230 THE TENCH. 



ceed very well in abandoned marl pits, which have become filled 

 with water. In winter they ooze or bury themselves in the 

 mud. 



The tench is a very bold biter, and being commonly to be taken 

 of a pound weight and upwards, affords excellent diversion to the 

 angler. In tench fishing the great art seems to be to discover the 

 particular part of the waters they are in the habit of resorting to 

 in search of food ; for when this is discovered your sport is certain, 

 as a nicely scoured red worm is seldom rejected, and as they swim 

 and feed in companies, great numbers may be often taken at the 

 same standing. 



A few years since I was staying at the house of a friend in 

 Cornwall, when it was arranged that a party of us should repair 

 to a pond within a short distance of the house, and commence 

 an attack upon the tench. On starting I was surprised to find 

 that I was the only one of the company, consisting of four persons, 

 who was provided with a fishing pannier, though there was cer- 

 tainly no lack of them in the house ; and I was even still more so, 

 when informed that if every one of us were to carry one, they 

 would not contain one half the fish we should most probably that 

 day catch ; which were to be brought home in a large garden 

 wheelbarrow I had just before seen start off; but as this barrow 

 contained the wherewithal to cheer the inner man by the pond side, 

 I very naturally supposed was dispatched there for no other pur- 

 pose. In this instance at least the success exceeded my anticipa- 

 tions, for never did I know fish to bite away so eagerly, or 

 continue so long to do so as on that memorable day ; one of the 

 most delightful indeed I ever remember to have passed by the 

 water side, and if the wheelbarrow was not absolutely overrunning 

 with fish, it was no slight load to drive home again. But the most 

 remarkable part of the affair was, that there was only one limited 

 space in this pond, not exceeding four or five yards, and which had 

 nothing remarkable about it, in which we could obtain a bite: and 

 though some of our party wandered away and tried other parts 

 of the pond apparently equally inviting, they never moved a single 

 fish in any one of them. The same occurred on one or two other 

 occasions I had the good fortune to fish these waters, in every one 

 of which I met with the greatest success ; but still could catch 

 nothing except in this one identical spot. Another proof of the 

 advantage of knowing the exact spot to place the bait was shown 



