BEST BAITS FOR DACE. 295 



jump at your fly on the surface with equal avidity. 

 Dace are the best fish in the world to break in 

 the young fly-fisher. They spawn in April, and 

 are in condition again in May. They prefer the 

 sides and tails of streams to still water, and are 

 common to most of the large and small rivers of 

 England. They thrive best in moderate-sized 

 rivers. The dace of the Lea and Colne are larger 

 than those of the Thames. In bottom fishing for 

 dace, the best baits are gentles and pastes, and you 

 must use very fine tackle. The best artificial 

 flies for dace are red and black hackles, and small 

 ant-flies. They will take willingly the flies re- 

 commended for grayling. A gentle placed on 

 the bend of the hook will often render the artificial 

 fly more attractive. Dace may be caught by dib- 

 bing for them with the live house-fly, the flesh-fly, 

 and natural ant-flies. Generally speaking, dace 

 delight in rapid currents, scowers, and eddies. 

 The point of junction between two streams is a 

 favourite resort for them, and they are seldom 

 absent from mill-tails. In hot weather they re- 

 tire into the deeps, and seek for shelter beneath 

 aquatic plants and the boughs of trees. Near 

 London, the largest dace are to be caught in 

 the Colne, where they take the artificial fly well, 

 and afford good sport, when trout are not on the 

 rise. The scowers at Isleworth, Eichmond, 

 Thames Ditton, Hampton, Sunbury, Walton, 



