70 ANGLING. 



paternoster as it is called, well leaded, may be made use of. To 

 the hooks and in this mode of angling you may have as many as 

 you like small gudgeons or minnows should be fixed by the 

 nose or the back fin; and when the fish bites in the running 

 stream, the angler will feel the short, quick jerks which indicate a 

 perch run under such circumstances. These hooks may also be 

 baited with worms, if large and red. 



In fishing with gudgeon or minnow in tranquil, or in gently 

 flowing waters, run the hook under the back fin, and put shot 

 enough, about a foot above the bait, to keep it down well. You 

 may use a float or not, in this case ; but it is more difficult for 

 young anglers to kill a fish without a float than with one. Some 

 authors recommend spinning a dead minnow for the perch, on the 

 curious ground that the rod-fisher may kill a trout or pike. This 

 chance must be a very remote affair, as we should fancy, for the 

 angler seldom encounters the two in the same stream. 



^Several kinds of bait are recommended for the uerch ; gudgeon, 

 minnow, worms, gentles, frogs. ^ Undoubtedly this fish will take 

 all these, and many others of a similar kind. We have seen them, 

 for instance, killed with slugs, and the stone-loach is thought to be 

 very persuasive. The common bait, however, for this fish, taking 

 all things into consideration season, size of fish, state of water, 

 weather, &c., &c. is a fine large red garden worm, commonly 

 called a lob or dew-worm. ^ These may be gathered by thousands 

 late in the evening after rain, without any fear of injuring them, as 

 they are then crawling about above ground- but none but red 

 worms must be taken, the black being altogether useless, avoided 

 even by small eels. Fill a large flower-pot, or some other con- 

 venient vessel, earthenware being preferable, with a quantity of 

 long clean moss ; press it down hard, put the worms on the top of 

 it, and drop upon them a very small quantity of pure, sweet milk. 

 to purge and purify them. If this moss be frequently washed and 

 turned, and the worms carefully put on the top of it every time, 

 they will keep a long period, and will become clear, firm, and of 

 surprising toughness. We do not believe that a better bait than 

 these worms, so prepared, can be found for perch. Brandlings, 

 and small red worms, and similar fancy things, are lauded by some 

 autlwrs; but we feel confident that a little experience will soon 

 convince the angler there is nothing comparable to a well-prepared 

 dew-worm. It will often tempt the perch, late in the evening, when 

 he is roving about shallow places in search of prey ; and a large 

 eel will rush at it greedily. 



Perch may be caught nearly all the year round; but perhaps 

 August, September, and October, are the best months, as the fish 

 are then in nigh season, splendid in colour, and full of condition and 

 vigour. In cloudy weather, this fish will bite all day; but, 

 generally speaking, early in the morning and late in the day, far 

 into the evening, are the most favourable periods. The largest 

 perch we ever saw taken, were caught with a dew-worm, near a 



