DAYS AMONG THE PIKE AND PERCH 



pioneers of this movement, and deserves the thanks of all 

 Thames perch fishermen for his successful efforts in this 

 direction. 



There are two or three ways of fishing for perch, viz. 

 with a float tackle, with a leger, and with a paternoster ; 

 all these methods being suited to the various places in 

 which perch congregate. You don't require anything 

 very special for this, an ordinary eleven-foot chub rod with 

 two tops being as good as anything. One or two of the 

 perch fishermen of the Cambridge fens use a fifteen-foot 

 bream rod, but I consider that weapon too heavy and 

 awkward ; but they have one thing in their favour, and 

 that is, openings over the weeds and runs among the 

 bushes can be more easily got at by the longer rod. The 

 ordinary three-and-a-half-inch wood reel, and the undressed 

 silk line, that is used for Nottingham chub-fishing is quite 

 good enough for perch. Almost any float will do, but the 

 best are the stumpy swan quills, about six inches long, and 

 carrying some half-dozen medium-sized split shot ; these 

 will be ample for nearly any swim where perch are likely 

 to be found. Turkey-quill floats are very good, so are the 

 smaller curved cork floats that are used by the Trent men 

 for chub. The tackle itself need not be more than a yard 

 in length and it need not be too extra fine, nor yet too 

 coarse; undrawn natural refina gut will be about right, 

 and this yard of gut should have a loop at either end. 

 The hooks can be any shape that takes the fancy, but for 

 baits like worms, cadbaits, and similar things, a No. 7 

 Carlisle round-bend will be found the best, and this hook 

 should be neatly whipped to twelve inches of good and 

 fine refina undrawn gut, with a small whipped loop at the 

 other end, for attaching to the gut line itself. 



The food of perch principally takes the form of the small 

 fry of most fresh- water fish ; he will also take worms of 

 various sorts ; and sometimes he will promptly annex a 

 nubble of cheese paste, or a square of bread-crust, or a 

 bunch of gentles, or cadbaits when fishing the shallow 



