Читать книгу Fishing For Dummies - Greg Schwipps - Страница 12

Fish are alive, and although some studies suggest that they do not feel pain, at least not in a capacity anywhere near the way I do, they do not jump at the chance to be caught. Using your gear and more importantly your mind, you must outmaneuver the fish. This presents an interesting, constantly shifting challenge.

Obviously, fish live in an environment much different from ours. Understand, though, that they’re well-suited to that environment. With a few exceptions, they’re cold-blooded and possess a good sense of smell. They live in the water (you already knew that), have backbones, and pull oxygen from the water through gills. They are shaped to move efficiently through water (many look like torpedoes), using fins to navigate, and most are covered with scales. All fish are also covered with a slime-like mucus that protects them from disease and injury. (This is why you should only handle fish with wet hands — dry hands or a towel will remove this valuable slimecoat.) Fish don’t have external ears, but they do have internal ones and are highly sensitive to noise like the thudding of a boat hull. Fish possess a lateral line, running from tail to head, that they use to detect low-frequency vibrations. They use this organ to locate prey and evade predators, while also gathering information about water temperature and current. So fish might not share many characteristics with humans, but they’re a more than able opponent when it comes to people trying to outsmart them. They know their surroundings as well as you know your living room. Figure 1-1 shows a typical fish, with some of the traits described here.

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FIGURE 1-1: Meet your average fish.

Every angler has a particular reason for pursuing the sport, and after a few trips out to the water you’re likely to figure out what it is you appreciate and enjoy about it, too. Whether you are after excitement, peace and quiet, or a healthy food source, fishing has something for everyone.