PERCH SOMETIMES CAPRICIOUS. 147 



expressly for the purpose of enticing perch 

 together, sold, I think, by Messrs Alfred and Sons, 

 of Moorgate Street, E.G. 



Perch are sometimes capricious in biting or 

 feeding, and appear to be very sensitive to electric 

 changes in the atmosphere. In hot weather, with 

 the south wind blowing, they usually feed all day 

 long ; at other times, not at all in the day, but 

 generally at early morning and during the evening ; 

 they like a gravelly bottom, and where the water 

 is not too swift, especially near growths of 

 water-lilies. In winter perch are usually found 

 under hollow banks, where there is a gentle flow 

 of stream ; beneath boughs overhanging rather 

 deep water, near submerged roots and tree- 

 trunks, old flood-gates, moss-grown piles, and 

 campsheathings. Such places, where spinning or 

 " floating " with minnow or small gudgeon would 

 result in a hang-up to some obstruction, with loss 

 of tackle, can be fished more satisfactorily with 

 a paternoster. There was a bough (I think it still 

 remains) near the entrance to the Abbey stream, 

 Fenton-Hook, Thames, where a few winters ago I 

 caught seventeen handsome perch in a little over 

 an hour, paternoster fishing with minnow. 



Perch spawn in May, and during summer and 

 early autumn are somewhat solitary in their habits ; 

 but after frosts have set in they become gregarious, 

 consorting together, so that where one is caught 

 the angler may expect others will find their way 

 to his landing-net. Female perch are much more 

 numerous than males. Frank Buckland states in 

 History of British Fishes that he had two female 

 perch sent him that weighed respectively 3 Ibs. 

 2 ozs. and 2 Ibs. 1 1 ozs. ; he and his secretary 



L 2 



