THE PERCH. 69 



amusement than any other fish twice his size, with the exception 

 of the trout and salmon, whose magnificent leaps and rushes, none 

 who have ever witnessed them can possibly forget. 



The perch frequents deep weedy holes, the stone walls about 

 locks and mills, reedy streams, where the water pours freely; 

 and invariably in those places where there is a constant or frequent 

 rapid fall of water. If you can keep your line down, the stronger 

 the stream in which you angle for perch the better ; but more will 

 be said on tin's matter in another place. 



Perch are to be met with almost everywhere ; there is scarcely a 

 river in England, adapted to his nature and habits, in which *he 

 cannot be found. The lakes in the north of England, and many 

 in Scotland, are full of these fish ; and private ponds in which jack 

 are preserved generally abound with them ; as the jack will not eat 

 the perch unless urged by extremity of hunger, and then he seldom 

 recovers the effects of the perch's sharp and penetrating dorsal 

 fin. 



The flesh of the perch was deemed salubrious by the physicians, 

 and they were accustomed to prescribe two little round bones in 

 his head to be dissolved, and taken as a remedy for the " stone." 

 There are various modes of cooking the perch. The best way with 

 which we are acquainted, is to fry Mm in butter, and then serve 

 him up with rich, hot shrimp sauce. In Scotland, they make what 

 is called a " water-souchie " of him ; but this is a flabby, wishy- 

 washy affair altogether ; the flavour of the fish is lost in that of the 

 onion, and you wish in vain that you could lose the taste of the 

 onion as easily. 



Being a bold biter, and a somewhat unscrupulous fish, the perch 

 is very readily attracted by bait, and very quickly caught. When 

 he bites he requires rather more time than might be imagined from 

 his bold and determined character ; but experience will soon con- 

 vince- the angler, that, whenever the perch escapes, it is, generally 

 speaking, because he has not been allowed time enough to get the 

 hook well into his gullet. The perch requires considerable indul- 

 gence in this respect, especially when angled for with a gudgeon. 



Almost all kinds of tackle, however common and unpretending, 

 will do for catching perch. The rod should be rather stiff, light, 

 and not larger than is necessary to clear the weeds and other 

 obstacles which sometimes line the sides of perch haunts. The 

 line should be of hair, about nine hairs in thickness. The hooks 

 about No. 4, and the bottom gut a yard in length at least. Some 

 anglers use gimp, but the**e can be no necessity for tackle of such 

 strength; salmon and trout are killed with gut, and why not 

 perch? 



Most anglers use a float in perch fishing. This method un- 

 doubtedly saves trouble and attention in still water ; ^but in strong 

 streams and boiling eddies, where the best perch fishing is often to 

 be obtained, it is of no use whatever. In this case the line must 

 be kept down with a bullet attached to it, below the bait; or a 



