FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 



and other bones of the ancient British red deer and roebuck, and where, 

 every now and then, he procured specimens of Roman swords and other 

 antiquities. Mr C. Tate Regan says the gudgeon is unknown in Scotland 

 but is common in Ireland, and that it rarely exceeds six inches in length, 

 specimens of eight inches being considered exceptionally large. The finest 

 I ever caught were in the Onny, near Craven Arms, but I think none ex- 

 ceeded six inches. I remember, as a boy, thinking what handsome little 

 fellows they were, and wishing they were bigger; they have a transparent 

 mother-of-pearl sort of appearance. The gudgeon spawns in shallow 

 streams in May and June, depositing its pearly-bluish eggs on stones 

 and weeds. 



It is a favourite bait, both alive and dead, for other fish, and of late years 

 great numbers have been used as baits by salmon anglers. 



THE BLEAK 



ALBURNUS LUCIDUS 



German, Blicke, Ickelei; French, Ablette 



The bleak spawns between April and June, on water plants or on gravel; 

 it is a pretty, lively little fish, and affords the young fly-fisher good sport, 

 as it rises freely at any small fly — especially at an imitation or natural 

 house fly on a small roach hook. It is a favourite bait for a big Thames 

 trout, and for centuries has been famous as providing from its silver 

 scales the so-called essence d'orient, of which 7 lb. of scales would make 

 about 1 lb., from which artificial pearls are made. 



" THE BULL-HEAD " OR " MILLERS THUMB " 



COITUS GOBIO 



German, Der Kaulkopf; French, Chabot commun 



This curious and interesting little fish, which rarely exceeds five or 

 six inches in length, is said to be, for his size, a great devourer of the eggs 

 and young fry of trout and other fish, and therefore should not be en- 

 couraged in trout streams or fish breeding ponds. Buckland likens them 

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