THE DACE. 87 



bread, he is a very delicious fish. At the breakfast table, when in 

 this condition, he is inimitable. The Trench have many modes of 

 cooking him, but few better than this. 



THE DACE. 



The DACE is a well-made fish, _of a bright silvery hue. He fre- 

 quents clear, rapid waters, and is very often found in the same 

 streams with the trout. It makes but little difference to him 

 whether the water be deep or shallow, provided it be bright and 

 tolerably rapid. 



These fish are gregarious ; and. in favourable waters and well- 

 adapted positions, are to be found in very large shoals. They are 

 numerous in all suitable waters in every section of Europe. 



Early in the summer the dace casts its spawn, and is very prolific. 

 He multiplies with surprising rapidity ; and the rather so, that he 

 is enabled to avoid numerous enemies, both on land and in the 

 water, from the great swiftness with which he scuds through the 

 streams. The eggs of the fish are of a dirty whitish colour. He 

 feeds freely on worms, gnats, and flies ; but other bait will tempt 

 him, as we shall soon show. 



The angler may enjoy first-rate sport with the dace, because he 

 is bold and (lashing, and, for his size, a very strong fish. He fights 

 hard, and _dies ^ame. The cook, perhaps, would rather not be 

 troubled with him but as he does not seem to be in much request 

 no, not even with bream-eaters recipes -for cooking him are 

 scarcely necessary, and yet, when fresh, and fried nicely in butter, 

 he is a capital addition to the breakfast table. 



In the spring, and late in summer, he bites freely. The tackle 

 employed in roach-fishing is well fitted for the dace; and if he 

 happen to be of a good size, he will afford the rod-fisher very 

 respectable sport. 



Many kinds of bait are in use for this fish, but the best, in our 

 opinion, are red worms and flies. The Erench very frequently use 

 a small water-worm, which is found in little narrow straws, like 

 quills, and which floats on the water : they call them porte-bois. 

 We never tried this bait, but have been often assured that dace are 

 very fond of it. It is like our caddis-worm. 



The common black ^nat is a good bait ; and_ if the point of the 

 hook on which the fly is wrapped be tipped with a_liye gentle, as 

 in roach-fishing, the aace may^ be lolled with surprising ease and 

 rapidity, particularly when he is rising at the natural flies on a fine 

 summer evening. 



The dace must be sought for in running waters ; and it is by no 

 means an imcommon circumstance to meet with them in trout- 

 streams which abound with deep holes, and where even the waters 

 are not constantly bright and sparkling. A brilliant red W9rm, 

 covering a small hook, shank and all, with a shot a foot above it to 

 sink the line, will catch them readily in such localities. 



