24 THE ROACH. 



bait, and the best worms for this purpose are the little red 

 ones found in an old manure heap. The Nottingham -nun 

 call these worms cockspurs; they are a nice liitle worm, 

 just big enough for a No. 9 crystal bend hook, and can easily 

 be recognised as they range from an inch to an inch and a 

 half in length, and when scoured for a few days in camp 

 clean moss are of a brilliant red, with a light, drab-coloured 

 ring or knob about half an inch from> the head end. One, 

 or sometimes two of them if very small, nicely threaded on 

 the hook is a capital lure, especially at those times during 

 the winter when the water in the river is warmer than the 

 surrounding atmosphere. I fancy myself that the reason 

 roach do not bite at all freely during very cold weather in 

 these deep and sluggish waters is because the temperaiure 

 of the water is very much lower than in shallower, swifter 

 streams. The latter always show the best results during 

 the winter. At odd times the angler in these waters, if 

 he takes the trouble to notice it, will find a strange thing 

 happening. The weather may be splendid, " quite mild 

 like a spring day," and he may congratulate himself accord- 

 ingly. He perhaps tries the depth with his plummet, and 

 discovers the fact on withdrawing it that it feels to his hand 

 icy cold, or at least several degrees colder than the air out- 

 side. Under this condition his chance of sport is only 

 very limited, and worms will be the very worst bait to try; 

 gentles will now stand the best chance, even if the water is 

 a trifle coloured. On the other hand the weather on the 

 river bank may be very raw and cold, and yet on trying the 

 water with the plummet, our angler this time discovers the 

 fact that the water itself is very much warmer than the sur- 

 rounding atmosphere. Under these conditions the chances 

 of sport will improve, and worms be as good as any bait he 

 can try. My bait table for the roach of these deep and 

 quiet waters is only very limited — boiled wheat for the sum,- 

 mer and early autumn, and pastes, gentles and worms for 

 the late autumn and winter months. For ground bait, the 

 same as recommended for use during the summer will be 

 found all that is required, only now the fisherman must be 

 very sparing in the use of it. About one-third the quan- 

 tity recommended before will be sufficient, and perhaps he 



