

BAIT. 105 



He also recommends dew worms as an ex- 

 cellent bait if well compurated, and the junior 

 fry of small fish, but adds that the charm of all 

 baits that invites a perch ashore is that truculent 

 mortal the gild-tail. I frankly confess my igno- 

 rance of gild-tails, and compurated worms being 

 good baits, and instead of these I now recommend 

 to the perch-fisher to use a small gudgeon or min- 

 now. These, if well put on a set of small hooks 

 about the size of the accompanying sketch and 



similar to those I have described in my account of 

 trolling for pike, and properly spun, are a killing 

 bait for large perch. The hooks are to be of the 

 smallest size of those used to take roach, and not 

 to exceed three inches from the first to the last. 

 There is no occasion for any great length of line, 

 nor should the tackle be coarse. The bait should 

 be spun as near to the bottom as possible in the 

 places I have described, or in any other ' solitary 

 deeps.' In this way perch of a large size may be 

 F 2 



