Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-05-07
FISH ARE FasrERs.
Can Go For Weeks without BIT of
Food.


generally KNOWN but those VINO nave
closely studied the habits of the lnny
tribes assert that fish are the greatest
fasters known. OF course, there are
times when fish win not bite that must
be ascribed to other causes than that
the inhabitants Of the water are denying
themselses food. For instance, one man
might have excellent luck at a lake one
day, not get nihbie the next, and strike
them sgain on the following day. This
mig be, not because the salmon we're
fasting, but because he didn't happen to
cast his line where they were or because
the smeIts we're furnishing them with all
the food they wanted.
But fish do fast, and when they settle
down to deny themselves II IL next to
impossible 10 get them to take hold Of a
hook. There are exceptions that can be
quoted by nearly every fisherman, but II
Is a well known fact that all through the
winter, from the fail until the early
spring, black bass feed very little. The
same is true Of white perch. In the fall
during spawning season and before, trout
do not bite or feed. Good authorities
ekAiE Au&k Eut uA-S&lbEkt tCtGH Only
about once in fifteen days.
recall that one summer friend and
myself started out for a days pursuit
OF white perch on a Maine pond. A
little lagoon extended inland at one side
OF the pond for, perhaps, an eighth OF a
mile. The water was not more than four
or five feet deep. and 1t was fayorite
ks.4e IA n uI.k
nows and other small fish, which could be
seen swimming in all directions as the sun
shone on the water.
We were slowly polling along this
lagoon, using our dip net and gradually
filling our bait pail, when my companion
called my attention to large bass that
was lying near the bottom with his nose
poked out through the eel grass Now,
bass won't bite in the sunlight, and
knew IT, but this was a fine looking fish,
and resolved to get him II possibly
could do so. We stopped the boat and
baited small hook with a lively little
minnow and lowered 1t slowly down in
front OF the bass In manner calcu 'ated to
arouse his dormant appetite. He paid no
attShhAOh W ~ NhdttsNrs tFtuR thtIt Ae
motionless as IL be had been dead.
'I'li make him bite" commented to
my friend. 1 took several angie worms
and tied them In a squirming bunch to the
line about six inches above the minnow
and then | again lowered my hook. In a
moment the smaller fish spied the appe-
thing morsels and the perch and sinners
~ 81 &. a. a
too much for the bass. He probably
wasn't the least bit hungry, but 1t was
more than he could stand to see other fish
apparently enjoying themselves so well
and he gave little wiggIe to his tail and
slowly giided out In the direction of the
mlnnow. To still further tantalize him
gently moved II away from him. This was
too much and In second he had seized
the minnow and In few moments had
landed him. de weighed two and one
quarter pounds.
/ had hardly got him of the hook when
saw smother bass nearly as large, and l
just made up my mind that would get
him too. But this fellow was "foxy" and
he wouldn't take the bait in spite of the
tantsiizingly squirmed in front of his
nose. Then tried another dodge, which,
while 1t wasn't very sportsmanlike. sccom-
plished the desired end. selected a spoon
hook with three grapple hooks on II and
this gently lowered down over him and
before he knew what had struck him had
him hooked in the back and he was soon
lying in the bottom OF the boat by the
side OF bass No. /.
Sea salmon are also great fasters. Every
year in the spring they go up into the
rivers to spawn, and some do not come
down again until the following spring,
During that time they evidently take no
sustenanee outside OF what is furnished
by the water itself, and when they come
down they are pretty hard looking objects,
commonly known to fishermen as kelt and
good for nothing SO far as eating purposes
are concerned. They are at least two
thirds lighter than when they left the salt
water.
have noticed that pretty sure way TO
tell when fish are fasting Is to cut them
open. When bass is denying itself and
will not take the hook, II you succeed in
getting one in any manner and you cut
him open, you will find that the stomach
is practically empty. From my own OBJ
seryations man seems to be about the only
animate object that doesn't take kindly to
fast. Aud see that some of the physi-
cal culturlsts are now claiming that over
eating Is really at the bottom OF half the
ills that beset mankind and that IL those
OF US who are troubled with indigestion
and sundry stomach troubles should give
our stomachs a rest for a week, drinking
quantities of pure water meantime, we
would speedily come to normal healthy
condition. Perhaps the time is not far
distant when we shall learn the secret of
perfect health from studying the habits
of birds and beasts.
English Sparrows Are Misjudged.
A great deal of nonsense is talked about