THE ROACH. 5T 



chief peculiarity of this style was the float, and the manner 

 of shotting the tackle. Instead of using two or more shots 

 some distance from the hook, one small one only was emr 

 ployed, and this was fixed on the gut tackle about an inch 

 only from, the baited hook. The float itself is a very small 

 one, either a tiny porcupine quill three inches in length and 

 very thin, or else two inches of a peacock's feather, the one 

 shot on the tackle being sufficient to cause about an inch 

 of this float to stand above the surface of the water. Great 

 care is taken in plumbing the depth, so that the shot is just 

 clear of the bottom. When a roach takes the bait in his 

 mouth, he instantly lifts the shot, and the float is at once 

 thrown upwards, and lies flat on the water. This bite is 

 promptly responded to on the first indication, and hooking 

 the fish is nearly a certainty at ever^^ attempt. The bait 

 used is generally a small pill of paste, or else a cube of raw 

 potato ; this latter bait is procured from a slice about a 

 quarter of an inch thick, cut from- the centre of a large po- 

 tato. A quill or the socket of a penholder is used to cut 

 the cubes ; this makes the bait a nice shape and size. This 

 plan of fishing can only be practised in very' quiet drains 

 and canals. I have been told that some of the most ex- 

 pert Yorkshire and Lancashire roach fishermen adopt this 

 plan with great success in the quiet canals of those twa 

 counties. 



As anglers in various districts like to know how experts 

 catch their fish in other waters, I wrote to Mr. S. Harvard, 

 of Trowbridge, who is one of the very best roach fishermen 

 on the rivers Avon and Frome, for his experience in the 

 matter. He very kindly replied to my query in a long and 

 interesting letter, from which I take the following: Says 

 Mr. Ha}^vard — " First, I will take the early part of the sea- 

 " son, say, the end of June and the beginning of July, when 

 " the roach are on the shallows. I have been very success- 

 " ful with the gentle on a No. 9 Crystal roach hook, fishing 

 "about one inch from the bottom in the streamy parts 

 "where there is a sandy bottom and about four feet of 

 " water. I really think that I have killed more roach on 

 "these two rivers with the gentle than I have w^th all the 

 " other baits put together. I cannot say much about paste 



