The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-16

| l believe that death without prolonged
suffering improves the quality-or rath-
| er preserves the quality of the flesh of
| theN fish as food just as in the case of
animals. The senses and sensations of
| fish are more acute than most people
give them credit for
Il am glad to say that my humane
friend made one convert on the spot
by his words and example. / killed the
remainder of my catch according to his
method, and am satisfied that it is not
only the truly sportsmanlike way, but
altogether the best way to preserve
the freshness and flavor of all fish. A
word to the wise Especially if they are
also humane) ought to be sufficient.
.'Keenness of feeling and susceptible
lty 10 suHer1ng seem to correspond With
acuteness of sense in the animal erea-
ton. The more highly organized
creature is, as rule, the sharper and
more delicate its senses. The fox, the
dog, the horse, the eagle, are all crea-,
lures of exceedingly keen sense and
rake your creature of dull nerves and
you will find that it has dull senses
also. Reptiles, worms mollusks, are
sluggish in their physical perceptions.
On the other hand, fish are exceedingly
quick and sensitive in this respect,
SAioW q HielS dtFelOpeQ nervous
gansm and consequently extreme sus-
ceptibility to pain. The distinction be-
tween hot and cold blood Is. as mat
ter of fact, immaterial. The temper
ature of blood aside from it's color, is a
mere accident of environment as
rule. Fish have the same red arterial
blood as mammals, but they live in an
element which never normally rises to
as high temperature as is natural
to air during large part of the year;
consequently their blood is not cold, S
is commonly asserted, but tepid. With
this single distinction there is no vital
difference between the organisms of fish
and mammals or birds The lungs of
fish are in their gills. but they are lungs
just the same; and the blood is aerated
in them by the oxygen present in the
water in combination with it's hydro
gen. 1t is a mere modification of or
ganism. not real difference.
Let US see, then, as means of de-
termining their susceptibility to suf
fering, how keen are the senses of fish.
First, as to sight. w. c. Harris Cone of
the best known authorities on ichthyo-
logy in the United States) says that
the shadow of a split bamboo rod,
thrown across a pool. will create in a
fish the same skittishness as would be
caused by an elephant browsing on the
bank. Every trout fisherman knows
that If so much as the top of his head
can be seen from a likely hole in
brook which he is approaching, his cast
will probably be in vain. He must
crouch down and keep out of sight or
cast from distance if he hopes to hook
the big fellow that is basking watch
fully under the bank.
why is it that lake or river fish bite
so much better when the surface is
ruffled by breeze or Swallowed by
cloud? 1t is simply because the sharp
eyed denizens of the water cannot see
so well then. A CLASSY surface under
a bright sun presents we'll nigh hope
less conditions for the fisherman. Have
you not sometimes been gravely told.
on a GREATNESS summer day, that it
was too hot for the fish to bite?'
The real reason for the poor fishing,
however, was that the CLASSY, sun-peh-
etrated surface of the water enabled
the fish to see you and your gear and
your every motion too clearly. l have
heard many a wild theory advanced
for the superior fishing advantages of
rainy day. But the simple, common
sense explanation Is this: the water is
ruffled and disturbed by the raindrops
and the fish are less timid because they
cannot see what is taking place at the
surface. Any atmospheric condition
which intervenes with the sight of fish
will improve the anglers chances.
Ertu4r' E-uf
Now, how is 1t about keenness of
hearing in fish? Fish hear through the
impact of vibratory waves upon the
sensory nerves. just as We do: but these
vibratory waves have to be in their
own element in order to be preceptible
to them. A fish cannot hear in the air.
Neither can a man hear in the water.
This accounts for somewhat peculiar
phenomenon. namely: that an angler
may shout and sing and converse at the
top of his voice without in the least
disturbing a wary trout that lies with
in six feet of him. but let him tap the
bank ever SO lightly with his toe and
the vibration is carried Immediately
through the earth and through the
water to the delicate nerves of the fish
and it darts away in terror. Expert
enced anglers know that it is necessary
to tread very lightly when approaching
the bank of a stream in which trout are
concealed. Call it feeling or hearing,
as you please, the sensation is the same
in character and serves the same pur-
pose 1t is report to the brain of
certain number and kind of vfbratory
waves. And nothing but an extremely
delicate and susceptible nervous or
ganism would register and interpret
such impressions.
"All fish. of course, are not so shy or
so well educated as trout and do not
manifest the same fright when dis
turbed by threatening sights and
sounds. But this is no proof that they
do not see or hear so readily. Indeed.
we know this cannot be so, because the
timid fry of these same fish will scatter
in as great a panic as trout at any
strange sight or sound.
There is some dispute among scien
fists as to whether fish can smell and
taste. But the practical angler cannot
help drawing his own conclusions
when he sees. for instance, fish de-
liberately spit out an artificial lure
which it has been deceived into taking
into it's mouth, or when he observes
how fish trace out a baited hook in
water so muddy that they cannot pos
sibly see it, and will even follow it up
for a considerable distance If trailed
along the bottom. This, / believe, Is
done altogether by the sense of smell
Furthermore. I have seen fish come up
and smell of various bats in success
sion, rejecting all, until they nave
found one pleasing to their sense, when
they would take it with avidity.
.ry%1, to ha aUi6pnpp enough