PERCHES. 
63 
colour to them, and whether it presents itself 
in the blood of one of their former companions, 
or the hackle of a cock, is a matter of perfect 
indifference.”^ 
There are plenty of very fine Perch all along 
the Thames, but the most favourite resorts for 
these fish, are the deeps near Twickenham, either 
above or below the lock at Teddington, and in 
some deep holes about halfway between the lock 
and Hampton Wick ; Perch have been taken in 
these places frequently as large as four pounds’ 
weight each. 
Very large Perch and Trout are taken in the 
rivers of Ireland, by a contrivance known as the 
pooka. It consists of a fiat board, with a little 
mast and sail erected on it. Its use is to carry 
out the extremity of a long, stout line, to which 
are suspended at certain intervals, a great number 
I of droppersj each armed with a baited hook. 
Corks are affixed to the principal line to keep 
I it fioating, and from a weather shore, any quan- 
I tity of hooks can thus be floated over the water. 
I The corks indicate to the fisher when a fish is 
1 on a dropper, and in a small punt he attends to 
remove the fish and rebait the hooks. Two 
hundred hooks are sometimes used on one pooka, 
which affords much amusement and a well-filled 
pannier. 
This beautiful Fish appears to be common in 
I the rivers and lakes throughout Ireland ; in Scot- 
I land, however, it is rare, and in the waters that 
dissect, as it were, the northern portion of that 
kingdom, it is quite unknown. On the continent, 
i it has a much more northern range ; for large Perch, 
^ Vol. V. p. 277. 
