THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 171 



nine or ten inches from each other, the lowest dropper 

 being close to the lead. The hooks are fine light wire lip 

 hooks, which may be fastened either to the lip of the 

 minnow, which is generally the live bait used, or in its back 

 fin. These minnows spin round and about the line, which 

 may be dropped by the rod into the several spots where the 

 perch are supposed to be, allowing the lead to go to the 

 bottom. Keep the line tight. If no bite, raise and drop in 

 another place. At the first nibble lower the front ot rod, 

 and strike when there are one or two repetitions. Play the 

 fish and lift by landing net. This style of fishing is often 

 done from a punt. Two anglers can work, and they assist 

 each other in landing the fish. 



PePCh (Perca flumatilis) are very handsome fish, 

 found nearly everywhere in the British Isles. They live in 

 waters moderately deep, with pebbly, gravelly bottoms, and 

 ensconce themselves in holes at the sides of gentle streams, 



THE PERCH. 



and in hollows under banks or heavy roots of trees jutting 

 out from them. They thrive well in ponds that are fed by 

 streams, spawn in early spring, and a single fish will 

 deposit ova calculated in some cases to the amount of two 



