THE PERCH. 



Let no weeds hang on your bait, for if they 

 do, the pike will not touch it : and always throw 

 it into the water gently. 



When you have a bite, and the fish goes 

 down the stream, it is commonly a small one ; 

 but on the contrary, if he sails slowly upwards 

 with the bait, it is a sign of a good one; great 

 fishes in general bite more calmly than small 

 ones ; for the small ones snatch and run away 

 with the bait without any deliberation, but old 

 fishes are more wary. 



Be careful how you take a pike out of the 

 water, for his bite is venemous; therefore if you 

 have not a landing net> put your finger and 

 thumb into his eyes, and take him out that 

 way. 



Both at trowl and map, always have one or 

 more swivels on the line, which will prevent its 

 kenking, and make it play better in the water. 



Whenever you find your bait-jish water-sopt, 

 change it directly. The hooks for this fish are 

 various. 



PERCA FLUriATlLIS, 



The Perch; is bow-backed like a hog, and arm- 

 ed with stiff gristles, and his sides with dry thick 

 scales. He is a very bold biter, which appears 

 by his daring to venture upon one of his own 

 kind with more courage than even the ravenous 

 luce. He seldom grows above two feet long, 

 spawns oncea-year, either in February or March, 

 and bites best in the latter part of the spring. 



Our Perch and .mat of Aristotle and Ausonius 

 is the same. It was much esteemed by the 

 Romans, nor Js it less admired at present, as a 

 firm and delicate fish j the Dutch, indeed, are 



