Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-08-02
o'sTRusIFuL TROUT AND SALMON.
Seeing So Many Artificial Flies. Fish Learn
to Distrust the Real Insect.

To Dtstrust the Real Insect.
Chicago Times
Several years ago, the great natu.
ralist, Frank auckland. whose death pro
duced profound sorrow to the lovers OF
birds and animals in every part of the
world called attention to the fact that
salmon. trout. and other game fish could
not be caught by means Of arti.
fetal dies in certain lakes and
streams in England There was
no trouble in catching them with this sor;
of bait ia the lakes and streams in Scot
land and Wales. aud in those portions OF
England where scientific fishing tackle
had not long been used. The fish in the
streams that had long been visited by
town anglers. however, were not to he
tempted by artificial bait of any sort
During the last two or three fishing sea.
sons il is rerorted that these fish, which
are the joy of the angler will not touch
the May DIV, which is the article of food
Of which they were formerly the most
fond. and which has generally been en-
ployed for bait by I shermen since artiti.
cial lilies, grubs and minnows have been
re. ected. They have apparently come TO
distrust everything but vegetables and
animalculp q.
A scientific angler IN communication
TO an English sporting paper states that
he spent an entire day trying to induce
some fine trout to accept the tempting
food lac offered them. lie displayed before
their eyes and within reach OF their mouths
some twenty varieties Of artificial flies,
grubs and fish, but they were all looked
upon with diSdain. lie then bailed his
books with May flies, but the cautious
fish were not TO be tempted by these
Presently some May flies approached his
boat ami. as is usually the case. some of
them touched the water ard were held
fast some OF the trout aud other game
ilsh rose 10 the surface, surveyed the crea.
lures and then slowly moved away. They
were evidently hungry, for they searched
the sand aud mud on the bottom of the
small insects they would eat them
The conclusion of this angler was that
these fish have been educated up 10 a
point where they have become useless TO
the fisherman. Acquired knowledge has
made them oyer,Cautious They are no
longer credulous. like the trout and
salmon In the streams which few fisher.
men have visited They know quite too
much 10 be imposed upon. They have
seen some OF their former friends and
companions take tempting. looking insects
and small fishes into their mouths. after
which they were pulled about in the
water against their will, and finally drawn
into boat or thrown upon dry land.
They are not willing TO run the chance of
being treated in this ugly fashion. In
fact, in his opinion race Of fish has been
evolved by natural selection" that de.
cline TO touch artificial bait OF May flies
As their numbers are not lcssened by an
glers, they have multiplied. The ignorant
and entirely unedu; ated sorts of tish have
diminished in number Only the kinds
Of fish survive that decline artificial bait
and May flies. 1t is another example Of
~the survival of the fittest
And now comes distinguished disciple
of Darwin and Spencer, who declares thai
the former inhabitants Of Alaska were
very highly civilized. and made use OF
artificial bait for catching salmon lie
draws his conclusion from the cirCum.
stance that the salmon of Alaska will not
touch artificial bait or flies They learned
from their remote ancestors TO avoid them
under penalty OF being caught The con.
sequence was that the salmon multiplied.
The effect was bad, however. on the in.
habitants, Not being able to procure
brain food, they declined in intellect and
diminished in numbers AT present the
salmon Of Alaska are among the wisest Of
their race. while the men stand very low
In the scale of intelligence