THE ROACH. 17 



able of doing this with a tough and well-hooked bait, what 

 must it be when a soft and easily-got-rid-of bait like a pill 

 of paste is used ? This can be blown by the fish from his 

 mouth with considerable force, and it is, in my opinion, the 

 very act of blowing from his mouth that causes the second 

 and more decided bob of the float as just noticed. The 

 proper time to strike when the roach are coming shy and 

 biting in this peculiar manner, is when you notice the first 

 and smallest bob or quiver of the float. The cunning old 

 fish was then quietly sucking in the bait, perhaps only just 

 getting it between his lips and causing the tell-tale at the 

 surface of the water to indicate a faint nibble below. In 

 almost the twinkling of an eye Mr. Roach discovers that 

 there is something wrong, and that that tempting looking 

 bait is attached to something, and may prove a delusion and 

 a snare, so he promptly blows it from his mouth ; and it is 

 this forcible ejection that causes the second and more de- 

 cided bob of the float, which looks to our angler to be a much 

 better looking bite than the first tiny one was. He should have 

 responded at the first indication, instead of waiting for the 

 second. More roach are lost by waiting for the second bob 

 than are captured by so ^^aiting. As I said before, some- 

 times the roach mean business, and make no bones of it, 

 but the artist in the craft who pays attention to all these 

 little details can make a bag when the novice, or even a 

 more experienced man is entirely at fault. Try the well- 

 fed aldermanic roach in the month of .September, when the 

 water is gin-clear, and the river is still and sluggish in the 

 extreme, and then see if it is not a fine art to make a bag 

 of them. I trow it is, but a bag can be made if the weather 

 is anything like favourable, and our fisherman understands 

 his business. 



I think I have made it sufficiently clear as to what a roach 

 bite in still water is like on certain occasions. This being 

 so, the veriest novice will see at a glance that a float is a very 

 important article, and must be selected with a great deal of 

 care. A heavy, clumsy, ill-balanced, water-logged wooden 

 aff"air should not be had at any price, it must be suited to 

 the water and the surroundings of his swim, ; it must not be 

 larger than is absolutely necessary, and above all it must be 

 c 



