Common dace

Identification

The common dace is a slim, streamlined fish that closely resembles the roach but is narrower and more elongated. The back is dark grey-green, the flanks silvery with a subtle yellow tinge. The mouth is small and slightly inferior. The key difference from roach: the dace has a concave (inward-curving) edge to the anal fin, while the roach has a convex (outward-curving) anal fin. The eyes are also smaller and more upward-facing. In the Netherlands, they are typically caught at 12-20 cm, with specimens up to 25 cm.

Behavior & ecology

The common dace is a distinctly flow-loving fish that thrives best in clear, fast-flowing streams and rivers with gravel bottoms. It is a schooling fish that forages in groups on insect larvae, small crustaceans and algae. Dace are fast swimmers at home in the riffles that chub and gudgeon also inhabit. They spawn early in spring (March-April) over gravel in shallow, flowing water. The species is sensitive to water pollution and siltation and is considered an indicator of good water quality.

Fishing techniques

The dace is a niche species mainly targeted by specialist coarse and stream anglers:

• Light match fishing — stick float in the current with a single maggot or caster; let the rig drift with the flow
• Fly fishing — small dry flies (size 16-20) on a 3-4 wt rod; highly sporting in clear stream water
• Trotting — centrepin reel with a light rig in the current; a traditional technique that works well in Dutch streams

Use light tackle: 0.10-0.14 mm hooklength, hook size 16-20. Dace bite fast in flowing water — concentration and a quick strike are essential.

In the Netherlands

The common dace is native to the Netherlands but has a limited distribution. The species is mainly found in the streams of Limburg, Brabant, the Veluwe and Overijssel, and in the larger rivers. Stream restoration projects and water quality improvements have allowed the dace to return to some locations in recent decades. The dace has a year-round closed season and may not be kept. The dace is on the Red List as 'vulnerable' and serves as an indicator species for the ecological health of streams.