FISHES AND FISHING. 157 



like an eel ; in colour resembles the tench ; the head 

 is a little flat, and both jaws are well furnished with 

 small teeth. On the lower jaw grows a barb about 

 half an inch long, and there are, likewise, a short 

 pair between the nostrils and the snout; the tail 

 terminates in a circular figure. This fish is found in 

 the Trent, Severn, Ouse, Esk, Skern, Tees, Cam, and 

 some of the rivers in Norfolk ; it seldom exceeds 

 two pounds weight, but will live in lakes as well as 

 rivers; in the former, namely, in the Lake of 

 Geneva, it has been taken as large as seven pounds 

 weight ; but it is not known to inhabit any of our 

 own large standing waters. It is a well-flavoured 

 fish, and is in its nature extremely hardy. It is very 

 prolific, so much so, that one fish has been known to 

 contain a hundred and twenty thousand ova. Its 

 places of resort are the same as eels, and the time to 

 take them is after a storm of thunder, lightning, and 

 heavy rain ; the best bait is a small gudgeon, and the 

 hook should be tied on gimp. These fish lie pretty 

 close during the day, and as the night is the usual 

 feeding time of these fish, therefore they are gene 

 rally taken with night lines, or trimmers. 



These observations are extracted from Dr. Brookes* 

 " Art of Angling," and the "Practical Angler," re 

 ferred to in these pages. 



As this is a very hardy fish, and good as food, it 



