FOR THE PERCH. 185 



fastened through the skin of his leg, towards the 

 upper part of it ; and lastly, I will give you but 

 this advice, that you give the perch time enough 

 when he bites; for there was scarce ever any 

 angler that has given him too much. 



[Although perch, like trout, delight in clear 

 swift rivers, with pebbly, gravelly bottoms, they 

 are often found in sandy, clayey soils : they love 

 a moderately deej) water, and frequent holes by 

 the sides of or near little streams, and the hollows 

 under banks. 



The perch spawns about the beginning of 

 March : the best time of the year to angle for 

 him is from the beginning of May till the end of 

 June, yet you may continue to fish for him till 

 the end of September ; he is best taken in cloudy 

 windy weather, and, as some say, from seven to 

 ten in the forenoon, and from two to seven in 

 the afternoon. 



Other baits for the perch are loaches, miller's 

 thumbs, sticklebacks, small lob and marsh and 

 red-worms, well scoured ; horse beans boiled, 

 cad-bait, oak-worms, bobs, and gentles. 



Many of these fish are taken in the rivers 

 about Oxford ; and the author of the " Angler s 

 Sure Guide" says, he once saw the figure of a 



