160 THE PERCH. 



or river, very fond of playing about decayed timber, or old piles, 

 and hatch or lock holes : such places being in fact worth half a 

 mile of water elsewhere. Ditches communicating with the main 

 stream are also most depending places. 



A long and powerful rod should be used in perch fishing, as 

 also a strong line, and a good foot line of salmon gut ; the foot 

 link a little slighter than the rest, though perch if inclined to bite 

 are not fearful of tackle if neatly kept, and it must be remem- 

 bered that a stout piece of silkworm gut, if kept clean, looks 

 much finer in the water than a very fine link does, if allowed to 

 get furred and dirty with use. 



The baits for the perch, as honest Izaak observes, are not many, 

 or rather we must take it that he is so little nice in his food, that 

 if he will not bite at the three baits the worthy old angler enu- 

 merates, it is useless to try him with any other. The baits he 

 alludes to are, the minnow, the worm, and a little frog. Of worms 

 he says the brandling is the best : and of this experience convinces 

 me, that however times and fashions may have changed since 

 honest Izaak's days, the perch entertain the same opinion now, 

 nor is it very probable their tastes have undergone any change in 

 the interim ; yet although they like brandlings the best, few 

 worms come amiss to them when they are in the humour to bite, 

 though a small worm rather than a large one, is generally to be 

 preferred ; and although not remarkably delicate in their appetites, 

 clean, wholesome, well scoured worms will always answer the 

 best. 



If a minnow is used, a moderate sized one, that is a female with 

 a white rounded belly, is always preferable to a lean gutted male, 

 with a slender carcass, who can never stand the scrutiny of the 

 quiet gaze to which he is exposed in remaining stationary in this 

 kind of fishing, however disguised his less attractive personal ap- 

 pearance may seem, when exhibited under the more deceptive 

 garb of minnow trolling. The minnow should be baited by 

 running the hook either through the upper lip, or the fleshy part 

 of the back fin. 



In river fishing for perch a float will commonly be required, 

 and the bait should be kept but a few inches from the bottom ; for 

 though these fish will take a bait at midwater, they seldom bite so 

 boldly as when you fish deeper. If there is any current, the bait 

 should be drifted down with it to the end of the pool, and then 



