3 H THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



strength, and grow in season a fortnight after spawning ; 

 the barbel and chub in a month ; the trout in four months ; 

 and the salmon in the like time, if he gets into the sea, and 

 after into fresh water. 



Roaches be accounted much better in the river than in a 

 pond, though ponds usually breed the biggest. But there 

 is a kind of bastard small roach, 1 that breeds in ponds, with 

 a very forked tail, and of a very small size, which some say 

 is bred by the bream and right roach ; and some ponds are 

 stored with these beyond belief; and knowing men, that 

 know their difference, call them ruds : they differ from the 

 true roach as much as a herring from a pilchard. And 

 these bastard breed of roach are now scattered in many 

 rivers ; but I think not in the Thames, which, I believe, 

 affords the largest and fattest in this nation, especially below 

 London Bridge. 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, espe- 

 cially the great roaches about London, where I think there 

 be the best roach anglers. And I think the best trout 

 anglers be in Derbyshire ; 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 caddis ; 

 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 post 

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

 place where roaches lie quietly, and then pull your fly u] 



