THE PERCH OF STILL WATERS 249 



then the big fish leave the deeps and come into fifteen 

 or twenty feet of water. 



I once had the good fortune to spend the greater 

 part of the year yachting on Lough Derg, the sailing 

 being subservient to fishing and shooting. It was a 

 delightful time, and in the hot months of the summer 

 we caught many perch. Fish of one size, I noticed, 

 always, or nearly always, went in shoals. Right up 

 on the shallows, in a foot of water, there were hun- 

 dreds of little perch no larger than a minnow. Then, 

 in two or three feet, would be seen on sunny days the 

 six-inch fish swimming among the stones and weeds. 

 In about ten feet of water, where the fish were no 

 longer visible, we caught fellows of half a pound or so 

 and in deeper water still, fish running from three 

 quarters of a pound to a pound and a half, according 

 to the depth. I always lament that I never tried the 

 very deep water, with the idea of getting some really 

 big fish. As it was we took nothing over two pounds, 

 but any quantity of good-sized fish. 



The native anglers used most primitive tackle 

 string, a piece of lead sheeting chopped off roughly 

 with a knife, and what is termed in the village shop ' a 

 ha'penny hook,' the bait being known in Ireland 

 as the blue-head worm. They never had much sport, 

 so far as I could see. But I fared well enough, 



