34 ROACH. 



Roach are gregarious, and swim generally in shoals ; they spawn at the end of May and 

 the beginning of June, and at this season the scales are peculiarly rough to the touch ; the 

 spawn is deposited among weeds or upon submerged bodies in immense quantities. In the 

 Aqualate Mere belonging to Sir Thomas Boughey, Bart., Staffordshire, this spawning process 

 is utilized in the capture of eels ; certain wattle-work constructions are set up in different 

 parts of the mere, to which the Roach resort, and upon which they fix their spawn ; here 

 large quantities of eels congregate to feed on the Roach or spawn, and are taken in wicker 

 traps. The Roach is not in much request as an article of diet, the flesh being generally 

 soft and woolly ; nevertheless large specimens in September and October are not to be 

 despised when nicely fried. 



"The art of Roach fishing," says Mr. Manley, "rightly holds a high place in the angler's 

 estimation. Anyone can catch the half-bred and half-starved Roach of a muddy and weedy 

 pond, and I dare say Dame Berners spoke rightly of the uneducated fish of her day when 

 she said 'the Roche is an easy fysshe to take.' Probably, too, Walton was justified in 

 speaking of the Roach of his day as being 'accounted the ivater-shccp for his simplicity or 

 foolishness.' But a river Roach, say of the Thames, or Colne, or Trent, of our era is a 

 very different fish, and he is not to be had by any tyro. He has, too, his times and 

 seasons, his offs and ons, and the general capriciousness of the scaly tribes, being subject 

 to all kinds of atmospheric and terrestrial influences, which affect both the time and manner 

 of his taking a bait. Moreover, Roach of a much-fished river, like the Thames, are highly 

 educated, and are pretty wide awake to the fisherman's proceedings — the fixing of the punt, 

 the plumbing the depth, and the scattering of the ground-bait. Of course the latter attracts 

 them, and they come to see 'what's up,' and if inclined to feed they will constantly take 

 the baited hook for an innocent morsel of favourite food. But to make a good basket of 

 Roach, even when they are 'on,' requires very careful attention to a number of details." — 

 {Notes on Fish and Fishing, p. 300.) 



The usual length of a Roach is about eight or ten inches, but it is said sometimes to 

 attain fourteen inches ; a Roach of one pound in weight would be considered a good fish ; 

 but instances are on record of fish having been taken two, three, and even five pounds 

 weight. This last fish is mentioned by Pennant, and its weight may fairly be questioned. 



The food of the Roach, like other members of the family, is partly of a vegetable and 

 partly of an animal nature. The throat-teeth are large and well developed, arranged generally 

 in a single series ; they form an important character in distinguishing this fish from its 

 relative the Rudd ; in this latter fish the teeth are minutely but distinctly serrated, which 

 is not the case in the Roach. 



The Azurine or Blue-Roach, the Lcitciscns avntlcus of Yarrell, is probably only a variety of 

 the Rudd. Hybrids between the Roach and the Rudd are supposed to occur, and I think 

 there is no doubt from an examination of several specimens, that the so called Pomeranian 

 Bream is merely a cross between the Roach and the Common Bream, as first stated by 

 Professor Von Siebold. 



The following is Dr. Giinther's description of the Roach: — -"Body generally somewhat elevated, 

 its depth being about one third of the total length (without caudal). Mouth terminal, the 

 upper jaw but slightly projecting beyond the lower. There are three longitudinal series of 

 scales between the lateral line and ventral fin. Origin of the dorsal fin above, but not in 

 advance of the root of the ventral. Body silver}^ the lower fins generally with a red tinge in 

 adult examples. Pharyngeal teeth 6, or 5 — 5, (or 6)." The position of the dorsal fin with 

 regard to that of the ventral will at once distinguish the Roach from the Rudd ; in the former 

 the origin of the dorsal is only slightly behind that of the ventral; in the latter it is conspicu- 

 ously so. 



The definition of our English word Roach is far from clear. The Anglo-Saxon is rcohchc, 



