40 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



ing. But where they exist in such quantities 

 they are usually of small size. Thousands of 

 perch are also to be found in Slapton Ley, 

 Devonshire ; though the largest and best are 

 to be found in the Avon, Kennet, and the 

 Norfolk Broads. The economy of the perch 

 is somewhat difficult to comprehend. Being so 

 exceedingly prolific, they sometimes exist in 

 thousands. When this is the case the " schools " 

 invariably consist of the smallest fish. Only 

 large ones are to be had where the species is 

 numerically weak, and hence the best fishing is 

 to be had in preserved waters. The only way 

 to improve an existing stock is to reduce it by 

 two-thirds, then to feed the remainder. Unlike 

 some of the coarse fish, the perch rarely attains 

 to any size, and whilst it is not uncommon to read 

 of individuals of six, seven, or eight pounds, yet a 

 two-pound perch is a large and handsome fish. 

 Buckland took casts of perch of 3 Ibs. 2 ozs. 

 and 2 Ibs. n ozs., the former containing 127,240 

 eggs, the latter 155,620. Whilst perfectly wild 

 fish rarely attain to this size, it is not difficult 

 to produce larger ones under semi-artificial 

 conditions. 



A stretch of water known to the writer runs 

 along the edge of an old English garden. The 

 fish are encouraged to congregate along its sides, 



