Dace

Dace are well distributed throughout the rivers of England and Wales but they are not found in Scotland or Ireland except where they were accidentally introduced.

The dace is a slim silvery fish that loves swift flowing water. If you live near a fast flowing river the chances are you have vast shoals of Dace at you disposal. Dace do not grow large, infact the British record is only 1lb 5oz. If you are lucky enough to catch a dace of 1lb then you have caught a very good specimen indeed. Small chub are often confused with Dace but an easy way to identify then is to check the fins. Chub have 'Concave' fins and Dace have 'Convex' fins. A simple way to remember the difference is by using this rhyme "Dented for Dace,Curved for Chub."

Dace feed on water insects. Worms, Flies and Snails are a favourite but they will also feed on silkweed and aquatic plants. A great bait to teapt Dace with are maggots although worms and Bread can work very well too.

Dace can be found in very large shoals especially in the winter months. They can provide great sport on light float tackle with a fish a cast throughout a session. Large Dace are harder to locate. There are a few rivers that are renowned for holding big Dace the Hampshire Avon and the river Kennet have both produced some very good Dace but there are many more that are capable of producing specimens. The River Wye holds vast shoals of Dace and has thrown up some huge match weights in recent years. It is also worth looking at some of the countries smaller rivers as they very often hold shoals of large Dace in their fast flowing gravel glides.

The River Kennet holds some good Dace.

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Dace can be caught on many methods but my favourite is to fish with a stickfloat on a light set-up. Once you have found a suitable swim, steady loose feeding will attract the shoal in very close and using a light balsa float with the shot evenly spaced to let the bait drop slowly through the layers of the water will often produce the goods. A single or double maggot on a size 18 hook and 2lb line is perfect. Dace bites can be lightning fast so you have to be alert and ready to strike at the slightest touch.

I sourced this image from the excellent Discover Fishing website. It shows exactly how to place your tackle when fishing for Dace.



A great time to fish for Dace is in the weeks running up to the close of the season. Dace spawn early and it is during this time that they gather in huge shoals in the shallower glides will they will spawn. The Dace are at their most hardy and heaviest at this time so you could catch a real specimen.

For Tackle suitable for Dace try the
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