568 



THE NATURE BOOK 



PERCH FISHING IN THE WEY. 



tishing," anglers used to give Pike from 

 five to ten minutes before " striking " the 

 fish ; but in the modern mode of fishing 

 with snap-tackle, the Pike is struck a 

 few seconds after taking a live bait. 



Pike appear to feed greedily at times, 

 and then to fast for a day or two. Frost 

 sharpens their appetite, and they are very 

 hungry after the spring spawning period, 

 when they return to the main river, lean, 

 dull in colour, and unfit for the table. 

 The rapacity of the Pike is well expressed 

 by the Welsh name of the fish, Blaidd y 

 Dwr, the Water- Wolf. 



The Perch is one of the handsomest of 

 (lur river fish, and has the merit of being 

 good as a dish, especially when l)red in 

 clear waters and nourished upon a fish 

 diet. It is easily recognised, even in the 

 water, by its broad black bands on the 

 sides, the bright red of its fins, and the big 

 dorsal fin witli its sharp spikes. Perch 

 are often said to be excluded from the diet 

 of Pike, on account of the danger of the 

 dorsal spines ; but this is a mis-statement, 

 for Pike prey upon Perch, large and 

 small, and e\-en prefer them to other fish. 



The Perch loves weedy corners, banks 

 of clay, the neighbourhood of old piles 

 and stumps, the roots of willows below 

 the water, and beds of water-hhes. They 

 are not altogether averse to saltish water, 

 and they thrive in lakes and ponds as 

 well as in rix^ers. In the Thames these 

 tish are becoming scarcer, and two causes 

 are given for their decrease. The first is 

 the wastage of spawn through the washing 

 of steam and electric launches. Perch 

 deposit the ova on the roots of trees 

 and upon reeds, and the violent agita- 

 tion of the water by the screws of 

 motor boats washes the spawn away and 

 destroys it. The other factor in lessen- 

 ing the numbers of Thames Perch is the 

 increase of swans and \'arious water birds 

 that devour the eggs. Fortunately, the 

 owners of the swans have now con- 

 sented to restrain them during the Perch 

 lireeding season, and it is hoped that 



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A PEKCH l^OND. 



