BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 
on the back and tail have blackish edges. A Roach of 
14 to 2 pounds is a good fish, but it sometimes exceeds 
that weight. It is a lover of lakes, ponds, canals, slow- 
moving streams, and rivers. It keeps close to the 
bottom in shallow water, but when it haunts, as it fre- 
quently does, a deep hole or favourite bend of the river, 
it comes nearer the surface. It is a social species, 
travelling about in shoals, and when once a Roach 
“‘ swim ” is discovered, and the fish are on the feed, large 
hauls may be expected. A long rod, or Roach-pole as it 
is often called, about 18 feet in length, is best, but it 
must be light in weight. The extra length enables the 
angler to get well out into mid-stream where the fish 
congregate, and the bottom joint of the rod can be 
withdrawn when pulling in the line. On adding the 
bottom joint and pushing out the rod to its fullest extent, 
the line can then be dropped into the water without any 
splash or noise. Roach bite in a niggling fashion, and 
the float scarcely responds to the touch, even if a light 
quill is being used. Large Roach, however, sometimes 
take the bait with the least fuss, whilst small fish drag the 
float under water almost out of sight. The angler should 
not strike at the first shudder of the float, as experience 
can alone teach the Waltonian the right second to hook 
his quarry. For successful Roach-fishing, it is best to 
find a good swim of fairly fast water where the line 
quickly travels down-stream, as in this way the area 
being fished can be worked to the best advantage. The 
swim should be somewhat deep, with a gravelly bottom 
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