Dace identification and river fishing

Identification

Dace are slim, bright silver fish with a relatively small head, a narrow wrist to the tail and a forked caudal fin. Their mouth is small and slightly downturned. The anal fin is usually distinctly concave. Fins can show yellow or orange but are generally less strongly red than those of a mature roach.

Small chub are a frequent confusion. Chub tend to have a broader head, larger mouth, more cylindrical body and rounded, convex anal fin. Roach are deeper-bodied and usually show stronger red-orange fins. Hybrids and juveniles make photographs unreliable when a key fin is folded, so examine shape without prolonging handling.

Where dace hold

Dace favour flowing water: glides, smooth runs, current seams and the tails of pools. They may rise to insects or feed near the bottom depending on conditions. Start where the flow is steady enough to present a bait naturally and where the bank offers a safe landing point.

Trotting a float

A correctly shotted float can carry an allowed bait at the speed and depth of the current. Plumb representative areas, account for an uneven bed and feed sparingly upstream so loose feed and hookbait meet on the same line. Mend line without dragging the float off course.

Dace have soft mouths, so strike and play them smoothly. Balanced tackle must still be capable of handling a larger chub or another river fish. Check close seasons, local byelaws and venue rules before travelling, and stop when rising water or unstable banks change the safe plan.

Continue with plumbing the depth and weather planning.