42 



The Gentle Art of Angling. 



am in a position to vouch for its 

 fighting qualities, having killed 

 the species up to 3 Ib. weight with 

 the fly in America. 



Perca labvax is frequently con- 

 fused with P. fliiviatilis. It is, 

 however, the sea perch, a distinct 

 species found in British tidal 

 waters, and grows to a larger size 

 and heavier weight than its fresh- 

 water congener. The only other 

 species found in England is the 

 ruff, or pope (Acerina cevmia), 



THE OLD MILL POOL. 



which is plentiful in the Thames, 

 Kennet, and other rivers. It is 

 a diminutive fish, 4 or 5 in. long, 

 differing from the perch in the 

 dorsal fin, and also lacking the 

 distinctive transverse body bars, 

 the skin being a marble colour, 

 more like the gudgeon. 



A bream rod with a fair spring 

 in it is suitable for perch bait- 

 fishing. It is advisable, however, 

 to have one that can be used 

 generally. A light spinning rod 



will be found useful for all pur- 

 poses. Worms are a favourite 

 bait with perch, and no angler 

 goes to the river without a canis- 

 ter replete with them. Lobs, 

 brandlings, and red worms are all 

 good, and may be tried in turn. 

 They should be fresh and lively, and 

 scoured in damp moss four or five 

 days beforehand. The lob should 

 be threaded on the hook from the 

 head downwards, leaving an inch 

 free at the top and another at the 

 tail. This is better than looping 

 it on in two or three places. A 

 couple of red worms may with 

 advantage be placed on the hook. 

 A float is used for this method of 

 fishing. A plain, slim pattern is 

 better than a thick, gaudy one. 

 It offers less resistance in striking, 

 and is not so conspicuous in the 

 water. Close to banks near 

 wooden piles of weirs and in the 

 slack of eddies are the places to 

 search for perch with a worm. 

 The attack of the fish will be 

 shown in the disappearance of 

 the float. A moment or two 

 should be allowed to give time 

 for the hook to get well within 

 the mouth before striking. The 

 gut should be fine, i to i| yards 

 in length, and of the best quality. 

 An ink or coffee stain makes it 

 less noticeable. One or two shots, 

 10 to 12 in. from the hook, will be 

 sufficient to keep the bait sunk. 

 The best line is a light silk 

 quality, coiled on a check reel. 

 The float should be adjusted so 

 that the worm drifts a few inches 

 clear of the bottom. 



In swift water, where the depth 

 varies, a float cannot be used to 

 advantage, and legering may be 

 tried. A leaden bullet, with a 

 sufficiently large hole to avoid 

 friction, is placed on the line and 

 stopped with a shot to prevent it 

 running down on the hook. An- 

 chored in this way, the current 

 lifts the loose end of the gut from 



