FISHING FOR PERCH 



necessary. A paternoster can be tossed out and worked in 

 places where a float tackle would be useless, or at best 

 a nuisance. Always keep a tight line, the lead only resting 

 on the bottom, and keep it on the move, tossing it out as 

 far as you can and working it back inch by inch, searching 

 all likely water. 



I remember once fishing the stretch of water that flows 

 from Long Bennington to Claypole on the Witham, 

 insinuating my bait under all those old roots, and working 

 the paternoster into all sorts of odd corners ; and at night 

 I had fifteen perch, going exactly as many pounds, largest 

 one pound ten ounces ; the bag also contained three very 

 decent chub, and two four-pound jack. Altogether one 

 of the best days I ever had, and one that I can never forget. 



Minnows or tiny gudgeons can be carried in a soda-water 

 bottle, three parts filled with water, and it can be safely 

 corked down and slipped into the haversack or even the 

 side pocket of the fishing- jacket ; the actions of the angler 

 will keep the water in motion, and the small inmates of that 

 bottle will be none the worse for their journey. I prefer 

 the bottle to a bait-can for these small baits, as it is a 

 nuisance when stooping down to empty the can into one of 

 your pockets, an accident that never happens to a well- 

 corked bottle. 



Spinning for perch is not a very successful operation. 

 Some odd times one or two are taken by casting the minnow, 

 or any one of the many artificials that are made for trout ; 

 and sometimes they will take a big Alexandra fly ; but 

 these look more like minnows than flies when drawn 

 through the water. Using a costly artificial for perch is 

 only a sorry business, and not to be recommended in a 

 general way. 



Sometimes perch will rise to a small artificial fly ; but 

 generally they are small fish. I don't know that ever I 

 saw a pound perch taken on a small dace or trout fly. A 

 friend once got a couple of dozen that did not average 

 more than four ounces apiece, on a small red tag; he 



