224 The Fishes of the Lower Wharfe Basin. 
insatiable, and, failing animal matter, it will take bread, cheese, 
and has even been known to feed on cherries, like the 
Carp. The Chub abounds in the Wharfe, and can be caught 
from Ben Khydding downwards, specimens weighing over 
three pounds, however, are uncommon, the usual size rarely 
exceeding two pounds. No doubt if introduced into the 
Wharfe from other watersheds the average weight would 
soon increase. 
THE Dace closely resembles a small Chub, but the lesser 
mouth, the steel blue colour of the back, and the bluish cast 
on the sides of the fish after death, distinguish it from that of 
the former. The dorsal and caudal fins are grey black, the 
pectoral and anal fins are said to be pale red, but in the Wharfe 
are generally found to be brown yellow. It frequents the 
shallow streams in the warmer weather and chooses the deeper 
water for its winter quarters. It very rarely exceeds a pound 
weight. It spawns in May or June, and at this time Dace, 
like Barbel, betray their presence by partially turning over 
on their sides. The Dace occurs in the Wharfe from Burley 
to its confluence with the Ouse, and it is found in large numbers 
at Harewood and Woodhall Bridge. Fine specimens have 
been caught at Collingham weighing as much as fourteen 
ounces. 
THE MINNOW is the most widely distributed of all the 
fishes in the Wharfe Basin. It infests every eddy, and the 
quiet portions of the river afford it a home. Its colour varies 
to harmonise with its environment. It provides an unlimited 
food supply for the fishes with which it is associated. It 
buries itself in the mud during the winter and reappears 
again at the commencement of the spring, apparently none 
the worse for its long fast. It spawns in June, at which time 
both sexes develop small tubercles, chiefly on the upper part 
of the head. 
THE TENCH is adapted for a muddy environment, but it 
is one of the most beautiful of our fishes, its golden green 
colour shining through the thick coat of mucus. It is very 
seldom caught in the winter months, and during the summer 
is taken with difficulty. The best bait is unquestionably the 
worm. When Tench are transferred from the water to the 
basket they will live for many hours if left unharmed. In 
winter both sexes bury themselves in the mud to a considerable 
depth, where they lie until the commencement of more open 
weather. A pond which in winter is quite clear and in summer 
becomes turbid is probably inhabited by Tench. A weight 
of four pounds is seldom exceeded, and ponds should be 
stocked with care, or the fish remain small. We have no 
record of this fish having been caught actually in the Wharfe 
itself, but it certainly exists in a number of ponds in Wharfedale, 
Naturalist 
