TENCH. PERCH. 135 



VIII. THE TENCH. 



THESE fish are by no means plentiful in the rivers and 

 streams about London, although they are sometimes 

 taken in the Thames and the Lea, as well as in the 

 Camberwell and Croydon Canals. They thrive best 

 in ponds, with loomy-clay or muddy bottoms, and in 

 foul and weedy waters. In such waters they are often 

 so abundant and ill-fed that they are taken in large 

 quantities. The tackle for tench should be light, 

 similar to that used for taking bream; and in rivers 

 the baited hook should just drag the ground, and in 

 ponds be a little above it. For ground-bait use small 

 pellets of bran and bread, and occasionally throw in, 

 close to the float, half-a-dozen gentles, or pieces of 

 worms. Bait your hook with blood and other red 

 worms in April and May, and later in the season, with 

 gentles, sweet paste, the white part of greaves, wasp 

 grubs, &c. They are especially fond of well-scoured 

 marsh worms. 



IX. THE PERCH. 



FOR perch-fishing strong tackle must be used. The 

 hook length must be of the best gut or of the finest 

 gimp, as you not unfrequently take pike, especially 

 while roaming with the minnow. The float should be 

 a small cork one, and the hook a No. 6 or 7. In 

 rivers, the perch should be sought about the entrance 

 of a small stream, close by piles or piers, or just outside 

 a ledge of weeds. In docks, it will be found in the 

 small openings between logs or openings of timbers. 



