138 HINTS ON ANGLING. 



be rather stiff, light, and not longer 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 hook about No. 4; and 

 the bottom good gut, a yard in length at least. Some 

 anglers use gimp ; but there 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 

 undoubtedly 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 paternoster as it is 

 called, well leaded, may be made use of. To the hooks 

 and in this mode of angling you may have as many as 

 you like small gudgeons, or minnows should be fixed by 

 the nose or the back fin; and when the fish bites in the 

 rushing stream, the angler will feel the short quick jerks 

 which indicate a perch run under such circumstances. 

 These hooks may also be baited with worms, if large and 

 red. 



In fishing with a gudgeon or minnow in tranquil, or 

 in gently flowing waters, run the hook under the back 

 fin, and put shot enough, about a foot above the bait to 

 keep it well down. You may use a float or not, in this 

 case; but it is more difficult for young anglers to kill a 

 fish without a float than with one. Some authors recom- 

 mend spinning a dead minnow for the perch, on the 

 curious ground that it gives the angler a chance of 

 catching trout or pike. This chance must be a very re- 

 mote affair, as we should fancy, the angler seldom 

 encounters the two in the same stream. 



