THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 209 



quently made of single liorse-liair of a light brown colour. Perhaps 

 they are the best, but as gut can be had finer than horse-hair and much 

 stronger, I think it preferable. Between the float and the top of the 

 rod there should not be more than a yard of line, and it should descend 

 from the rod's point perpendicularly. Prompt striking, with an oblique 

 twist, of the wrist is necessary. 



The dace is a merry little fellow, reckless and gamesome, and therefore 

 I like him much. He bites at the bottom more freely than the roach, 

 and takes an artificial fly on the surface far more eagerly. He is the very 

 best fish to initiate the youthful Cotton into the art and mysteries of that 

 by far the most pleasant of piscatory practices fly-fishing. They fre- 

 quent shallows, rapids, and eddies, and in them they will take well the 

 artificial flies recommended for roach. In the late summer and early 

 autumn months they prefer deep, still, sheltered waters, and then must 

 be angled for with paste and gentles. In spring and early summer they 

 take small worms with avidity. There are plenty of them in the Lea, 

 and the Colne is famous for them of large size. In the latter river they 

 take the artificial fly as eagerly as trout or grayling. In the shallows at 

 Isleworth, Twickenham, Richmond, Teddington, Thames Ditton, Hamp- 

 ton, Sunbury, Walton, Halliford, Weybridge, Shepperton, Laleham, 

 Chertsey, Penton Hook, Staines, and indeed, in all the streams up to 

 Henley and beyond it. With an excellent extract from Elaine, and one 

 from Captain Williamson, I shall conclude the subject of dace fishing. 

 Elaine truly says, "Dace bottom-fishing is not very different from that for 

 roach, and the one is frequently taken when trying for the other, particu- 

 larly in the autumn, when both retire for a while into the deep currents 

 of rivers. Thus it is that roach and dace fishing is at that time a com- 

 mon sport, as it were, but does not continue long so ; for dace, during 

 the dead winter months, retreat to still deeps, and are not so easily 

 tempted to bite then as roach. Dace are also often taken, with barbel, 

 in the autumn months, which shows that they are then beginning to 

 feed low, and are very seldom tempted by the fly at the surface after- 

 wards. The tackle for dace bottom-angling should be similar to that for 

 roach, and the baits also should be the same. To roach fishing, therefore, 

 we refer our reader for the necessary information ; but it may be ob- 

 served, that when dace are purposely fished for, without reference to the 

 taking of roach, a larger hook and larger bait may be used; and if the 

 water be strong, for instance, as a mill-race, etc. etc., employ a gut-line 

 and cork float. During the spring season, worms of most kinds (but the 

 red in particular), caddies, larva) of beetles, or grubs and bobs of all sorts, 

 as well as small caterpillars, are proper baits I for they all form, at this 

 period, the natural food of dace. In this way they will take small water- 

 snails also. In the hot summer months, gentles take the lead; in autumn, 

 greaves and pastes, particularly salmon-roe, are killing. Like roach, 

 they are more frequently taken at the bottom than at mid-water; a 

 tripping-bait is, therefore, the best for them in general cases, but during 

 the summer months it is not always necessary to fish so deep. On the 

 contrary, caddies, bobs, and worms, are often taken by them more 

 readily in currents at nine or ten inches from the ground, or even a little 



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