FEBRUARY 57 



It is interesting to note that these fish, although the 

 water was thick, did not begin to feed freely until just 

 before dark. I have noticed the same with the roach of 

 the Essex Blackwater, and markedly the roach of the 

 Kennet. On three successive evenings, at one pitch, a 

 quiet eddy below Newbury, I took each evening three 

 roach of from lib. 14oz. to lib. 6oz. in weight and no 

 more until the next night ; these fish commenced to feed 

 just as the light began to fail. I was fishing very fine 

 and was float-ledgering, so do not think there was any- 

 thing to keep the fish off. Whatever the reason was 

 the fact remains that on many of our best rivers large 

 roach are only taken just about dusk. 



