130 THE SPORTING FISH 



ever, for quieter currents, where they remain 

 several months, retiring about October into the 

 deeps and still waters for the winter, and always 

 selecting a gravelly or sandy bottom in preference 

 to a muddy one. 



In the nature of its food the Roach resembles 

 the Dace, feeding, however, principally at night, 

 and by day swimmimg about in large shoals near 

 the bottom. The best general bait is the gentle ; 

 but pastes of various kinds, and sometimes small 

 red worms, are found equally killing. 



Roach will not unfrequently take the artificial 

 fly, especially when first scouring themselves after 

 spawning, and I have caught some very fine 

 specimens with the gentle, thrown like the fly, and 

 also when dapping for Chub with the imitation 

 grasshopper. A ludicrous incident in connection 

 with the fly-catching propensities of the Roach is 

 mentioned in a recent work on Angling : A gen- 

 tleman passing by the Round Pond on Clapham 

 Common, observed these fish rising freely at the 

 swarms of hovering ephemera; and wishing to 

 try whether they would not be equally susceptible 

 to the artificial insect, sent back for a fly-rod, &c., 

 and a small fly. The Roach, however, in tKis 

 instance refused to be enticed ; but a fine New- 

 foundland dog which was swimming about, snap- 

 ping impotently at the gnats and midges, perceived 

 the apparently drowning insect, and dashed at it 

 " taking the death " with a plunge like a heavy 



