DACE IN THE THAMES. 67 



and end of fleshy portion of tail ; tail fin small, and a 

 good deal forked ; scales smaller than those of the 

 chill), fifty on lateral line. The dace has the vivacity 

 of the bleak and the swagger of the chub, therefore it 

 requires some little attention to catch him. He is in 

 full season from October to January. Unfortunately 

 for himself, he has such bright scales that he makes a 

 si)lendid live bait for pike. 



Considerable discussion has lately taken place in 

 angling circles as to the use of live bait in angling for 

 pike. In India, when they set a trap for a tiger, it is 

 stated that they tie up a kid, and to make him cry they 

 put a stone in his ear. 



A gentleman wiio was a great hand at crocodile 

 catching with the hook, told me the best bait was a 

 sucking pig, and to attract the attention of the croco- 

 dile the angler walked along the bank pinching the 

 sucking pig to make him squeak. Both the pig and 

 the goat when used for bait exhibit considerable fear. 

 The poor dace used as a live bait is probably also in 

 trepidation, if he knows the pm-pose for which he is 

 made captive with hook run through his back. His 

 Grace the Duke of Wellington, a great angler, has there- 

 fore invented an ingenious apparatus by which the bait 

 is held secure to the hook by means of india rubber 

 bands. 



At certain times of the year the dace assemble in 

 vast numbers at the lower side of the Thames Navi- 

 gation Weir. The fish are then certainly heading up to 

 spawn. Passes should be made for them to ascend, and 

 I hope shortly to suggest a plan for fish passes, either 

 through or round all the weirs on the Thames which 

 are found to obstruct the fish. 



