The Republican Journal

TAKING FISH BY LAMPLIGHT.

It seems that light is quite as attractive to fish as to certain insects. In fact, all animals are more or less pleased with a bright light, especially if the light is presented to them in the midst of darkness. A writer in the Turf, Field and Farm says he was once traveling among the Jura Mountains and his landlord asked him if he would like to have some trout for supper. Being pleased with the idea of having such a luxury for his evening meal, he accompanied the landlord to a deep dark pool near the inn. He took with him an ordinary glass-globe lantern having two long tin tubes fixed to it on either side, through which the flame was supplied with air. Seated on a flat projecting rock, the landlord slowly thrust the lighted lamp into the water. Holding it there about a minute he raised it carefully to the surface, and around it were some twenty trout of different sizes, pressing their noses against the glass as if eager to get at the light. Selecting the largest trout he adroitly tapped them on the head with his knife. They turned upon their sides entirely dead, and the guests had an excellent supper.

Now the question comes up: Cannot our fishermen, when the fish refuse to bite, prepare a lantern, well lighted, and let it down into the clear waters of the ocean and thereby attract the cod and haddock so that they can be knocked on the head and be taken as easily as the trout in the streams among the Jura Mountains? If we mistake not, the professional fishermen on the coast of France have recently discovered the fact that fish are attracted by the light, and are now taking them in great abundance in river nets by means of powerful submerged lights. Perhaps some of our fishermen may be induced to try the experiment.