THE ROACH. 69 



in May, and will bite all day long, if the weather 

 is not in either of the extremes, on the top of the 

 water. Their haunts are chiefly in sandy or gra- 

 velly deep waters, delighting to be in the shade. 

 In April their baits are cads and worms. In sum- 

 mer white snails or flies. In autumn a paste made 

 of fine white bread, moulded in your hands with 

 water, and a little cotton added to it, to keep it 

 from washing off the hook. In winter gentles are 

 the best bait for him. You should fish with a line 

 made of single hairs, a quill-float, and the lead 

 about a foot from the hook ; and when you angle 

 for roach, always cast in a ground-bait, made of 

 bran, clay, and bread, incorporated together ;* 

 and when you angle with tender baits, always 

 strike at the least nibble that is apparent. Sprout- 

 ed malt, the young brood of wasps, bees dipt in 

 blood, and the dried blood of sheep, are nostrums 

 in this king of angling. 



The largest roach in this kingdom are taken in 

 the Thames, where many have been caught of two 

 pounds and a half weight ; but roach of any size 

 are hard to be taken without a boat. 



The people who live in the fishing-towns along 

 the banks of the Thames, have a method of dressing 

 large roach and dace, which, it is said, renders 

 them a very pleasant and savoury food ; it is as 

 follows : without scaling the fish, lay him on a grid- 

 iron, over a slow fire, and strew a little flour on 

 him : when he begins to grow brown, make a slit, 

 not more than skin deep, in his back, from head 

 to tail, and lay him on again. When he is broiled 

 enough, the skin, scales and all, will peel off, and 



* Coarse bran and flour make an excellent ground-bait, but they 

 must not be too much moulded. 



