THE GUDGEON. 



This is a well-made little fish, and is considered by most 

 people to be excellent eating when nicely cooked. Although 

 he is diminutive, there are many very partial to angling for him. 

 The Londoners enjoy Gudgeon fishing very much ; the ladies 

 in particular are very clever in capturing him, and seem to take 

 as much delight in angling for him as the gents. 



Gudgeon deposit their spawn in the middle of May, seeking 

 for that purpose a shallow stream with from eight to ten inches 

 of water. I have seen them in thousands together at this time 

 of the year. They seem to prefer a fine gravelly bottom for 

 spawning to any other. I never saw them, while performing 

 this operation, on a sandy, or a rough gravelly bottom ; they 

 select a medium between the two. They are not long in com- 

 pleting the process something like five or six days will take 

 them clean away, and then they will begin to bite in a fortnight 

 after. Some writers are of opinion that Gudgeon spawn two 

 or three times a year, but this is a mistake ; I feel perfectly 

 satisfied it is. No fresh water fish do or can breed twice a year, 

 and once is quite sufficient to keep all the rivers and ponds well 

 stocked, providing we could put a stop to the netting. This is 

 the angler's greatest enemy, and there ought to be a law made 

 to put it down altogether. The poachers who use this means 

 of capturing fish, not only catch the fish in an unfair and 

 cowardly manner, but drag weeds and spawn out, and leave them 



