THE BLEAK AND GUDGEON. 169 



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 at one 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 sometimes by that 

 plan as fast as you can take them off the hook and bait again. 

 Bleak can be caught with a very small artificial 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. 



The gudgeon (Cyprinus Gobio) is another member of the carp 

 tribe, and a nice-looking little fellow he is ; in shape something 

 like a barbel. The top jaw hangs over the bottom one, and looks 

 very much adapted for rooting among the sand. Like the 

 barbel he has a beard at each corner of the mouth. Six or 

 seven inches is its extreme length, but that size is by no means 

 common. He spawns about May, and it is some time before 

 he gets into condition : about August and September are 

 the best months to take this fish. He is a very toothsome 



