THE YOUNG ANGLER. 



263 



corner of its mouth. In 

 colour its body is a deep 

 olive tinged with gold, 

 the gill-covers bright 

 yellow, fins a dark 

 brownish purple, and 

 the tail square, while 

 his scales are thin and 

 covered with slime, tell- 

 ing how fond he is of 



burying himself in the mud. Like the eel, he buries himself in the 

 mud in winter, but during the hot days of summer or autumn you are 

 pretty sure to find him near the surface. Like the carp, he will live 

 some time out of water, and may be carried a long way if wrapped 

 up in wet grass. From the rapidity with which the tench darts off 

 if a noise is made near him, it would not seem unreasonable to con- 

 clude that he can hear, though sound may give some peculiar vibra- 

 tion to water which we know nothing of. When hooked he will 

 attempt to rush into the mud, so that a firm hold must be kept to 

 keep his head up and his mouth open without straining the line too 

 hard. He is fished for in the same way as carp. 



THE PERCH 



Is a fine, formidable, 

 handsome - looking fish, 

 with his armed dorsal 

 fin sticking up with its 

 line of spines sharp as 

 the points of great steel 

 needles. His high-arched 

 back is of a deep olive- 

 green colour, from which 

 descends broad black 



bars, which gradually fade into white towards the belly ; the under- 

 neath fins nearest his tail are of a rich scarlet, while the tail itself is 

 hardly of so deep a colour. He is a dangerous fellow for a novice to 

 lay hold of, and many an "Oh, my hand!" has his sharp spines 

 caused to be uttered, while the young angler went dancing about it 

 agony, requiring no fiddler to play to him. He thrives best in tid ti 

 rivers where the turn of the water is saltish, and is taken there much 

 larger than in wholly fresh rivers. The perch is many years air ving 

 at its full size, and in point of flavour is surpassed by none jf the 

 fresh-water tribes. It takes a bait very freely. Strong tacklf s neces- 

 sary in angling for it, gut or twisted hair-line, cork float, ".Jid No. 7 

 hook. Perch lurk near bridges, mill-pools, and locks, IA navigable 

 rivers and canals, and in other streams, near rushes, in dark still 

 holes and eddies, and in the gravelly parts of rivers. Dark, windy 

 days, if the weather is not too cold, are as good a< any for perch 

 fishing. 



