THE ROACH. t «> 



niceties in adjusting your line, you will lose the chance 

 of two bites out of three. In angling for Roach, a 

 sitting posture is to be preferred, as, by that means, 

 you are more out of their sight : always keep the top 

 of your rod up over the float, and so high that none 

 of the line above the float lies on or touches the water -, 

 and when you see the least movement of the float, 

 either by its being pulled down or thrown a little up, 

 strike quick but lightly, (the motion coming from 

 your wrist, not from the arm) ; for if the jerk is too 

 violent, you will break the line, which need not be ha- 

 zarded, as the least jerk hooks those tender-mouthed 

 Fish. If you have hit or hooked a Fish, raise the 

 top of your rod, keeping him as much under the top 

 as you can, and the butt downwards, nearly touching 

 the ground, and by thus playing him under the point 

 of your rod, he will soon be your own. In this fine 

 fishing, it is best to take with you a landing net, par- 

 ticularly if you fish off a high bank or wharfing, or 

 you will hazard breaking the line or hook in weigh- 

 ing the Fish out. Roach may be taken with larger 

 hooks and stronger tackle than that which I have 

 described j but they who fish finest will succeed best, 

 besides the pleasure the Angler feels while killing a 

 Fish with the elasticity of a hair line, and light pliant 

 rod. Those who object to single hair lines, because 

 they will occasionally break, and cause trouble and 

 delay while at their sport, must use the finest single 

 gut they can procure, which are, certainly, less liable 

 to break, and fit them with float hook, &c., as de- 



