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Perch

The perch is one of the commonest of our fresh-water fish: at the same time it is one of the best. It is met with in almost all the lakes and rivers of Great Britain and Ireland, and throughout the whole of the temperate regions of the continent. Perch abound in deep, dark, sluggish rivers, and delight to lie about bridges, mill-pools, and in any deep and dark holes in the still parts of water, or the gentle eddies about flood-gates and similar places. When full-grown they are large fish: one weighing a pound is a good fish, and one of three pounds is thought very large; but they have been found weighing eight and even nine pounds. The flesh is white, firm, of a good flavour, and easily digested. Perch are so tenacious of life that they may be carried sixty miles in straw, and yet survive the journey. They are best crimped the moment they are taken out of the water. The peculiarity about the flesh of the perch is that it is very difficult to scale, so much so that some cooks boil the fish first and scale it afterwards. If this is not done, it will be found an assistance to plunge it for a minute into boiling water, and then scale it. Perch is in season from the latter end of May till the beginning of February. When fresh, the body has a bright shining appearance, and the gills are rosy red. Perch, like all fresh-water fish, should be used as soon as possible after they are caught.