Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-29

Evolution has decidedly her scamy
side. The habits of plants are a good
deal studied just now, but the habits of
flies and fishes are as much to the pur-
pose. Something has gone wrong with
the May-ily. and something has gone
wrong with the trout. The May-hy
season, such rs it was, is just over.
These beautiful. and to trout, and
perhaps TO Mr.. Holt, most luscious in
sccts have sported their little hour with
no kind of advantage to the sportsman.
The May-iy are not nearly - numcr-
Gus rs they were, and, what is worse,
the trout decline to eat them. They
seem TO have formed a kind Of Blue
Ribbon League, binding themselves to
abstain from Mayilics or artificial flies
in general. The most mournful par.
ticulars are given in the Ficid. Here
is uttered the wall of Red Spinner, who
was at one trout for an hour and half
before he could bcgnilc him, and who
did not bcguilc any other trout at all.
Yet the trout were there, and, what is
worse, were tumbiing about on the sur
face apparently feeding. but not feeding
on the May-ly. 1t was wont to be so
~ o'''i va >, NIl'H tllt NuttE WAS ull
alive with fish of four pounds weight,
and the fly came on cleaning like the
cohorts of the Assyrians in delicate
splendor. What has caused the changer
Perhaps May-ily have been thinned by
loylcss springs, perhaps by the habit of
cutting weeds, their birthplace. Weeds
are Il nuisance to the angler when he
has hooked Il trout which makes for
them, but without weeds the Maytly
can not find harbor in infancy. These
or other reasons may account for the
scarcity of the fly, but we do not refuse
Strawberries or oysters because they are
scarce. They are more priced for that
very reason. Why. then, do trout turn
up their noses at such flies rs do appear
on the watcrp
We believe the fact is that the trout
are oycrcducatsl. They suffer from
overpressure. They see too many ar
tiiiclal flies, and distrust tho natural
insect. The defense (to vary the meta
phor) is beating the bowling. A race
Of trout that decline flies altogether,
refuse minuow, disdain worm. and live
on anmalcul;r, is obviously being
evolved by natural selection. The
trout that takes artificial fly does not
survive. The trout survives that de-
cincs bait which can be initiated. Pres
emily these trout, and these alone, will
survive in England. This, by the way,
is Il proof Of the extreme, though now
extinct, civilization of Northwest
America. The salmon of Alaska re-
fuse to look at a fly. They cannot be
captured by the Harriet, the Butcher,
the Popham, Jock Scott, the Silver
Doctor, or anything of the kind. Whyp
The reply is obvious. In prehistoric
times North America must have been
inhabited by a race of men who carried
tymaking to perfection. The only
chance for the fish was to decline fly
altogether, just as some Of us have to
decline champagne, cigarettes, coffee,
and invitations to dinner. Thus sal
mon survived, while the old Alaskan
civilization perish ed. That civilization
has left no relies whatever, except the
refusal of Alaska salmon to rise at
fly. From such minute traces Of GUS
tom does science reconstruct tho re-
motest part of humanity, and hence we
learn that Il land now given over to
savage races was once as highly culti-
waited as the banks Of Sprey or Tweed.
ltchcn or Kennel. But these reilec-
tions, though highly pleasing to tho
vanity of science, fail to console the
angler who finds the May-ily no longer
"a snare and a delusionn to ovcredu-
Gated fishes. -LOniOn DuilU NeUS