i6o 



THE PERCH. 



which will make the hooks stand out at right 

 angles to the trace. If fishing deep waters, such as 

 a weir pool, a third hook, No. 9 on gimp, may be 

 added with advantage another fifteen inches higher 

 up the trace, on which a live gudgeon, or small 

 dace may be placed, on the chance of catching a 

 pike ; the middle hook, or the top one (if only 

 two are used), should be baited 

 with a large minnow (those from 

 the Colne are very large), and 

 the bottom hook, next the plum- 

 met, with a nicely scoured worm ; 

 or if a three-hook paternoster, 

 two with brandlings or red 

 worms ; but any way, see that 

 neither gudgeon, dace, minnow 

 nor worms are stale, but strong 

 and lively. Red marsh-worms, 

 garden-worms and brandlings 

 are excellent bait for perch. The 

 minnows must be hooked 

 through the side of the upper 

 lip, and it should be remembered 

 that they are delicate little fish, 

 and won't bear much handling 

 or pulling about. 



Patcrnostering for perch is 

 much the same in method as that 

 pursued for pike. Drop the bait in carefully ; let 

 them remain on a tight line for a few seconds ; if 

 no result, move them quietly to another place and 

 then search all the water round about. Deep, quiet 

 water, where there is a gentle eddy ; holes, where 

 the roots of trees run down, and their pendant 

 branches shade the retreat from the fierce heat 



