74 THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



and also small ones in rivers : at such times and 

 seasons they may be taken with almost any kind 

 of tackle or baits ; but pond Roach-fishing affords 

 little sport to the true and general-informed Angler, 

 and little more does taking those small ones on the 

 shallows in rivers : but the taking thirty pounds 

 weight or more of Roach, from 6 or 8 ounces to a 

 pound or upwards each Fish, out of a stream from 

 6 to 10 feet deep, with a very light rod, single hair 

 line, and No. 10 or 11 hook, in a day's angling, (which 

 is frequently done by the London Anglers,) affords as 

 much amusement to some as any other mode of fish- 

 ing ; indeed, I am acquainted with many Anglers who 

 seldom wet a line but for Roach, preferring it to every 

 other kind of fishing. 



To take heavy Roach (and those only are worth 

 taking) like an artist, you must use a light cane rod, 

 from eighteen to near twenty feet long, with a fine 

 light stiff top, a single hair-line, a tip-capped float, 

 and No. 10 or 1 1 hook -, choose them very short in the 

 shank, as Roach's mouths are very small : observe, 

 when so fishing, that the line which is above the float, 

 and is fastened to the top of the rod, must not be more 

 than twelve or eighteen inches, or you will not hit 

 a fine bite, from the line being too long, and hanging 

 slack on the water j the line should be so shotted with 

 very small shot, that not much more than an eighth of 

 an inch of the float appears above the water ; for Roach 

 frequently (and very often the heaviest of them) bite 

 so fine or gently, that, without attending to the above 



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