CHAPTER XIV 



ROUGH NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 

 THE FISHES OF THE DISTRICT 



II. COARSE FISH 

 THE PERCH (Perca fluviatilis] 



THERE is scarcely a lake or tarn in the whole of 

 the district, except those at the greatest altitude, in 

 which the perch is not found. It occurs in almost 

 incredible numbers in some of the larger lakes, 

 Windermere and Ullswater for instance and it is 

 probably no exaggeration to say that it exists in the 

 former in millions. Speaking generally, the size is 

 small, size being in inverse ratio to the quantity of 

 fish in any particular water. This is probably 

 attributable to the fact of the fish overstepping the 

 food supply ; and this is borne out by the fact that 

 in some of the smaller lakes where perch are 

 regularly netted they run to a much larger size. 

 Although the perch is a " coarse " fish, probably that 

 does not preclude its being called a sporting one. 

 At all events in the Lake District it serves several 

 useful purposes it forms a considerable item in 

 the food supply of trout and char ; it keeps down 

 minnows ; and it affords abundant sport and 

 pleasure to an army of visitors. 



