PERCH. 41 



and they show quite an amount of confidence in 

 coming to be fed. Coots and dabchicks breed 

 among the reeds, and both fight with the fish 

 for possession of the soft-bodied food. In hot 

 weather the perch swim near the surface, and 

 then the aquatic birds have no chance against 

 them. As a red-worm reaches the water, every 

 fish rushes up, and sometimes a dozen open 

 mouths reach the morsel at the same instant. If 

 absolute possession has not been gained, there is 

 a struggle, and the pool is lashed into quite a 

 fishy commotion. The jaws are at work, the red 

 fins flash like sparks of fire, and the bronze bodies 

 seem all over the pool at once. There is an old 

 pile which they love to haunt, and they are some- 

 times seen to gently rub their sides against it. In 

 sharp contrast to the dusky perch are the silvery 

 roach. These describe their graceful evolutions 

 just on the side of the " Perch-pool," but rarely 

 invade it ; if they do, the perch at once become 

 aggressive, and the " water-sheep " are not long 

 in making good their retreat. We have fre- 

 quently taken large fish of both species from this 

 preserve with fly, A quick eye and hand is 

 requisite to successful fly-fishing for perch, and 

 once indulged, it becomes quite a fascinating pur- 

 suit how fascinating the following incident will 

 show. A "gentleman poacher" of the neigh- 



