Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/52

sharp; and nothing but the finest tackle, such as a single almost colourless horse hair, will take him, even gut being refused when he is much fished for. A very light quill float and a few sinkers are desirable. Roach weighing 2 lb are not at all common, from 1 lb to 1½ lb being the usual limits. The best hook baits for roach are gentles, greaves, red worms, a plain paste made of flour and water or worked up bread crumb or pearl barley. Of course there are a multitude of other baits which are sometimes preferred, but these will rarely fail if the fish are at all inclined to feed. The best general ground-bait is that already mentioned in bottom fishing, though all sorts of other matters—as grains, barley-meal, pollard, boiled wheat, &c.—are sometimes used. Roach, when feeding near the surface, will sometimes take a fly, as indeed will most fish. Size of hooks required, 10, 11, and 12.

Fig. 23.—The Roach.

Fig. 23.—The Roach.

The Dace.

The dace (Cyprinus leuciscus) is frequently found in common with the roach, though often abounding in trout streams. Where there are no roach, it takes the same baits as the roach in all respects, save that it runs much more freely at the fly. In the months of July, August, and September on the Thames, large numbers of dace are taken with the fly from the water between Isleworth and Teddington with small black and red palmer and other flies tipped with a gentle or a piece of wash leather in imitation, and it is not uncommon for an angler to take ten dozen of them in a tide. The dace runs quickly, and requires very quick striking. The Jews are very fond of dace for their feasts, and pay a high price for them. Size of hooks required, 10, 11, and 12.

The Chub.

The chub (Cyprinus cephalus) is perhaps the least valuable fresh-water fish for table purposes, though probably the barbel may almost be put on a level with him, albeit Izaak Walton contrived to make a tasty dish of it; but at best the flesh is rather vapid, watery, and abounding in bones. It is a fair sporting fish, however. In addition to his taking all kinds of baits in bottom fishing, he will take both natural and artificial insects on the surface boldly, and many are taken by dressing a cockchafer, humble bee, or small frog, or by casting imitations of the same, artificially prepared, under the boughs where the chub lies waiting. A big artificial humble bee or cockchafer, or a fly made of a silver tinsel body, coch-y-boudu hackle, and turkey wing, with sprigs of green peacock in it, are about the three best lures for him, though many prefer red and black palmers. The chub often lies also in deep heavy streams, and will frequently in such cases take a live or a spinning minnow pretty freely. Among bottom baits cheese and greaves are special favourites. The chub rarely exceeds 6 or 7 lb in weight, though specimens have been known to attain 9 lb. Size of hooks, 3, 4, and some times larger.

Fig. 24.—The Chub or Skelly.

Fig. 24.—The Chub or Skelly.

The Barbel.

The barbel (Cyprinus barbus), so termed from the wattles or beard depending from the sides of the mouth, is a very game fish for the angler, frequenting deep and rapid streams, and often turbulent and broken waters, as at the tail of mill wheels, weirs, &c. They go in large shoals, so that when the barbel are got upon the feed the angler often takes from 20 to 50 or more in a day. They require a good deal of ground-baiting, however,—worms, gentles, greaves, &c., being often used in large quantities two or three nights before fishing to induce them to feed freely, and even then the angler is as likely as not to be disappointed. A clean red lob-worm is, upon the whole, perhaps the best bait for a barbel, and next to that a bunch of gentles or greaves, though they will sometimes take freely a number of things, including fat bacon and raw beef. They are fished for in several ways by the ordinary and travelling float method, by the ledger and the clay-ball principally; and it often happens that they will take pretty well in one of these ways and refuse the others. The barbel nibbles a little at the still bait before biting, but when a good double tug is felt, the angler may strike firmly. Owing to its great expanse of fins, and its rounded body, the barbel is a very stout fighter, and makes a most prolonged resistance; and though it is not so active as either salmon or trout, it is more troublesome, and takes longer to subdue. In the spring months the large barbel will frequently take a spinning bait freely, and when spinning for large trout in a weir the angler frequently receives severe disappointment by hooking a big out-of-season barbel. They run up to 10 lb weight, but one of 12 lb is not caught every day. On the Thames the average is from 1 to 4 lb. They are a very curious fish, some years biting freely, and during others hardly at all. Size of hooks for worms, 1, 2, 3; for other baits smaller.

The Bream.

The bream (Cyprinus brama). It is said that there are two kinds of bream,—the small white bream (flat) and the big olive-coloured bream. Much that applies to the barbel applies also to the bream. The same baits and the same methods of fishing must be adopted, but if possible finer tackle is required. Perhaps if there is one bait the bream likes better than another, it is two or three brandlings or red worms stuck on the hook. Otherwise his taste re

Fig. 25.—The Bream or Carp Bream.

Fig. 25.—The Bream or Carp Bream.