76 THE DACE, 



spring they resort to shallows and scours, in summer 

 amongst weeds, and in winter in deep holes and eddies. 

 They spawn in May, and are best in winter, though they 

 begin to be in season in July. You may angle for them 

 the day through, but like most other fish it is best early 

 and late. Your rod must be long and slender, your line 

 single hair or gut, with a single shot on, and a fine 

 quill float ; the baits most killing are gentles, wasp- 

 grubs, pastes, and small red worms hook No. 2. When 

 angling for them and you see the float moving away, strike 

 or it will leave the hook and suck of the bait. 



THE DACE OR DAKE 



Differs some little from the roach by having a wider 

 mouth, blunter nose, and larger head, with a longer and 

 thicker body, the scales not so large, and the tail more 

 forked, and it is a more lively fish in the water ; the 

 flesh is much better, and it is not so boney. Its haunts 

 are much the same as the roach's. They spawn the 

 latter end of March, and are in season soon after. The 

 same baits and tackle that are used for the roach will do 

 for the dace. Also, when you fish for either, you must 

 keep baiting the place with bits of paste made into small 

 pills, chewed bread, or bits of potatoes mixed with bran. 

 But the best way to take them from April to October is 

 with artificial flies, such as the black gnat, wren-tail, 

 small, ant-fly, &c. 



