THE ROACH. 905 



THE ROACH. 



The roacli inhabits many of our deep rivers, and is grega- 

 rious, keeping in large shoals. They migrate to the higher 

 parts of rivers for the purpose of depositing their spawn in 

 the end of May or beginning of June. The ordinary weight 

 of this fish is from one to two pounds. Three pounds is an 

 extraordinary weight, although Pennant refers to a roach of 

 five pounds weight. 



In fishing for roach, it is a common practice to throw in 

 crumbs of bread to attract the shoals to the spot, and then 

 angle with a hook baited with a large gentle ; and when 

 maggots are not to be had, some use greaves from a tallow-- 

 chandler's, which must be prepared by cutting them in pieces 

 of about a quarter of a pound, and putting them in cold 

 water, then placing the vessel on the fire, where they must 

 remain until near the boiling point, by which time they will 

 have become white and soft ; the whitest is to be reserved for 

 baiting the hook and the rest used as ground-bait for enticing 

 the shoals. The hook should be No. 6, and the bait allowed 

 to sink to about an inch from the bottom. If a full-sized roach 

 be hooked, he should be played, for they struggle much ; and 

 although many accustom themselves to a single hair line, yet 

 when the fish run large it is not always to be depended upon. 



THE CHUB. 



The chub locates in rivers whose bottoms are sand or 

 clay, or which are bounded by clayey banks. It is common 

 in many of the English rivers, such as the Thames, the Wye, 

 in Wales, and the Annan, in Scotland. It is a shy fish. It 

 spawns about the end of April or beginning of May. It sel- 

 dom attains a large size, none having been recorded above 



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