CHAPTER IX. 



METHODS OF ANGLING FOR PERCH. 



r I ""HE rod selected for this branch of the sport 

 J_ should be a cane one light in the hand 

 and 12 feet or 13 feet in length moderately stiff 

 but springy, with standing rings, such as p a ter- 

 describcd for pike-fishing ; or the pike- nostering 

 spinning rod, if not a weighty one, will answer the 

 purpose admirably. Use a Nottingham winch with 

 a fine running-line and a perch-paternoster, which, 

 properly made, should consist of 4 feet of selected 

 round, sound gut ; this is called the trace, and has 

 a small pear-shaped lead plummet looped on the 

 bottom of it, which may weigh f oz. or less, accord- 

 ing to the depth of water or strength of stream ; at 

 any rate, use as small a plummet as is possible ; for 

 with fine tackle and light leads better sport can 

 usually be obtained, especially if the perch are feed- 

 ing frugally, for they are sometimes not mad on 

 the feed. About five inches above the plummet tic 

 a loop in the trace (after well soaking the gut), and 

 fifteen inches higher tie another loop, to each of 

 which attach a No. 6 sncck-bend hook, bound on 

 to five inches of fine salmon-gut, the stiffness of 



