THE TENCH. 69 



they are very shy. When you have hooked one give H 

 play enough, or it will break your tackle. 



THE TENCH 



Is considered to be the fish's physician, and is a most 

 delicious fish, but its appearance is by no means prepo- 

 sessing, for its body is covered with an adhesive mocus 

 or slime, which is said to be healing to other fish, and 

 even the pike will rub itself against its sides if it has 

 received a wound or be sick, and will abstain from 

 devouring it however hungry it may be. The tench is 

 leathern-mouthed, with a small barb at each side ; it is 

 covered with small scales of a blackish olive colour. The 

 spawning time is the latter end of June and the begin- 

 ning of July, and the best time to angle for them is April, 

 May and June, the latter end of July and August. The 

 baits are the red-worm, gentle, wasp-grub, dock-grub, 

 March worms, and all kinds of pastes. Its haunts are 

 in ponds and rivers which are well shaded with bushes, 

 and amongst weeds, rushes, or flags. They thrive better 

 in foul than clear water. The tackle must be rather 

 strong, with a cork or quill float, and you must fish at 

 the bottom if it is not too thick with mud, but if it is 

 you must suspend the bait as near to it as possible. 

 It will sometimes take the bait at mid-water, but I gene- 

 rally take the largest fish at the bottom. It is well 

 to keep feeding the place you are angling in with the 

 same kind of bait you are using, and when he bites 



