520 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



more likely to be taken by means of bottom fishing. 

 Spawning somewhere about the middle of March, or the 

 beginning of April, it is a wonderful sight to watch a school 

 of these fish upon the spawning beds, working and burrow- 

 ing amongst the sand and gravel, in active preparation for 

 the deposition of their ova, and upon favourable ground, 

 countless thousands may be frequently noticed by the 

 attentive observer ; while so intent are the little fellows 

 upon the object at issue, that they seemingly take not the 

 slightest notice of lookers on. Always provided they keep 

 tolerably quiet, and don't throw brickbats among them a 

 little amusement I saw practised some few years ago on the 

 Maidenhead shallows, by some of the thoughtless men who 

 make camping out an amusement upon the banks of the 

 Thames as soon as the sun has fairly made his appearance 

 for the summer season. In bottom fishing for dace, there 

 is little, if any, difference to that practised in roach-fishing ; 

 at any rate the same tackle will kill equally well. It is, 

 however, in the autumn months that the best sport can be 

 obtained, when they, like the roach, have retired to the 

 deeper portions of the river. In the earlier periods of the 

 year dace will feed greedily, occasionally upon worms of 

 all kinds, and the little red worm in particular, as well as 

 the larvse of beetles, grubs, wasps and caddis worms. In 

 the hotter months, such as June, July and August, if the 

 angler chooses to try for them on the bottom, no bait is so 

 killing as gentles, well scoured and cleansed in sand, and 

 thus rendered tough and lasting on the hook. Some 

 pieces of greaves, of which dace are extravagantly fond, 

 are another excellent bait for them, and many an anathema 

 has this fish to put up with from the barbel-fisher when 

 legering with this substance, in return for the multitude of 

 sharp tugging bites very different, however, to that of a 



