Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) are the fastest-moving fish in UK rivers. Where roach drift slowly between weed beds and chub lurk under willows, dace patrol fast, clear water in flickering shoals, taking surface flies, drifting maggots, and small spinners with speed and confidence. They are a fly-fisher’s coarse fish – bright, quick, and willing.
They are also among the most overlooked species in UK coarse angling. Their maximum size is modest (the British record is just over 1lb), and many anglers dismiss them as a by-catch. Experienced light-tackle specialists target dace specifically, using trotting techniques on fast rivers and finding that catching large dace consistently is genuinely challenging.
Identification
Size: Small. Dace rarely exceed 25cm and 0.5lb. Any fish over 0.75lb is a specimen; the British record is just over 1lb.
Body: Slim and torpedo-shaped – noticeably more slender than roach, built for fast water. The body cross-section is almost cylindrical.
Coloration: Bright silver flanks with a faint olive or greenish tint on the back. The belly is white. Less bronze or gold than roach.
Fins: The crucial identification feature distinguishing dace from young roach is the shape of the dorsal fin and anal fin: both fins in dace have a concave (inward-curving) trailing edge. In roach, both fins have a convex (outward-curving) trailing edge. This concave-convex distinction is the most reliable field identification method. The dorsal fin and anal fin of a dace are clearly concave when held up to the light.
Ventral fins: Pale, pinkish-white or very pale orange. Never the vivid red-orange of roach.
Eye: Yellow iris, not the red iris of roach.
Mouth: Small and terminal (at the tip of the snout), slightly upturned. Dace are surface-oriented feeders, taking items from the film and mid-water.
Distribution
Dace are a river fish distributed through most of England:
- Thames and its tributaries
- Rivers draining to the North Sea: Trent, Ouse, Derwent, Wharfe, Nidd
- Chalk streams: Test, Itchen, Kennet, Avon
- Wye and Severn systems
They are less common in Wales, rare in Scotland, and absent from Northern Ireland. They are not found in stillwaters (they require the oxygenated flowing water of rivers for breeding and long-term survival).
Habitat
Dace are creatures of the fastest, most oxygenated water in any river. They occupy the habitat that lies between the very fastest turbulent water and the slower glides where roach and bream feed:
Fast, shallow runs over gravel. A clean, smooth, fast-flowing run over gravel in a metre or less of water is classic dace habitat. The Kennet, Test, and Itchen hold dace in exactly this habitat.
Riffles. The broken, fast water at the head of a pool or the top of a weir pool – where the current is oxygenated and turbulent before settling into the pool – holds dace in significant numbers.
Bridge arches in fast rivers. Dace use the slightly slower water in the lee of a bridge arch while feeding from the fast current that sweeps food past.
Surface-oriented feeding lanes. Dace feed from the surface film and immediately below it more than any other UK coarse fish. A hatching insect drift in a fast riffle will attract dace from below within seconds.
Seasonal Behaviour
Spring (March to June): Dace spawn very early – they are among the first river fish to spawn each year, with spawning beginning in February and March when water temperatures reach 6-8°C. This means they are at peak condition in February, just before spawning, and can be caught in winter sessions.
Summer (June to September): Dace feed actively in summer in fast, oxygenated water. They respond well to dry fly and surface offerings in warm evenings, making them a popular light-tackle fly fishing target.
Autumn (September to November): Dace shoals become more compact and easier to locate in autumn. Trotting with maggots on a stick float in fast water produces good numbers.
Winter (December to February): Dace are one of the most reliable winter river species. They remain active in cold water (they spawn in it) and are catchable on trotted maggots through the coldest conditions. A winter river session that produces nothing else often produces dace.
Spawning
Dace spawn in February and March over clean gravel in fast, shallow water – earlier than any other UK coarse fish. The early spawning means they are at maximum pre-spawn weight in January and February, when most other species have been in declining condition since autumn. This makes winter a good time to specifically target large dace.
Size and British Record
The current British record dace stands at 1lb 5oz 2dr (0.62kg), caught by J.L. Gasson, River Little Ouse, Norfolk, 1960. This is one of the longest-standing records in the BRFC record list – dace grow slowly and max out at a modest size. Check brfc.org for the current ratified record.
A fish over 0.5lb is a reasonable dace; 0.75lb is a good fish; a 1lb dace is a genuine lifetime achievement.
Regulations
Dace in rivers fall under the coarse fish close season (15 March to 15 June). Note that dace spawn in February/March, before the close season begins. The close season provides some protection to post-spawn fish.
No minimum size. All fish should be returned.
Baits and Methods
Trotting the Float
Trotting (float fishing on a running current) is the definitive dace method. A stick float or a small loafer float, set at the depth of the run (typically 0.5-1.5m), is cast upstream and allowed to run down through the swim on the current.
As the float trots through, the maggots on the hook drift naturally at the same speed as loose-fed maggots introduced ahead. Dace take the bait with speed – the float dips fast and the strike must be immediate.
A match rod (13-14ft), a centrepin or fixed-spool reel, 3-4lb mainline, and a fine 2lb hook length with a size 18 hook is the standard dace trotting setup.
Loose feed: introduce 6-10 maggots every cast at the same point upstream. The maggots drift through the swim ahead of the hooked bait, drawing fish into a feeding lane.
Fly Fishing for Dace
Dace take dry flies with enthusiasm in summer and early autumn, particularly during hatches of olive flies, caenis, and other small aquatic insects. A size 16-20 dry fly drifted naturally in a dace’s feeding lane is taken confidently.
They also take wet flies and small nymphs. A size 16 gold-ribbed hare’s ear or pheasant tail nymph drifted below the surface at the head of a riffle is a reliable dace method.
Dace on a light fly rod (3-5 weight) provide excellent sport given their speed – they are stronger fighters than their size suggests.
Small Spinners
A size 0-1 silver spinner (Mepps or similar) retrieved fast through a dace swim covers water quickly and takes fish. Less selective than float trotting but effective for exploring unfamiliar river stretches.
UK Rivers for Dace
River Kennet (Berkshire): The Kennet is one of the finest dace rivers in England, with fish in fast gravelly runs throughout its length. Winter trotting on the Kennet produces consistent dace alongside roach and chub.
River Test (Hampshire): The Test’s fast chalk stream character provides ideal dace habitat. Dace are present throughout the non-game sections.
River Wye (Herefordshire/Powys): The upper and middle Wye holds dace in fast, gravelly sections.
River Trent (Nottinghamshire): The middle Trent holds dace in suitable fast water sections, though they are less prominent than in chalk streams.
River Itchen (Hampshire): Like the Test, the Itchen’s chalk stream character supports dace in suitable sections.
Conservation
Dace are not a species of conservation concern in the UK but are sensitive to water quality and habitat degradation. Their requirement for clean, fast, oxygenated water makes them an indicator species – declining dace populations signal deteriorating water quality or sediment problems affecting clean gravel beds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell dace from young roach?
The most reliable field test: look at the trailing edge of the dorsal and anal fins. In dace both fins have a concave (inward-curving) trailing edge – they curve inward like the inside of a bowl. In roach, both fins have a convex (outward-curving) edge – they curve outward. Also: dace have a yellow iris; roach have a red-orange iris.
Can dace be caught on dry fly?
Yes, and this is one of the most enjoyable ways to catch them. Dace respond to dry fly presentations in exactly the same way as trout, and during insect hatches they can be selective, requiring the right fly pattern and a natural drift. A size 16-20 dry fly on a light 3-5 weight fly rod is the ideal setup.
What is the biggest dace ever caught in the UK?
The current British record is 1lb 5oz 2dr, caught by J.L. Gasson from the River Little Ouse in Norfolk in 1960. This record has stood for over 60 years, reflecting how rarely dace grow to exceptional size.
Are dace good to eat?
Dace are edible but very bony and of modest size. They are not commonly eaten by UK anglers. All dace should be returned promptly.
Why are dace called the freshwater trout?
Dace share habitat, feeding style, and response to fly fishing with trout to a greater degree than any other UK coarse fish. They inhabit fast, oxygenated, gravel-bedded rivers; they feed at the surface on hatching insects; and they respond to correctly presented dry flies. The comparison is informal but apt – they are a coarse angler’s introduction to dry fly and a fly fisher’s coarse fish target.