ROACH. 37 



justing your line, you will loose the chance of 

 two bites out of three. Always keep the top 

 of your rod over the float, and when you see 

 the least movement of it, strike quickly, but 

 lightly, (the motion coming from your wrist, 

 not from the arm) or you break the line ; if 

 you have hit or hooked a fish, raise the top of 

 your rod, keeping him as much under the top 

 as you can, the butt down nearly touching 

 the ground, and by playing him carefully he 

 will soon be your own ; in this fine fishing it 

 is best to take with you a landing net, particu- 

 larly if you fish off a high bank, or you ha- 

 zard breaking in weighing the fish out. 



The best bait for Roach is paste, made 

 of second-day 's-baked white bread, slightly 

 dipped in water, which must be immediately 

 squeezed out again, then place it in the palm 

 of your left hand, and knead it with the 

 thumb and finger of your right, until of a 

 proper consistence ; Roach will take this paste 

 nearly the whole year, and by adding a little 



