THE DACE. 83 



twenty yards or more,) and when you feel a bite, 

 strike sliarp 5 this mode of angling is called tripping, 

 or tripping a bait. 



The Dace is a river Fish, and will not thrive in 

 ponds or still waters. They do not bite much later 

 in the season than October, for they then retire, like 

 1 Barbel, to deep waters until Spring 5 but you may 

 begin to fish for them in March. If the swim you 

 are fishing in contain Roach as well as Dace, the 

 Dace will then take paste as free as the Roach ; in 

 such case, ground-bait same as when Roach fishing 5 

 but when you intend devoting a whole day to Dace 

 fishing, you will kill more fish by angling in three or 

 more different swims or holes, (say two or three 

 hours at each place,) than continuing at one spot : at 

 such times, ground-bait with bran, greaves, and clay. 



Remarks on Dace. 



The Dare or Dace are gregarious and lively Fish, 

 but never attain to great size, seldom, I believe, 

 weighing a pound. They are of the Carp species, 

 and generally cast their spawn early in April 5 pre- 

 vious to which time, they come on the gravelly shal- 

 lows in great numbers, and rub themselves on the 

 gravel, where they remain, feeding on small worms, 

 &c. until they have deposited their spawn, which 

 they do among the loose light gravel. Dace will at 

 this season take a red worm freely ; and as the water, 

 early in Spring, is generally somewhat thick, from 

 recent floods and rains, it will allow the Angler to 



