THE ROACH 135 



already given for other kinds of bottom-fish will answer 

 very well for him. 



The fish is very timid, shy, and crafty. He hides 

 himself in deep holes, and requires caution and silence, 

 being easUy frightened from his haunts by the slightest 

 disturbance of the water. 



These fish bite early in the morning and late in the 

 eveniug, when the glare of day is off the waters, and all 

 is calm and still. It is well for young anglers to 

 practise their hand with large bream, as they require 

 considerable management, and will call into requisition 

 their patience and skUl. Perhaps a slight float is 

 absolutely necessary in fishing for bream, as his bite is 

 extremely delicate, and he must be attacked on the 

 instant. 



THE ROACH 



is supposed to be so called on account of the redness of 

 his fins. He is a poor mean fish so far as eating goes, 

 but he is handsome and strong, and will afibrd the 

 angler capital sport when he rises at the fly, which he 

 commonly does about the months of August and 

 September, both boldly and freely. 



Koach are gregarious. They love limpid and clear 

 waters, and yet are to be found in still and muddy 

 rivers, ponds, and lakes. They frequent almost all the 

 rivers and lakes in Europe, and ia places are iucon- 

 ceivably numerous. Many of the rivers and ponds of 

 England are full of them; and in France they are 

 abundant everywhere, particularly in the neighbourhood 

 of Paris. In the marais of the Pas-de-Calais, and 

 about P^ronne, there are millions of them. In some 

 countries of the north of Europe, and especially on the 

 banks of the Oder, they are so plentiful that they are 

 commonly used for manuring the land; and Bloch 

 assures us that, before the marais on the Oder were 

 drained, such enormous quantities were constantly 

 caught that they supplied the neighbouring viUages 

 with abundance of provender on which to fatten their 

 pigs. 



