FISHES OF THE DISTRICT 193 



in the Lake District. So far as I am aware it is 

 not found in a single lake, and in three small tarns 

 only Skelsmergh, Whinfell, and Grayrigg. It 

 occurs sparsely in the "logged" waters of the 

 Eden, Kent, and Irt ; but, on the other hand, is 

 extremely plentiful in the Kendal and Lancaster 

 Canal, and in the Carlisle Canal. Kirkbride, a 

 Windermere boatman, once took three roach in the 

 lake, and, as they were the first he had seen, returned 

 them to the water unhurt. They were never heard 

 of again. It is not unlikely that these had been 

 brought as live-bait for pike, as live-baiting is 

 occasionally done by strangers. For this purpose 

 local anglers use small perch with the dorsal fin 

 cut off, or large minnows. Owing to the drainage 

 of the Kendal Canal, roach periodically become a 

 plague in the Kent, swarming in the best trout 

 pools. Under these circumstances I have upon 

 several occasions superintended the netting of them. 

 Upon one occasion, at a single draught, we had 

 upwards of forty fish, averaging nearly half a pound 

 each, and lying upon the grass they afforded a 

 beautiful sight. There is a short period when the 

 roach rises to the fly like a trout. This is just 

 after returning to the deep water after scouring on 

 the pebbly bottoms after spawning. 



Although the roach is a coarse fish he is a very 

 Beau Brummel of the waters, and his character 

 in the water is in keeping with his aristocratic 

 appearance out of it. All his movements are slow 

 and studied. Whatever he does he does gracefully. 

 He is never in a hurry, and rarely commits himself. 

 Sometimes he will bite ; sometimes he will not ; 

 one never knows the reason why. To catch him 



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