198 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



The roach is a leather-mouthed fish, and has a kind of saw- 

 like teeth in his throat. And lastly, let me tell you the 

 roach makes an angler capital sport, especially the great 

 roaches about London, where I think there be the best roach 

 anglers. And I think the best trout anglers be in Derby- 

 shire : for the waters there are clear to an extremity. 

 Next, let me tell you, you shall fish for this ROACH 



in winter with paste or gentles ; in April, with worms or 

 cadis ; in the very hot months with little white snails, or 

 with flies under water, for he seldom takes them at the top, 

 though the dace will. In many of the hot months, roaches 

 may also be caught thus ; take a May-fly or ant-fly, sink him 

 with a little lead to the bottom, near to the piles or posts of 

 a bridge, or near to any posts of a weir, I mean any deep 

 place where roaches lie quietly, and then pull your fly up 

 very leisurely, and usually a roach will follow your bait to 

 the very top of the water, and gaze on it there, and run at it 

 and take it, lest the fly should fly away from him. 



I have seen this done at Windsor and Henley-bridge, and 

 great store of roach taken, and sometimes a dace or chub ; 

 and in August you may fish for them with a paste made only 



London. I would not advise any one to fish for roach nearer than at Richmond : 

 a few may be taken at Kew or Isleworth, but Richmond is one of the best 

 spots, just at the flow and ebb of the tide. 



The river is now preserved from Isleworth to Staines by an excellent society, 

 sanctioned by each successive Lord Mayor, who is ex-offi,cio conservator of the 

 Thames from the Medway to Staines, and called the " Thames Angling Pre- 

 servation Society." The object of the Society, to the increase of whose funds 

 all anglers should contribute, is to suppress poaching and illegal netting, and 

 so augment the breed of fish. They have been hitherto successful to a great 

 extent. The preservation of the River is taken up at Staines by the " Thames 

 Trout Club," and continued to Maidenhead weir. This Club is also deserving 

 of support, as is also one high up the river near Goring. ED.] 



