i62 THE PERCH. 



fish time to turn the minnow or small gudgeon 

 into his mouth head first ; for perch always seize 

 a fish bait across the middle in the first instance. 



If refusing minnows on paternoster, perch some- 

 times take them greedily when put on a hook 

 Float- and shotted trace, with float, and floated 

 fishing clown or along the swim ; so that if they 

 will not feed to paternoster tackle, floating the bait 

 may be tried with advantage. Stone-loach are ex- 

 cellent baits for perch. Anglers should always have 

 a good supply of worms ; to which end gardeners 

 and gardeners' boys should have orders to collect 

 all the worms they possibly can, and to throw them 

 into a tub or box half filled with turves and moss, 

 in which the worms can scour themselves, get tough, 

 and bright in colour. " Lobs " require a week at 

 least in moss, and well looking after if the weather 

 is warm, also picking over daily, the stale ones 

 being thrown away ; but if wanted for immediate 

 use, put a handful of worms into a pot with some 

 tea-leaves squeezed dry, and let them remain for a 

 few hours, when they will be found in nice con- 

 dition. I have omitted to explain the reason why 

 the lowest hook of the paternoster is placed so near 

 the plummet, which is, that if the bait be a minnow, 

 or small gudgeon, it may be near the ground, where 

 (as a rule) the largest perch lie, it being the habit 

 of the minnow on seeing a perch near, to strike up, 

 as far as the gut hook-link will allow, in its efforts 

 to escape, and thus attract the perch. The bottom 

 hook usually catches most fish ; and this is gener- 

 ally the case when paternostering with worms for 

 baits. There are few fish more intelligently wary 

 than the perch. In waters that are much fished 

 perch attain a degree of experience in the matter 



