding upon them, and insect life is 
plentiful. The dry fly angler here finds oppor¬ 
tunity for the use of all of his skill and experi¬ 
ence. On mountain rivers early in the season 
wet flies will often kill fish rapidly, particularly 
in the rapid flowing water. 
In the dawn of fly fishing in ancient Greece a 
cock’s hackle and bit of wool constituted the 
first “fly” known. In the early part of the last 
century native fishermen in this country made 
flies almost as simple in construction. They were 
tied on two to four horsehairs and the leader 
was also of hair. A horsehair leader with two 
flies attached was sold at from sixpence to a 
shilling. The favorite line was of twisted hair, 
and I have seen very pretty specimens. 
For several hundred years our tackle and flies 
have been improved and refined, but the advance 
has been rapid in the last hundred years. There 
has been a vast increase in the number of an¬ 
glers, and on many of the best streams the fish 
have learned a thing or two. There is no doubt 
that they gain an education in hard-fished waters, 
although they may be simple enough during the 
early season, when hungry after the winter’s 
short commons. They are always easier to de¬ 
ceive in broken water; the true test is to be had 
over shy fish in quiet pools or slow flowing runs. 
We have always had a number of different 
schools advocating certain faiths and theories, 
and men will continue to differ. The same asser¬ 
tions have been made over and over again. An 
old writer advises “three black palmers, and also 
three red.” One man swears by four flies, an¬ 
other by half a dozen. Mr. Pennell was sure 
that three typical flies for salmon and three for 
trout were enough, but several times he has 
brought out other flies. You will always find 
that a man has a preference, no matter how few 
flies he believes in, but I have noticed that the 
angler who sticks to the artificial fly and re¬ 
fuses to use bait for trout, usually carries a fair 
assortment. 
I have fished streams where a variety of small 
imitations seemed absolutely necessary to good 
sport. I have seen the trout take a pale yellow 
freely and decline a fly only a few shades darker 
and this held good in other colors. 
Much time, thought and labor have gone into 
the study of insects out of the manufacture of 
flies and of tackle. Many of our best and wisest 
men have not only enjoyed the sport, but have 
spent days and weeks in observing the habits 
of the fish, in studying their life history, and in 
writing books designed to help and inform an¬ 
glers. If fish were color blind, much of the 
fascination of fly fishing would vanish. Much 
human effort would seem to have been wasted. 
We cannot estimate the value of a man’s opinions 
unless we know the nature of his experience. 
I think I could back any argument by quoting 
only one side, one set of experiences, but I will 
take one which seems fair, as it refers not to 
trout or salmon, but to black bass. During an 
entire season and one month of another, I was 
trying to make flies that would be really of value, 
for the region in question. The only man who 
had faith (beside myself) was a professional 
duck hunter, always on or near the water. 
I worked away at odd times and he tried the 
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