CHAP. xvii. ] THE FIFTH DA F. 183 



The Roach is a leather-mouthed fish, and has a kind of saw- 

 like teeth in his throat. And lastly, let me tell you, the Roach 

 makes an angler excellent sport, especially the great Roaches 

 about London, where I think there be the best Roach-anglers.* 

 And I think the best Trout -anglers be in Derbyshire ; ^ for the 

 waters there are clear to an extremity. 



Next, let me tell you, you shall fish for this Roach in Winter 

 with paste or gentles ; in April with worms or cadis ; in the very 

 hot months with little white snails ; or with flies under water, 

 for he seldom takes them at the top, though the Dace will. 2 In 



VARIATIONS. 



1 and the best Trout-anglers in Derbyshire.— 2(^ edit. 



2 The second edition proceeds thus : '* and in August you shall fish for him with a 

 paste made of the crumbs of breadj and much after this manner you shall fish for the 

 Dace or Dare," &c. 



Shepperton and Hampton are the places chiefly resorted to by the Londoners, who 

 angle there in boats : at each there is a large deep, to which Roach are attracted by 

 constant baiting. That at Hampton is opposite the churchyard ; and in that cemetery 

 lies an angler, upon whose gravestone is an inscription, now nearly effaced, consisting 

 of these homely lines : — 



In memory of Mr Thomas Tombs, goldsmith, of London, who departed this life 

 Aug. i2th, 1758, aged 53 years. 



Each brother Bob, that sportive passes here, 



Pause at this stone, and drop the silent tear, 



For him who lov'd your harmless sport; 



Who to this Pitch a did oft resort ; 



"Who in free converse oft would please, 



With native humour, mirth and case ; 



His actions form'd upon so just a plan, 



He liv'd a worthy, died an honest man. 

 Formerly the fishermen inhabiting the villages on the banks of the Thames were used 

 to enclose certain parts of the river with what they called stofis, but which were in effect 

 weirs or kidels, b by stakes driven into the bed thereof; and to these they tfed wheels, 

 creating thereby a current, which drove the fish into those traps. This practice, though 

 it may sound oddly to say so, is against Magna Charta, and is expressly prohibited by 

 the 23d chapter of that statute.^ In the year 1757, the Lord Mayor, Dickenson, sent the 

 Water-Bailiff up the Thames, in a barge well manned, and furnished with proper imple- 

 ments, who destroyed all those enclosures on this side Staines, by pulling up the stakes 

 and setting them adrift. — H. 



* As Walton has given no specific directions for Roach-fishing, the following, which 

 are usually adopted by London anglers, will perhaps not be deemed irrelevant. Use a 

 light cane rod with a fine stiff top, a single gut line, a goose-quill float, and No. 12 hook : 

 the line, when fishing, should not be above twelve inches long above the float, which 

 must be so shotted, that not more than the eighth of an inch appear above water : keep 

 the top of the rod over the float, and when the least movement is noticed, strike quickly, 

 but lightly, letting the movement proceed from the wrist, hot from the arm. Use a 

 landing net, particularly if fishing from a high bank. Before beginning to angle plumb 

 the depth accurately, and if the stream be influenced by tides, mills, &c , repeat the same 

 occasionally, fish within six inches of the bottom, and ground-bait with graves mixed with 

 bran and clay, or with grains or bread.— B. 



a A particular spot, called -a. pitch, from the act of pitching or fastening the boat 

 there.— H. 



b KiDELLUS. Machina piscatona in fluminibus ad Salmones aliosque pisces intercipi- 

 endos : Betiles et Weres, Angli vocant. Du Cange. — B. 



c In these words : "Omnes Kidelli deponantur de ceetero per Thamesiam et Mfcd- 

 weiam et per totam AngUam, nis per costeram."^— B. 



