30 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



hook, and begins to fish once more in the same 

 place. Presently there is another bite, the float 

 goes under as before, and the fisherman tightens 

 again, to meet with no resistance. Pulling up his 

 line, he finds that half his bait has been taken. 

 This argues that the fish was a small one, so it is 

 no great loss. Another worm, another bite, and a 

 little perch is hooked which, when it has stopped 

 struggling at the top of the water, can be lifted out 

 without the aid of the net. It is unhooked, 

 weighed, and found to be 302., and then returned 

 gently to the water again, where it swims off 

 merrily. As a broad general rule the novice will 

 do well never to keep perch under Jib. A ^lb. fish 

 is in most waters a decent one. In the Thames 

 the size limit is 8in., which means about 302., but 

 anglers who are not fishing for gross weight com- 

 petitions (which are, to my mind, things to be dis- 

 couraged) can well afford to have a higher standard 

 for their private use. A brace of respectable fish 

 at the end of a day is more to be proud of than a 

 score of little ones. On some waters, on the 

 other hand, the size limit is higher. I know one 

 club fishery where perch may not be retained 

 under fib., and another where lib. is the minimum, 

 and these restrictions are not too severe for club 

 waters, as they are hard fished, and need special 



