THE ROACH. 159 



many good fish are held for a moment, and then 

 struggle off. There is nothing more annoying than 

 losing a hooked fish ; I would far rather miss him 

 clean than prick him with a hook and then let him 

 go, for the alarm given to a shoal of fish by a 

 hooked fish darting away is much greater than 

 that caused by a fish missed entirely. No. 7 is a 

 useful size and quite large enough 

 to hold a fish well. Hooks finnnf^ 

 on gut or hair are supplied ""I "I ' 21 s| 

 for roach-fishing ; drawn gut ' 



should satisfy any one for fine Roach hooks.-Sneck- 

 tackle ; and in coloured water, I 

 use fine undrawn, and am quite satisfied with 

 the results. If very fine drawn gut or hair be 

 used when fishing long swims, you are extremely 

 liable to break the weakest length in the strike ; 

 I get, perhaps, fewer bites, but prefer to make 

 reasonably sure of the fish. For small fish, like 

 bleak, I now always use hair hooks, and catch 

 two bleak on hair for one caught on gut ; the 

 only reason for avoiding hair in roach-fishing is 

 its tendency to break in striking. A crystal hook 

 is best for paste or worm ; the sneck bent is very 

 good when fishing with gentles, and, in using the 

 latter, the point and barb of the hook must come 

 quite through the skin of the gentle, even if only a 

 small part of the gentle is pierced. If the point is 

 not free, the tough skin of the gentle interferes with 

 the striking of the fish. 



The float must suit the water fished, carrying shot 

 accordingly. Roach mostly feed on or near 

 the bottom, and the bait must be kept well 

 down. One of my floats for heavy water takes 

 twenty-twQ shot, eighteen of which are B B ; the 



