PERCH AND PERCH FISHING 223 



alluded to of returning undersized fish to the water, 

 and prohibiting perch fishing before June 15. The 

 education of perch has, in consequence, almost 

 approximated to that of trout. I know parts of the 

 Thames where large perch are numerous ; but it is 

 only on very special occasions, when all the condi- 

 tions are highly favourable to the angler, that these 

 fish can be caught. 



To what weight perch attain in English waters it 

 is somewhat difficult to say. Pennant records one 

 of 9 Ib. taken from the Serpentine, but, as they say 

 in the newspapers, this statement should be accepted 

 with reserve. Well-authenticated cases of perch 

 weighing 5 Ib. and over have been recorded of late 

 years. These fish usually come in from large private 

 lakes in the Midlands. In the ' Field ' of July 13, 1889, 

 under the head of * Specimen Fish at the Brighton 

 Aquarium,' it was mentioned that the largest fresh 1 

 water perch that had ever been on public view was 

 then swimming about in one of the tanks. The weight 

 was stated as being between 5 and 6 Ib. Earlier 

 than this a fish weighing 2 oz. over 5 Ib. was recorded 

 in the ' Field ' as having been sent from Daventry to 

 be set up. 



As a matter of fact, a 2-lb. perch is an uncommon 

 fish, while one of 3 Ib. is very rare, particularly in 





