THE BLEAK. 145 



stream, or about the piles or buttresses of old bridges ; in fact, 

 the angler can soon find them, for they are mostly near the 

 surface. I read that the scales of these fish were once used 

 in the manufacture of " artificial pearls," a pound of which 

 went to make four ounces of the guanine, as it was termed. 

 Four thousand bleak were required for a pound of scales. 

 Fortunately for the bleak a new substitute has been found, 

 or bleak at that rate would soon be a " rara avis " in some 

 waters. Any sort of a light rod and tackle will do for their 

 capture. I have seen them pulled out very rapidly with a 

 long thin stick for a rod, a few yards of thread for a line, and 

 about six inches of fine gut, and the smallest of floats and 

 hooks, with a gentle for a bait. The light roach and dace 

 rod, reel, and line will do for the fish mentioned in this 

 chapter. As the bleak swims very near the surface, the tackle 

 will only require to be very short. A single length of fine 

 gut will do with a loop atone end and a No. 14 hook on the 

 other. A very small float is used, one that will carry 

 about a couple of very small split shots, and a gentle for a 

 bait. The hook is put into the thick end of the gentle and 

 the thin end hangs down and twirls about in a very lively 

 manner. It is then dropped among the bleak, and as the 

 bait is only a few inches under water, you will see a dozen 

 fish perhaps make a rush at it. As soon as the float bobs 

 down strike at once, and out comes the little rascal dancing 

 and glittering like a bar of silver ; they are pulled out some- 

 times by that plan as fast as you can take them off the hook 

 and bait again. Bleak can be caught with a very small arti- 

 ficial fly, and there is worse sport than whipping for bleak on 

 a summer's evening, with three or four small brown flies on a 

 fine gut cast. In the winter bleak go to the bottom of deep 

 holes, and are not so active. They make a capital spinning 

 bait, for they spin so truly and glitter beautifully, though they 

 are rather tender on the hooks. 



