THE PERCH OF STILL WATERS 247 



* who had caught vast numbers of huge perch by 

 sinking a pickle bottle containing a few live minnows, 

 with a piece of perforated zinc over its mouth. The 

 perch would come in their hundreds to examine the 

 caged minnows, and puzzle over the invisible yet 

 hard substance which intervened between them and 

 the little creatures which they deemed intended for 

 their delectation. The fisherman would then lower 

 a baited hook among the puzzled perch, and have 

 grand sport. Francis Francis (I may be forgiven 

 these several references to him, for he was a noted 

 and skilful perch fisher) refers to the idea in terms 

 almost as scathing as those he applied to the pater- 

 noster of ancient times, warning perch fishers not to 

 be deluded into borrowing their sisters 7 gold-fish bowl, 

 covering the mouth with muslin, and sinking it to the 

 bottom of the water in the belief that it would act as 

 groundbait. 



Strange to say, other authors recommend the very 

 thing that Francis Francis derided. I had one ex- 

 perience of it and that, by the way, was in a river 

 and the trial was made soon after the old fisherman 

 had given me what he described as 'a very valuable tip.' 

 I procured the pickle bottle, caught the minnows, 

 turned the bottle into an aquarium, and sunk it by the 

 side of a bed of water lilies, carefully marking the spot. 



