SLEEPING FISH.

Patea Mail, 2 June 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

SLEEPING FISH.

■Walls, Shetland, Nov. 15, 1881

Sir, —I noticed in your “ Science Notes ” lately an article under the above heading. Perhaps a fisherman’s observations from the deep-sea fishing, bearing on the same subject may have some interest. Lines put down from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., never bring up a good haul, and the few caught are inferior fish, while every bait is either eaten or covered when it comes up by crawling insects. Lines put. down on the same bottom between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., or from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., catch fish, and the baits not fished return whole- Are, then, fish sleeping, and the small creatures on which fish feed, awake at midnight ? _A_t noon-day, and during the top of strong tides, fish that keep to the sea bottom, rest — whether asleep or awake I know not. But I have seen them more than once taking their nap, or very like it. Some of the best fishing ground is on a hill in the sea bottom, the water on the top of which is so shallow that in certain states of sea and air the bottom is visible to a good eye with little aid. On such a spot I have seen the fish lying on the bottom at noonday or during the top of a spring tide, motionless, not even a flu moving, and lying in twos and threes each on his belly, but otherwise like dead. At the same time the bottom was alive with numerous small creatures, quite near to the big fish, as if they knew their foes were asleep. After a while the big fish began to move their fins gently and then their tails. The moment the tail began to move, although the fish was still quiet, the small herd scampered off to their hiding places at full speed. Among the fish the smaller ones began to move about first, just as we boys used to do in a morning, and then the old folk turned out, beginning first to snap at the youth of their own flesh and blood. A cheering sight, as we had a morsel ready, which effectually relieved the youngsters, by giving their unnatural parents a lodging in our boat. — Glasgow Serald.