ROACH 
free from weeds. It is a good ruse to throw in soaked 
bread, or boiled wheat, to bring the fish on the feed, and 
thus get them to assemble in the vicinity. For bait, use 
bread crust, maggots, gentles, grubs, or larvze as they are 
variously called, and in season the larva of the caddis 
fly is a very killing lure. Always plumb the accurate 
depth of the water, and fish just clear of the bottom. Fine 
tackle is essential. This species deposits its greenish 
eggs (which turn red when boiled), in April or May, 
4, 
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ty 
and inv then visits a tributary of the main stream, or 
resorts to shallow water where there is a good supply of 
weeds. They congregate in large numbers at spawning 
time, and are said, like the Gudgeon, to make a noise by 
the movements they carry out. As with the Barbel and 
Gudgeon, the male Roach acquires small tubercles on 
the head and other parts during the breeding season. 
The natural food is made up of insects and their larve, 
molluscs, weeds, etc. Although not a shy fish, the 
Roach is very wary, and at times it is most aggravating to 
see a shoal of big fish in clear water which simply refuse 
