THE BEST BAITS FOR ROACH. 351 



with a gentle, and sunk a few inches beneath the 

 surface of the water. Salmon-roe is a capital 

 bait for roach in still waters. In the spring 

 months small red worms are the best baits. Then 

 caddies, larvae, and lobs and grubs of all sorts. In 

 autumn and winter, gentles and pastes. I will 

 conclude with an excellent extract from Captain 

 Williamson : " When the roach lie in the tide 

 way, you must only expect them to bite when the 

 flood comes in ; especially at the first of it, when 

 they commonly are very keen. If there is a fish 

 in the water, they will bite during the latter part 

 of the ebb. At such times they lie chiefly on the 

 flat gravel sands, on the sides of streams, espe- 

 cially below bridges. In the evenings of very 

 sultry weather, when a slight shower has fallen, 

 they will take the common house fly, either on the 

 surface, or at some depth. On the whole, I think 

 that, next to the salmon roe, you will have best 

 success with gentles, cad- baits, and blood- worms. 

 But, above all things, have fine tackle; that is, 

 a small hook, on a well chosen piece of superfine 

 gut." In striking at roach, never use any other 

 motion than that of the wrist ; a slight, smart, 

 side motion or jerk of which will be sufficient to 

 cause your hook to penetrate, the barb of which 

 should be finely pointed, and the whole made of 

 the best and slightest steel wire. 



