THE ROACH. 175 



pleted. The little ten-foot roach-rods are manipu- 

 lated with the greatest ease with one hand, and 

 the strike can be made very sharply from the 

 wrist. The long rods require a lift more than a 

 strike, and the forearm must come into play as 

 well. When the float runs down the swim, watch 

 it with the utmost intentness ; a greedily feeding 

 roach will bob it smartly under, but occasionally 

 the merest quiver or slight stoppage indicates a 

 biting fish. 



Tight floating frequently kills the best roach. 

 In this method, the float is held- steadily in Tight 

 one place, and not allowed to drift with the floating 

 stream or eddy. The distance from float to hook 

 must be greater than the depth of water, as the bait 

 should rest on the bottom. In gentle runs of water, 

 twelve or eighteen inches of line between float 

 and hook beyond the actual depth will suffice, 

 but in swift runs the float must be set further from 

 the hook. It is important to use thin floats, goose- 

 quills, or porcupine-quills ; thick floats are washed 

 about too much, and difficulty is experienced in 

 keeping them steady. My remarks on tight 

 floating for bream (p. 49) will here be of service, 

 as the same system of fishing should be em- 

 ployed ; but the rod should always be held, and 

 strike instantly when a bite is noticed.^ 



A description of legering has been given under 

 barbelling (p. 4). In legering for roach, Leger- 

 the tackle should be the finest possible, ^"g 

 with not less than six feet of natural gut. The 

 weights employed are bullets, corking leads, and 

 flat spiral strips of lead. Do not use a heavier lead 

 than the swim requires, and make as little splash or 

 ^ See worm-bait, p. 171. 



