Dace are one of the most underappreciated coarse fish in the UK. They are fast, delicate, beautiful – a clean silver-blue-green flash in the shallows of a chalk stream or gravel-bedded river. They fight hard for their size and in a fast riffle in January when nothing else is biting, a dace will take a maggot confidently and tear downstream with a determination that belies a fish that might weigh only a few ounces.
The current British record for dace stands at 1lb 4oz 4dr (Anthony Bromley, River Wear, 1994) – verify with the BRFC for current records. A dace over 8oz on a well-balanced float rod is genuinely excellent fishing.
[Image placeholder: A dace held carefully over a clear gravel-bedded river, showing its slender silver body and small mouth, with fast, shallow water visible in the background]
What Dace Are and Where to Find Them
Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) are a slender silver fish closely related to chub. Their key identification features compared to chub are:
- Smaller and more streamlined body
- Small, delicate mouth (compared to the wide-mouthed chub)
- Concave dorsal fin edge (chub has convex dorsal fin)
- Concave anal fin edge (chub has convex anal fin)
- Clear eyes (roach has red eye, so this helps separate them)
- Overall brighter, smaller appearance
Dace and chub often share the same habitat and can be found in the same swim. In a mixed catch from a trotted run, knowing which fish you are targeting helps refine the approach.
Habitat
Dace are fast-water fish. They prefer:
- Clear, well-oxygenated rivers with gravel or chalk beds
- Shallow riffles and runs – the broken white water at the tail of a pool
- Weir pools and mill races
- The faster, shallower sections of chalk streams
The southern chalk streams (Test, Itchen, Kennet) hold dace, as do the Midlands rivers (Dove, Derwent, Wye in Derbyshire), the northern rivers (Ribble, Wharfe, Swale), and the Welsh border rivers (upper Wye, Lugg, Teme). The Norfolk Broads rivers (Bure, Wensum) also hold dace.
Dace are absent or scarce in Scotland (where grayling take a similar niche in fast rivers), in Ireland (they are not native there), and in lowland, slow-moving rivers that lack sufficient dissolved oxygen.
Float Trotting: The Primary Dace Method
Float trotting is the definitive technique for river dace. A stick float or centre-pin reel allows the float to run downstream at the speed of the current, presenting a natural-looking bait at the same pace as the flow. Dace take baits moving at current speed – a bait that drags or stalls is rejected.
Equipment: – 12-13ft match rod (light action) – Centre-pin reel or fixed-spool with light line (3-4lb main line) – 2-3lb hooklink – Stick float or wagglers for running water (stick float is superior in close-range trotting) – Size 18-20 fine wire hook
Float setup: – Shot the float so it lies deep in the water (about 2/3 submerged) – this gives sensitivity without sinking on hesitations – Spread the shot in a “string” pattern down the line rather than bulked near the float – this gives a natural fall and helps the bait sink with the current naturally – Set the float slightly over-depth (bait just touching or dragging on the bottom at intervals)
Casting and running the float: Cast upstream of the expected swim, allow the float to run down through it. Hold the rod up and hold slight pressure on the line to keep it taut between rod tip and float. Mend line (flip upstream) if drag is pulling the float off course. In a centre-pin, feed line off the drum freely as the float runs down.
Strike at any hesitation, dip, or unusual movement of the float. Dace bites are sharp – the float rarely sinks slowly; it dips and is gone. Strike quickly and lightly – a heavy strike on a size 20 hook tears through a dace’s soft mouth.
Baits for Dace
Maggots
Single maggot on a size 20 hook is the most consistent dace bait. Two maggots on a size 16-18 if the fish are confident and feeding well, or if you want to screen out tiny fish and focus on bigger dace. Hook through the pointed end.
White or bronze maggots work equally well for dace. Pinkies (small maggots) can be used in very cold water when fish are feeding hesitantly.
Casters
A caster (the chrysalis form of the maggot) is often more selective for larger dace than maggots. It sinks more slowly and has a subtly different colour and texture. Thread onto a size 18 hook through the blunt end. Dace take casters confidently; smaller nuisance fish (bleak, small rudd) tend to pull at maggots more aggressively than casters.
Hemp
Hemp is effective as loose feed but rarely used as a hookbait for dace directly. The tiny size of hemp makes hooking it difficult on small hooks. However, regular loose feeding of hemp alongside maggot or caster as the hookbait can transform a dace swim – the hemp triggers a competitive feeding response in the dace shoal.
Dry fly
Dace will rise to dry fly. On chalk streams and clear gravel rivers, a dry fly (small black gnat, elk hair caddis, or similar) drifted through a riffle will take dace consistently. This is an unconventional approach that many fly anglers adopt when grayling fishing but the same tactics work equally well for dace.
Loose Feeding for Dace
Dace respond extremely well to regular, small quantities of loose feed. The aim is to create a constant trickle of bait through the swim that the shoal stays active chasing.
In rivers with flow: – Catapult or hand-cast 5-10 maggots upstream of the swim every 15-30 seconds – The maggots travel downstream at roughly the speed of the current, passing through the swim at the same time as the trotted hookbait – Maintain a rhythm – interrupt the flow and the shoal drifts off the spot
At distance: Use a catapult with a small pouch to introduce maggots or casters. Hitting the same spot every cast requires practice. On a centre-pin, managing the rod with one hand while catapulting with the other is standard match technique.
Quantity: More than you think, but not so much that the fish become preoccupied with free offerings and ignore the hookbait. A standard approach is 20-30 loose maggots introduced every 30 seconds on a productive dace swim – faster when fish are taking well, slower when they are more cautious.
The Best Time to Fish for Dace
Dace have a longer effective fishing season than many species:
Winter (November-February): Dace are at their best in winter. They feed actively in cold water when most other coarse fish have slowed down significantly. A sharp, clear January day on a chalk stream riffle, trotting maggots through the current, can produce a hundred dace in a session. The close season does not apply (rivers in England and Wales are closed for coarse fish 15 March to 15 June, but dace are typically best caught before this).
Autumn (September-October): Also very good. Dace feed well in the decreasing temperatures and are often found in larger shoals than in summer.
Summer (June-August): Dace can be caught in summer but they become difficult in warm, low-water conditions. The best chance in summer is early morning or evening, in the fastest, most aerated sections of the river.
Records and Notable Sizes
The British record dace is 1lb 4oz 4dr (verify current BRFC records – records can be updated). Any dace over 8oz is a good fish; a fish over 12oz is excellent; a pound dace is exceptional and takes considerable effort on most rivers.
UK rivers known for bigger-than-average dace include chalk streams (where food abundance produces better growth), the River Wye in Derbyshire, and the River Dove.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell a dace from a small chub?
The most reliable way is the fin shape. Dace have concave (curved inward) dorsal and anal fins; chub have convex (curved outward) fins. Dace are also significantly smaller as adults – a fish over 1lb is highly likely to be a chub unless confirmed otherwise. Dace are more slender in proportion and have a smaller, neater mouth.
What river is best for dace in the UK?
The southern chalk streams (Test, Itchen, Kennet), the River Wye in Derbyshire, the Teme, the Dove, the Swale, the Wharfe, and the Wensum in Norfolk are all well-regarded dace rivers. Access to chalk streams in particular can be expensive through private clubs, but the quality of the fishing is high.
Do dace feed in winter?
Yes – winter is the best time to target dace specifically. They remain active in cold water and will take maggots and casters in temperatures that have put most other coarse fish off feeding. A float trotting session on a well-oxygenated chalk stream in January is often the most productive dace fishing of the year.
What float is best for dace on rivers?
A stick float is the classic dace float for close-range work on rivers with steady flow. It runs true in current and can be held back slightly to slow the bait. At longer range or in more complex currents, a straight waggler or a loafer (a waggler-style float suited to rivers) is more manageable. Size the float to the depth and pace of the water.
Can I use a spinning rod for dace?
Not effectively. Dace do not take lures in any consistent way. This is a float fishing and fly fishing target. A 12-13ft match rod is the right tool.