ROACH-FISHING AS A FINE ART. 349 



The fly-thrown bait (without, of course, any bread-floating 

 addition) is a very good method the best I know of catching 

 bleak in rivers ; though even in this case it is better to choose a 

 spot where the current is not very strong ; and wetted not soaked 

 bran thrown in occasionally, will keep the bleak on the feed and 

 indicate their whereabouts. 



Roach-fishing as a fine art must, as Mr. PennelPs notes re- 

 mind me, be taken to include rudd and dace. The rudd, in 

 my estimation is a handsomer fish than the roach as gold is 

 handsomer than silver. And so far as my experience goes he 

 is a bolder biter, when he is in the humour. By which I mean 

 that he is oftener in the humour. On several occasions, in lakes 

 where both rudd and roach occurred, I have taken three rudd 

 to one roach, and in rivers also it has been my experience to 

 find the rudd yielding first blood, and to yield longest. The 

 rudd is also a freer taker of the artificial fly. Roach will take 

 the fly when cleaning after spawning, and when therefore they 

 ought not to be taken, and at any time when you can get them 

 on the shallows. On a summer evening after a hot day, if you 

 can find them lying upon the surface, with a small black or 

 red ant, or a gentle whipped out with a fly rod, you should get 

 sport. Some years ago in a trout stream from which it was 

 desired to clear out the coarse fish I killed over 20 Ibs. of 

 roach, from four ounces to half-a-pound, with a March brown. 

 Although it was in the middle of June, they would take no other 

 fly. The fish were amongst the weeds close to the further 

 bank where the stream ran slowly, and I did not rise from my 

 knee until my basket was full. They were taken with a long 

 line down stream, the fly pitched upon the opposite bank and 

 allowed to drop into the water. If the fly was riot taken at once 

 the whole shoal seemed to follow it out until one of them 

 snapped at it boldly. The first fish I hooked and lost put a 

 period to the proceedings. Rudd, however, will take small 

 flies freely in July and August, and upon the Norfolk Broads 

 I have had excellent fun with them in the evenings. 



The Dace is the most enterprising member, not only of the 



