CARP, DACE AND MINNOW. 



429 



Leitciscw, rutilus, the Plotze of the Germans, and the Rosse of the 

 French. 



THE EUROPEAN ROACH OR RED DACE, 



" The Roach," said Piscator, " is a fish of no great reputation for his 

 dainty taste ; and his spawn is accounted much better than any part of 

 him. And you may take notice, that as the Carp is accounted the water- 

 fox for his cunning, so the Roach is accounted the water-sheep for his 

 simplicity or foolishness." 



It has, however, gained in popularity in England since the days of 

 Walton. "The Book of the Roach," by Greville Fennell, is one of the 

 standard works, and William Senior ("Red-spinner") has written an 

 essay upon " Roach-fishing as a Fine Art,"* which is commended to all 

 who go-a-fishing for cyprinoids in American waters, for the methods 

 described by him will apply to many of our fishes. 



Senior thinks that Roach-fishing requires special qualifications of mind 

 and heart. "lam acquainted," writes he, "with many rich and poor, 

 learned and ignorant, sofhebodies and nobodies, who have a passionate 

 attachment for the pursuit. The higher kinds of rod-and-line work have 

 no joys for them. Give them their camp-stool and Roach rod over the 

 dark waters that move slowly above a clear bed, and they ask no more." 



The " Rudd or Red-eye" of England, Scardinius erythroplitJialmus , the 

 Rothauge or Rotengle, is a rather important fish, resembling the Roach 

 in its habits, and used by English pond culturists to stock new-made 

 waters with bait for pike, and by those of Germany in feeding trout 

 and pike perch. 



* See "The Badminton Library," p. 343. 



