ON FISH PRINCIPALLY USD AS BAITS. IOI 



the Bleak from the beginning to the end of the 

 season in the manner described for the Gud- 

 geon, he would not take a single specimen, and 

 vice versa. 



The Bleak is so common throughout England in 

 most rivers producing Roach and Dace, that any 

 detailed description of its characteristics would be 

 superfluous. Nor is it likely to be confounded 

 with any other fish, as it is the only one of our 

 fresh-water species which in shape is narrow as 

 well as flat in other words, Sprat-like. Bleak 

 derive their name from their shining white* scales, 

 in which, like a girl in her first ball-dress, they 

 seem to be never weary of glancing to and fro, and 

 coquetting with the midges as they flit out their 

 three hours' existence over their native stream. 

 Accordingly, any small fly bearing a sufficient 

 resemblance to these insects will commonly take 

 Bleak in greater or less abundance, especially if a 

 gentle is added on the hook-point ; but the best 

 method of Bleak-fishing is as follows : Select a 



* From a northern word signifying to bleach or whiten 

 llik, Danish; blick (Swedish and German) "glance," 

 " glimmer." 



