Can Fish Hear Voices?

[barbelboi]

There is one article in BB’s famous 'Bedside' book where the author thought you might make as much verbal noise on the bank side as you liked...as long as you didn't go stamping up and down. He went on to say he had conducted a number of experiments and was convinced fish 'felt' things but didn't 'hear' them. He advocated crawling to feed a swim up, but thought you might talk as much as you liked.


Take carp as a ‘for instance’ they do not have a visible set of ears, rather they are inside of the body on either side of the head. These ears consist basically of a fluid filled sac that contains set of tiny hairs on an ear bone which detect vibrations in the water outside. The ears are also connected via a set of bones to the swim bladder, which acts as an amplifier. The one conclusion I will draw is that, as sound travels alarmingly well under water, obviously we need to be well aware of just how sensitive a carp is to noise and vibration – but can they hear our voices?

 

[watatoad]

I don't know if they hear in the way we think of it but I personally am convinced that they pick up the vibrations and harmonics of voices, which may be why hard fished areas and venues can still be made to produce really good catches if you are very quiet.

 

[mol]

They can pick up vibration but are two fellas sat still a few yards apart talking in quiet voices going to make enough vibration for a fish to pick up? I don't think they'll be enough to bother fish. I'd rather worry about stamping around on the bank and 'skylining'.

 

[watatoad]

They can pick up vibration but are two fellas sat still a few yards apart talking in quiet voices going to make enough vibration for a fish to pick up? I don't think they'll be enough to bother fish. I'd rather worry about stamping around on the bank and 'skylining'.

I agree with you on that and would add I have limited distances that I can walk so I often fish area's that have a lot of people, children, dog traffic, and have not found noise to be a problem even dogs chasing into the water after sticks and balls. Which many will say puts off the fish faster than anything. I do not doubt them but I think you have to consider the venue more than some do because I am sure fish can and do get aclimatised to regular or semi regular disturbances. However a dark shape or shadow may bring with it distant memories of being hunted and so scare the fish far more than noise.

But to consider a different venue which has no pedestrian traffic or disturbances then I find I have to be quieter than a mouse and keep well away from causing shadows or expect the fish to vanish for half an hour or longer.

 

[xenon]

only if related to Peter Sutcliffe.

 

[quickcedo]

It all depends on the state of the fish. If they are heads down and competing for food you could throw an "A" bomb in and they wouldn't give a damn but, if they are cruising and not really feeding then noise and footfall will make a difference.
I remember seeing Mr Yates on the TV talking with a sqeeky voice because he said the normal tone of a mans voice could be picked up by fish.

 

[alan whittington]

Are you saying fish suffer with paranoia,i thought it was us anglers when we get riggy.Seriously,they'd here mine,but not from 20 yards away,but if you have a fella moving about on the bank,they'd feel that and also see the bankside silhiouette change,even in coloured water.