34 WATERSIDE SKETCHES. 



broadly that it begins to be in season when "the mulberry tree 

 buds, that is to say, till extreme frosts be past the spring, 

 for when the mulberry tree blossoms many gardeners observe 

 their forward fruit to be past the danger of frosts, and some 

 have made the like observations of the perch's biting." 

 Sir John Hawkins, who edits Walton, says (and very erro- 

 neously), " The best time of the year to angle for him is from 

 the beginning of May till the end of June." Ephemera, who 

 edits both Walton and Hawkins, says, " Fish for perch from 

 February to November " — thus giving at least three months 

 (March, April, and May) when the fish is supposed to be pre- 

 paring to spawn, spawning, or recovering therefrom. Hof- 

 land, whose " Manual," both as to text and illustrations^ is a 

 most trustworthy and genial handbook, says, " The month of 

 March has been considered a good season for perch-fishing ; 

 but as they spawn in April and May, from that time they are 

 out of condition till August." Blakey, no mean authority, 

 comes nearest the orthodox standard when he says, " In 

 March or April, atid perhaps in May, according to the season, 

 the perch cast their spawn, so that they should be suffered to 

 remain unmolested at least till July or August." 



Not a word need be said here upon the modus operandt 

 of perch-fishing ; the fish is to be found everywhere, and 

 everybody who has handled a rod knows how to take him. 

 Classical, clubbable Jesse sums the case up very neatly in his 

 " Rambles " by the borrowed lines : — 



" Now let tlie angler that would fish for perch 

 The turns in rivers and backwaters search. 

 In deepest holes the largest perch you'll find, 

 And where the perch is, kind will answer kind." 



The percli is not popular as an edible because of the 



