Fish and Fishing 



or float are necessary, as dace are always looking 

 to the surface for passing food. The fish, on see- 

 ing it, darts quickly above from below, and takes 

 it with surprising quickness. The mouth of the 

 dace is not large like that of perch, eel, or catfish, so 

 that at times it misses taking the hook, but often 

 manages to take the worm. On being hooked, it 

 fights desperately for a time, running back and 

 forth in rapid succession; sometimes, though 

 rarely, it will rise above the surface. When a 

 fish is hooked that measures over twelve inches 

 in length, it should be gently led to the shore; and 

 played over the pebbles, or sand, from out of the 

 water; if a net is not handy, do not attempt to 

 lift a large dace bodily from the water; a small 

 hand net is indispensable; small fish can be lifted 

 to be unhooked, and basketed. They are so 

 plentiful, and bite so vigorously, that the basket 

 is easily filled, and in place of trout they make, 

 so far as game is concerned, a very fair substi- 

 tute. They take bait at all times and seasons, 

 and are equally voracious with the artificial fly, 

 so long as it is small in size; all flies are alike to 

 them, though the black gnat is taken most often. 

 It matters not where the cast is made, in the centre 

 of the stream or at the sides, they dart for it. I 

 had quite a large one playing some 



Oualities t™^' ^^^ ^^^^ quite sure it was a 

 trout, till it gave a leap from the water 

 nearly two feet high. Much to my surprise I found 

 it to be an unusually gamy dace. This was in 

 very rapid deep water. In pond or lake fishing 

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