Dace species guide • Freshwater fish • Very easy (3/10)

Dace junior fishing guide

Leuciscus leuciscus

A clear, plain-English guide to dace for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Dace catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (3/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

4–10 oz common; specimens to around 1 lb+.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

Dace

Beginner baits

Bronze Maggot, Pinkie, Red maggot …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Rivers and streams with steady to fast flow, especially glides and shallows.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first dace with confidence

Catch your first Dace in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Pick gentle river glides

    Choose safe banks on rivers with steady, even flow and room behind for casting. Avoid steep, undercut or slippy edges for juniors.

  2. Step 2

    Light trotting gear and small baits

    Use a small stick float, fine line and size 18–20 hooks with maggots or small worms. Run the float just above the bottom, feeding a few maggots each trot.

  3. Step 3

    Teach striking and mending line

    Help juniors mend the line to keep the float running straight and strike with a soft lift when it dips. Use a landing net for all fish near the water’s edge.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Junior Combo Rod

Beginner tip: Let juniors practice casting on grass first, then start short and close-in on the bank.

GOOD

Rod: 7–9 ft soft-action junior combo rod.

Reel: Small fixed spool reel pre-loaded with mono.

Line: 4–6 lb mono mainline.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Small waggler or simple bomb rig"
  • "Size 16–18 hook"
  • "Basic split shot"]

Extras

  • ["Ready-tied hooklengths"
  • "Plummet"
  • "Disgorger and unhooking mat"]

All-round junior combo – simple, forgiving and safe for first sessions.

Match Rod

Beginner tip: Plumb the depth carefully then fish just overdepth with steady loose feed to build a shoal.

GOOD

Rod: 11–13 ft light match or waggler rod.

Reel: 2500–3000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 3–4 lb (0.12–0.16 mm) mainline with slightly finer hooklength.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Slim waggler float"
  • "Size 18–20 fine hook"
  • "No.8–No.10 shot spaced down line"]

Extras

  • ["Small plummet"
  • "Catapult"
  • "Disgorger and unhooking mat"]

Light float rod is ideal for roach, rudd and mixed silverfish work on canals and lakes.

Waggler Rod

Beginner tip: Plumb the depth carefully then fish just overdepth with steady loose feed to build a shoal.

GOOD

Rod: 11–13 ft light match or waggler rod.

Reel: 2500–3000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 3–4 lb (0.12–0.16 mm) mainline with slightly finer hooklength.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Slim waggler float"
  • "Size 18–20 fine hook"
  • "No.8–No.10 shot spaced down line"]

Extras

  • ["Small plummet"
  • "Catapult"
  • "Disgorger and unhooking mat"]

Light float rod is ideal for roach, rudd and mixed silverfish work on canals and lakes.

About the Dace

Dace are slim, silver river fish that shoal tightly in fast glides. They take small baits eagerly and are excellent targets for trotting with a stick float.

Junior tip

Use a light float set to run just above the bottom with small hooks and single maggot. Let the float trot naturally with the current and strike when it dips.

Logged a Dace recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

← Back to all species

Fish Health & EA Advice

Linked conditions and guidance for Dace.

Chilodonella
Parasite 🟠 High risk

Chilodonella

Chilodonella is a fast-spreading parasite that attacks the skin and gills of freshwater fish. It can cause heavy mucus, grey patches, breathing problems, and even death if untreated. It thrives in poor water quality, overcrowded waters, and when fish are stressed. Good fishery management is the best way to prevent outbreaks.

Read full advice

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