THE ROACH. 4I 



The three quill floats just described will be found the very 

 best that can possibly be used in roach fishing down a stream, 

 and remember what I say in this respect. The pelican quill 

 for deep and strong streams ; the s^^•an quill for more moder- 

 ate streams that are not quite so deep ; and the goose quill 

 for slower waters still. The gut tackle itself for stream fish- 

 ing should be made of ver)- fine natural or undrawn gut, three- 

 or four feet long. I am very fond of undrawn gut for strean* 

 fishing, the reason for which I explained in the chapter on 

 barbel tackle. This gut can be stained either blue or light 

 brown, and tied together in lengths the same as already fully 

 described elsewhere. Brown - coloured tackle is won- 

 derfully good for streams that have a gravelly 

 bottom. Gut for roach fishing is kno\Mi among 



dealers as " finest refina," and runs from eighteenpence to 

 two shillings per hank of a hundred strios. What I prefer for 

 this work is a fine natural gut bottom fully three feet long, 

 and shotted according to the stream as already indicated, 

 the hook itself being on a separate length of gut ; and this 

 should be 3X drawn gut I explained in the chapter on 

 barbel tackle why I liked my tackle in two sections, and those 

 remarks hold good when applied to roach tackle. Hooks 

 for stream fishing can be the same as for still water, viz., 

 No. 9 for worms. No. lo for gentles, grain, and paste; while 

 a few Nos. ii and 12 will come in handy if the water is very 

 clear, the roach biting shy, and the angler finds himself com- 

 pelled to use a very small bait. Bright crystal hooks are in 

 my opinion the best pattern that can be tried. Ground baits 

 I mentioned at length in the preceding chapter, when treat- 

 ing of still water fishing ; and the remarks as to those baits 

 hold good in stream fishings except that the angler has to 

 be more careful in using them down a streams While fishing 

 he must not dump in a whole bag full at once; he must 

 use it ver)- judiciously, putting it in by littles and often. He 

 must also be very careful in throwing it in, and must be 

 sure that it is exactly in the space where the hook bait travels. 

 He must judge to a nicetv the strength and depth of the cur- 

 rent, and throw it in at the proper distance above where he 

 stands, or it may be swept out of his reach below his selected 

 swim. A good plan to try the set of the stream), as it is called,. 



