THE JOLLY ANGLER. 



37 



black on the back, the sides and belly of a fine green and 

 gold tinge, some much handsomer than others; those 

 few taken from rivers, as well as those from large ponds 

 with a clay or gravel bottom that have the wild water lily 

 growing in them, are far preferable in look and taste to 

 those coming from ponds with a muddy bottom. The 

 Tench commonly reaches three or four pounds in weight, 

 (Colonel Thornton mentions one three times the size,) 

 and is much better eating than the Carp ; they are taken 

 by the same means, (see " Carp," and likewise " Pond 

 Fishing.") In some ponds these fish are so abundant and 

 ill-fed that you may take a great number of them in the 

 course of a day's angling. From May till August they 

 feed from day-light till nine o'clock in the morning, and 

 from five o'clock until dark in the evening, the same 

 as Carp, with the same exception during the spawning 

 season; this remark is applicable to the usual weather at 

 this time of the year; if it is cool and cloudy, or light 

 rain falling, then they will frequently bite all day. Tench 

 generally spawn a little earlier than the Carp, though, 

 unlike other fish, they do not all spawn together; the bait 

 they like best is a well-scoured marsh worm, not too large, 

 the hook No. 7 : this last remark is intended to apply to 

 such ponds as contain Tench, Perch, or Eels, otherwise 

 use the smaller hook and a red worm, or paste. This fish 

 is quite useless as a bait for Jack or Eels, as they will 

 neither of them touch a Tench, though they will both 

 devour small Carp. 



THE PERCH 



Is a handsome, bold-looking fish, with a fine eye, high back, 



