ROACH-FISHING 21 



the swim. Let out a few yards extra of line and fish farther 

 off, and you will often get sport in that way when the fish 

 will scarcely bite at all close to the boat. All these dodges 

 and any more which may suggest themselves to the angler, 

 should be employed when the fish are biting shyly. A change 

 of bait will often procure a fish or two, and should never be 

 neglected. In fact, a judicious changing backwards and 

 forwards in this respect will be found highly necessary to tickle 

 the jaded appetites of the well-fed aldermanic roach, and 

 by one means or the other something like a take may generally 

 be made, provided the fish are there.* Many of the above 

 plans, it will be seen, are equally feasible in bank-fishing. 



The following plan is an ingenious one ; it was communicated 

 to me by an old roach-fisher who declared it to be a great patent. 

 I have never tried it myself, but the angler can do so if he 

 chooses. It often happens that when the water is clear and 

 low the fish are difficult to attract, whereas, if you could dis- 

 colour the water a little, you would not only coax the fish 

 to come to your swim, but would induce them to take well. 

 The readiest means, it would seem, is a rake, but however 

 attractive this may be to small fry, it does not suit good 

 roach. Get a tube shaped like a trumpet or a post-horn, 

 or get a common funnel with a large tube. Then get three 

 or four lengths of zinc or tin pipe, which will fit into each 

 other in joints like ferrules, of a foot or eighteen inches each 

 in length ; screw on a sufficient number of these to reach 

 the bottom of the water ; tie a stone or weight on to the small 

 end, sufficient to sink it to the bottom, and keep it steady ; 

 then thrust it overboard to the bottom of the water, the 

 funnel remaining above the water, and handy to you. Have 

 a tub near, in which mix up some clay or mould with bran 

 and plenty of water. Stir it up until it becomes thick slush. 

 Then take a half-pint mug full of this liquid and pour it into 

 the funnel. This rises slowly from the lower end of the tube 

 at the bottom of the water, and thickens it for two or three 

 minutes, quite sufficiently to attract the fish and set them 

 biting, while it does not satisfy their hunger like ground-bait. 

 Dropping your hook-bait into the muddy stream, let it follow 

 it down, and you will be likely to get a bite or two. You can 



* Anyone can catch some roach when the big fellows are sucking down 

 the float quietly at every swim, just under the rod-point, and when you 

 have nothing to do but to strike and hook a fish ; but the artist in roach- 

 fishing alone will make a fair bag on an indifferent day. The above hints 

 are, of course, unnecessary save for the tyro. F, F. 



