348 THE PROPER TACKLE FOR ROACH. 



bottom fishers. Roach spawn in May, and do 

 not get into good condition again before the autumn 

 months, which are the best months for angling 

 for them. They do not like rough streams, and 

 are generally found in easy swims, moderately 

 deep, with a fine gravelly and sandy bottom. 

 The best general baits for them are paste and 

 gentles, though they will take small worms, and 

 very frequently small artificial flies. It is impossi- 

 ble to bottom fish, for roach with tackle too fine. 

 All of it must be light and delicate, and of the 

 best material, rod, line, float, and hook. The 

 foot-line should be made of single hairs, or at any 

 rate of the very finest silk-worm gut. The rod 

 of cane, light and long, just stiff enough to strike 

 promptly and delicately. Some of the London 

 rods are too long, being from twenty to twenty- 

 four feet in length. A rod from sixteen to 

 eighteen feet is quite long enough for bank fishing; 

 and one of twelve feet is sufficiently long for 

 punt fishing. 



Mr. Elaine pays a high compliment to the 

 roach, saying, "Roach angling offers much in- 

 terest to the piscatory zealots, who are shut out 

 from the high pursuits of fly-fishing. The roach 

 is an elegant fish when taken, and it requires 

 considerable skill to deceive it, whilst its game 

 qualities are such that it contests the matter with 

 the angler to the last, so as to yield no small 



