OR WALTONIAN CHRONICLE. 59 



Perch is a bold, saucy, pert, looking fish, caring little 

 about anything on land or water, not even the tyrant 

 Pike, he will swim, in fact, where he pleases in spite 

 of him, and if he should attempt to harm him, he will 

 erect his peculiar back fin in defiance, although he falls 

 a victim to his temerity; they are a restless, bold biting 

 fish, taking the bait in right earnest, if they mean to 

 feed at all, and if you are careful not to strike too soon 

 you may take many of them at the same standing. 



This should always be borne in mind when angling 

 for Perch, as they swim in shoals, and if one should 

 start away, the others would follow him, not so much 

 out of respect for his company, but because they are 

 perhaps jealous he may have some motive for leaving 

 them, they have no brotherly love, for if one is in 

 distress, the others will assuredly attack him ; they 

 will pull him by the tail, and I have known several 

 instances where two have been taken at the same time 

 this way ; I once saw in the Lea, above the powder 

 mills at Waltham Abbey, a Perch about a pound, 

 seize another by the tail, a friend of mine had hooked 

 and held him some time ; they will start at anything 

 thrown in the water, I have taken them while whipping 

 for Dace with a small red palmer. Perch breed in ponds 

 as well as rivers, they like clear, swift streams, that 

 are moderately deep, under hollow banks, by the side 

 of wood work, bridges, and old stumps of trees ; they 

 spawn about March, sooner or later as the season may 

 be mild, or the locality of the stream may influence 

 them. They bite best in cloudy weather, particularly 



