THE PERCH. 117 



very successful in the Kennet, where some years 

 ago I had excellent sport by foirawing this plan. 

 Allow time for striking. Try a small gudgeon if 

 the minnow be refused, and do not use more than 

 one hook on this tackle, for two hooks generally 

 tangle or lead to loss of fish in the weeds. As in 

 barbel-fishing, a hooked fish breaking away is 

 about the worst thing possible ; if care be taken, a 

 good dish of perch may be caught out of one eddy 

 or swim, but pricking fish or breaking in them 

 will soon have a bad effect on sport. 



Fishing with float- tackle and worm-bait is con- 

 ducted in the same way as Hvebaiting, but worm- 

 a round bent hook should be used instead fishing 

 of the sneck. Put the worm on the hook head 

 first, and leave just enough loose tail on the point 

 of the hook to wriggle a little without allowing the 

 worm to hang loose. A dead or badly scoured 

 worm is little good for perch. 



The paternoster is a tackle leaded at the lowet 

 end, with the hooks hanging, or standing, _ - 

 at right angles to the line itself. The lead noster- 

 should be tied on with black cotton, to save '"^ 

 breakages. Pear-shaped leads should be used in 

 preference to bullets, as they do not catch in 

 obstructions so easily. Paternoster-tackle should 

 be neatly made, though most paternosters are very 

 clumsy in construction. Tie loops an inch-and-a- 

 half to two inches long on the hook-length ; pass 

 the loop round the main line, put the hook through 

 it, and pull taut above a knot that joins two strands 

 of the gut cast. This will hold, and the long 

 double loop on the hook length helps to keep the 

 hook away from the lead-line. This is far better 

 than wire, bone, or bristles ; only take care to soak 



