128 ANGLING. 



ship of Knowsley. It is hardy, tenacious of life, 

 and spawns in May. The flesh is firm and good, 

 somewhat resembling that of the perch. Its natural 

 food, and the baits used in its capture, are the same 

 as those of the carp. The largest specimens yet 

 met with have not exceeded a pound in weight. 

 The colour of the upper parts is slate blue, passing 

 beneath into a silvery white, the whole surface 

 tinged with a metallic lustre. The irides have a 

 tinge of straw colour, the fins are white. Al- 

 though Mr. Yarrell, in regard to this species, is 

 certainly entitled to the credit of a first describer, 

 yet M. Agassiz in a recent visit to this country, 

 recognised the azurine as a well known inhabitant 

 of some of the Swiss lakes. 



THE BLEAK.* 



This small and active fish may be angled for 

 with what is called a pater noster line, which con- 

 sists of half a dozen of fine hooks fastened about 

 6 or 8 inches from each other. These may be 

 baited with gentles, or more variously, to increase 

 the temptation, with a gentle, a small red worm, 

 a fly, &c. and thus several fish may be hooked at 

 the same time. In angling for bleak the tackle 

 must be very fine. In fresh streams they rise well 

 at the black gnat, or any other small sad-coloured 



% 



The bleak is a gregarious fish of six or seven 



inches in length, which inhabits most of the streams 



* Leudscus alburnus, Cuv. 



