BAIT FOR ROACH. 151 



rigged the artificial house-fly, be tipped with live gentles, 

 the roach will dash at them like mad. 



In the months of June and July, we have seen some 

 very large ones caught in the waters of the Pas de Calais, 

 with the common yellow fly, which is to be found in 

 abundance on fresh dropped cow-dung. These are easily 

 caught, and may be conveniently carried in a small dry 

 phial-bottle. For this sport, the angler used a beautiful 

 light cane rod, twenty- two feet in length, with running 

 tackle of the very finest description. He allowed about 

 two yards of the gut bottom to hang from the end of this 

 rod; and on a very small hook, say No. 12 he put one 

 of these yellow flies ; then carefully concealing himself, 

 so as to see without being seen, a trick wonderfully 

 facilitated by the length of his rod, he dibbled the bait 

 lightly on the surface of the water. It was curious to see 

 the large roach from a pound-and-a-half, to two pounds 

 in weight, come up out of the deep, and cautiously sail 

 round the fly, as if sensible that danger was lurking near. 

 The temptation generally proved irresistible ; and a splash 

 like that of a dog thrown into the water, announced that 

 my friend had entrapped his wary victim. In the autumn 

 he practises this plan most successfully with a grasshopper, 

 never failing to pull out some dozens of large fish in the 

 course of the season. In short, if he ever saw amongst 

 the weeds or in the open water, any signs of the presence 

 of a large roach, he felt sure of getting him by this all 

 but infallible method. 



Another bait strongly recommended for roach, especi- 

 ally in the early part of the summer, is a gentle, that has 

 been kept in bran, until it has changed and turned red. In 

 this state it is called by the French " Fepine-vinette" and is 

 highly prized by them. We have tried it frequently, and 



