The Roach is a handsome fish, and when taken of the size of half a pound

or a pound, are not such bad eating as is said of them. They are very

bony, it is true, but particularly wholesome. These fish do not thrive

so well in ponds where they are exceedingly numerous, but in deep

running rivers, with sandy and gravelly bottoms. They excel in both

flavour and size. Let the place to angle for them be about four or five

t deep, plumb the depth, and allow your bait to be very near the

bottom. The baits are paste, or gentles. When you begin, throw into the

place you angle in some ground bait, to bring them together; keep your

eye to the float, which should be a quill one, and the gut line with as

many shot attached to it as will carry the float about a quarter the

length of it out of the water, and strike smartly, but gently when you

see it move downwards. They bite best in mild dark days. Work the paste

between the hands (bread without wet), and when rather tough, mix a

little vermilion with it, they like this best. Let the shot be about

half a foot or so from the hook, which should be a No. 10 or 12, and

where there are large ones, No. 8, tied on gut. When I was a little boy

this sort of angling used to be my favourite amusement, with the running

bait for trout after a flood.