46 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 
fish, but by exercising a little patience, he may 
overcome all their idiosyncrasies. After our ex- 
periences, we must admit that the roach is a 
delicate fish to circumvent, always supposing that 
he has attained to any size. But once on the 
bank, there is no gainsaying his beauty as he 
flops out his life among the docks and nettles. 
The fish are just clean and bright from spawning, 
and this is how they show: Back and upper 
parts of a delicate weedy green, flashing and 
slowing with metallic lustre; these colours pale 
as they approach the medial line, and then turn 
silver, which passes into white on the under 
parts ; the back and tail fins stand out sharply in 
dull red, the anal and ventral fins glowing with 
crimson. These, with a symmetrical body, and 
a tiny, “blood-like” head turned into broad 
shoulders, complete the picture of a handsome 
fish. As much cannot be said of the edible 
qualities of the roach as for his gentlemanly 
appearance, though he has his champions in this 
respect too, only he requires to be daintily done 
in the cooking. 
The roach is a fish of many waters, and 
seems peculiarly adapted to various environments. 
He is at home in sluggish streams with muddy 
bottoms, though his colours become a little dulled ; 
here, too, in this clear tarn, high on the hills, 
