166 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



fish I .have not often angled for ; but I wish my honest scholar 

 may, and be ever fortunate when he fishes. 



[OBSERVATIONS OK THE TENCH. Walton thinks unfavourably of this 

 fish as a table delicacy. It makes, however, a far better dish than either 

 chub, bream or barbel. Its medicinal properties I do not believe in, 

 and I am convinced that application of its slimy exterior to either fish 

 or flesh wounds will not heal them. If the voracious pike spares it, and 

 I very much doubt whether he does, 'tis not out of gratitude for cures 

 performed. Some instinct not to be accounted for prevents the pike 

 from making of the tench a favourite prey. It is a pond-fish, and 

 thrives best in water with muddy and weedy bottoms. It spawns in May 

 and June, amongst the roots and subaqueous stems of plants, and is very 

 soon in condition. Linna3us names it Cyprinus Tinea, and Dr. Fleming 

 describes this " mucous bluish olive carp "' as having " the back, dorsal, 

 and ventral fins, dusky; the head, sides, and belly, yellowish green; 

 body thick in proportion to its length ; a minute beard 011 each side of 

 the mouth; gape ascending; dorsal fin, eleven rays; pectoral, seventeen; 

 ventral, nine ; and anal, ten rays. The tail of the tench is not forked, 

 but squared. It grows to a large size, frequently to eight or nine 

 pounds, particularly in the sluggish rivers and ponds of Holland and 

 Germany. The best baits for tench are middle-sized red worms, 

 brandlings, flag, and marsh worms. I should never fish for them with 

 any kind of paste. They will take gentles, caddies, wasp-grubs, and 

 caterpillars. You must fish for them quite close to the bottom. They 

 bite best after gentle warm rains, and in summer while the rain is 

 actually falling. At this season, they are found among weed-beds, and 

 by the sides of them. Captain Williamson, in his " Vade-Mecum," very 

 properly remarks, " Tench do not swallow a bait very quickly, some- 

 times holding it in their mouths for a while ; therefore give them good 

 time, and let them either keep the float down, or, as is often the case, 

 let them rise with the bait, so as to lay your float on the water. This is 

 an excellent sign, and warrants your striking, but rather gently, lest the 

 fish be only sucking the bait, for he will seldom return after it is drawn 

 from his mouth. Your tench-rod should be strong, winch-line stout, 

 and foot-line of the best, round, but fine gut. Use number eight and 

 nine hooks ; in deep running waters smallish cork floats, but in still 

 deeps and ponds quill floats. If the bottom of the water be muddy, fish 

 an inch or two from it ; if it be sandy or gravelly, let your bait touch 

 it. ED.] 



the boughs of trees. Use a strong grass, or gut ; and a goose-quill float with- 

 out a cork, except in rivers, where the cork is always to be preferred. Fish 

 very near the ground. And if you bait with gentles, throw in a few at the 

 taking every fish, which will dra\y them to your hook, and keep them together. 

 H. 



