Bait Angling for Common Fishes 



Perch frequent quiet waters of moderate 

 depth, pools under hollow banks, eddies 

 and shady reaches in the meadow brooks, 

 creeks and canals, preferring the sides of 

 the streams to swift currents, and sandy 

 and pebbly rather than muddy bottoms. In 

 mill ponds they are likely to be found in 

 deep waters just above the dam, and in the 

 vicinity of piles of locks, bridges and sluice 

 gates. They sometimes descend into brack- 

 ish water of estuaries, where they become 

 large and very firm fleshed. In muddy 

 pools they often assume a golden color, 

 but in such situations are soft of flesh and 

 not well flavored. They love to be among 

 long weeds, grasses and lily pads in large 

 lakes, and seem to thrive in neighborly 

 friendship with the bass, pike and pick- 

 erel their strong array of sharp spines 

 probably protects them from those savage 

 and predaceous fish. The largest speci- 

 mens are found in rivers, where the bed of 

 the water is partially covered with vegeta- 

 tion in a slow-moving current. 

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