68 ANGLING. 



times ; but in his perfect season, which, by the way, none but an 

 overgrown greyling will ever be, I think him so good a fish as to 

 be little inferior to the best trout that I ever tasted in my life," 



CHAPTER YIL 



THE PERCH. 



THE Perch is a handsome, noble looking: fish; a bold, dashing 

 biter, and a courageous fellow when hooked ; never yielding as long- 

 as he lias any strength remaining, but fighting bravely to the last. 

 He is extremely voracious when hungry, and "\yill spring at any- 

 thing that comes in his way. Indeed, he will often follow a 

 smafler one of his own species when hooked, and make every 

 effort to devour it. In short, he is altogether, when large, one of 

 the best fish for sport which the fresn waters contain. 



The perch is gregarious, and in the matter of taking bait, re- 

 markably imitative ; so that when you have caught one, you should 

 invariably remain some time in the same place, as there is every 

 probability you will ultimately get all there are. This is so 

 commonly understood among anglers, that it is quite a proverbial 

 matter, known to every schoolboy, and invariably acted upon by all 

 the lovers of the gentle craft. 



In March or April, and perhaps in May, according to the season, 

 the joerch cast their spawn, so that they should be suffered to 

 remain unmolested at least till July or August. In May and June 

 they are out of condition, are then of a pale, lead colour, and most 

 . execrable flavour ; very different from the deep, bright hues which 

 make them like bars 01 gold in the water, and the sweet firm flesh 

 which distinguishes them in September and October. 



The perch is very prolific. Picot, of Geneva, opened a fish of a 

 pound weight, the ovarium of which weighed a quarter of a pound, 

 and contained 992,000 eggs. Their increase, in favourable situa- 

 tions, must consequently be enormous. 



This fish reaches a considerable size. Some authors affirm that 

 he has occasionally attained a weight of nine or ten pounds. Perch 

 have sometimes been caught at Whittlesea-mere of six pounds ; 

 and we have ourselves taken them of three and four pounds. But, 

 speaking generally, an angler must consider himself somewhat 

 fortunate if he succeed in killing perch, whose average weight shall 

 reach a pound or a pound and a half. Excellent sport is to be 

 obtained with fish much below these weights; for, as he is a 

 fearless dashing fellow, he will always afford the sportsman more 



