134 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



noted ; the anal fin of the chub is red, while that of the 

 dace is not ; the scales are larger on the chub than the dace, 

 and the mouth of the chub is bigger. I have mentioned it 

 because I have seen anglers with a small chub (which if it 

 had been a dace would bo a very large one) carefully jjut on 

 one side as a " weigher in " for the specimen dace prize. 

 Dace are found in swifter, shallower water as a nde tlnin 

 roach, although they are very often taken witli tlie roach ; 

 indeed, I question if an angler fishing in a roach swim on 

 the Trent can make a bag of roach witliout there being a 

 dace or two with them. In the months of May, June, and 

 July dace are found on the shallow streams, tbo eddies by 

 the side of a swift stream, in tlie water at a mill-tail, over a 

 bank of weeds, or in the streams from a weir ; and they are 

 there sometimes in very great numbers, and may be caught 

 with a cad bait or a gentle. As the summer advances and 

 the days begin to shorten the dace retire into the deeper 

 swims, and are then caught almost exclusively by bottom 

 fishing. Sometimes they get into a barbel swim, and will 

 insist on swallowing a big bait intended for the barbel, and 

 it has often struck me as being strange that a little fish like 

 the dace can get such a big bait and large hook in his mouth. 

 When a swim is baited for barbel and no barbel are attracted 

 therein, the dace get possession, and the nngler has a fine 

 time of it, for dace can take the barbel hook and bait. This 

 question was, however, discussed in the chapter on barbel. 



During the winter the dace pass into the deep quiet holes, 

 and are then caught with the roach, fishing with cockspur 

 worms. They spawn early in April, and for a week or two 

 after performing that operation are as rough as nutmeg 

 graters, again getting into condition about the middle of 

 May, and will then take the fly or bait on the shallows. 

 The new " Act," however, says no j the dace must not be 

 touched until the 15th June. Dace very seldom exceed a 



