CHAPTER XIV 

 ROACH 



THE roach is a deep-water fish in winter, as the perch and 

 pike know well. But in the most severe weather, like most 

 bottom-feeders, they will draw under the " segs " or floating 

 hovers that the ice has prized from the bottoms. In winter, 

 when the weather is open, they keep to their haunts, and do 

 not go far away in this respect resembling swans. Nor 

 do they confine themselves to the broads, but are common 

 in the tidal waters ; indeed, for eating, a good " salt-water 

 roach " is far and away the best. 



The roach, like most fish, feeds mostly at night (except, 

 perhaps, in the depth of winter) ; so that you may know 

 holes that are full of bream and roach by day, yet at night 

 they will be empty ; for they go forth to their feeding- 

 grounds, returning at daybreak, or later. Night, therefore, 

 is the time chosen for netting them; and for the same reason, 

 an angler stands a poor chance by night. Pike " flight " at 

 night, too, often going to the dikes, as do gudgeon, though 

 they will not go near a salt. In fact, fish flight as do birds, 

 and for much the same reasons. By day, then, is the best 

 time for angling; and choose a roach swim in an eddy or 

 tidal water ; and let the wind be a south-westerly, blowing 

 with a gentle breeze, for no fish will bite on a perfectly still 

 warm day ; and the time to catch them to eat is two or three 

 weeks before they cast their spawn, when they are full ; and 

 the way to cook them is a lajuive, as directed for pike. 



At the end of May the roach shoals collect, a few days 



before the bream, on the shallows, on broad or river edges 



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