Many ways are recommended to catch this fish by angling. When in deep waters, near piles of bridges, flood-gates, &c. in hot weather, a May or Ant-fly is to be sunk by a little lead, within a few inches of the hook, near the sides of these posts or piles: this is to be pulled up very leisurely, a Roach will generally attend the Fly to the surface, there gaze on it for a moment, and then take it.

Stern fishing is by fixing a boat (for without Roach of any size are hardly to be caught) to the stern of a Vessel returned from a Voyage, whose bottom is foul and furnished with insects, which the fish greedily devour. The line should not exceed four feet, the float be within a foot of its top, and the rod very short; the bait to be three or four gentles, and dropped close to the Ship's sides, not allowing the bait to swim more than eight or nine feet: begin at the first of the ebb tide, and for two hours the Roach will bite freely.

To London bridge, and among the shipping below it, numbers of Roach return in June and July, after having been up the river to spawn, and many of them are taken by means of a strong cord, to which is fastened a leaden weight, more or less, according to the strength of the Current; a foot above the lead a twine twelve feet long is joined to the cord, and to this twine, at convenient distances, are tied a dozen hair links, with Roach hooks at their ends; these are to be baited with white snails or periwinkles, taken whole from the shell; the twine with the hooks is then first thrown in, that the stream may run it out its full length without entangling,

the weight is then let down to the bottom, the fisherman holds the cord in his hand, and readily feels the biting of the fish, which is a signal to pull up the weight and line: frequently five or six, and seldom less than two or three, are taken at a haul, and they are for the most part very large: by standing in a lighter or lug-boat, that is fastened to some vessel, this method can be best managed.

Some, in both pond and river, chew and throw in white bread, baiting with one large gentle, and fish six inches from the bottom: others, for Winter fishing, when Maggots (which are beyond question the best winter bait) are not to be had, use Graves from the Tallow-chandlers, thus prepared: put them in cold water upon the fire in pieces of about half a pound, let them continue until near boiling, when they will become white and soft; the whitest is to be reserved for the hook, and the rest used as groundbait; the hook should be No. 6, and the bait either touch the bottom, or lie within one inch of it. Earth bobs and gentles are famous winter baits, using boiled Malt or fresh grains as ground-bait; in Autumn Roach will take white paste, on a hook No. 9; in Summer snails and flies under water, for they never rise at a fly like the Dace. In April Cadis, Oakworms, and small red-worms, the latter especially in windy weather.

The season for Roach fishing in the Thames (in which, near Shepperton and Hampton, many have been taken above two pounds weight) begins about the latter end of August, and continues longer than most Anglers (of which the Londoners for Roach, are

perhaps the best,) choose to brave the weather. In the Summer they live on the weed, and do not quit for the deeps until it becomes putrid, which depends upon the drought or wetness of the weather, much Rain hastening its rotting; the fishermen all along the River are at this time upon the watch, and the instant the Roach move, sweep them away with their drag-nets; it requires, therefore, skill in the Angler to attend to this critical period, or the objects of his diversion are by wholesale carried to Billingsgate *.

The tackle for Roach must be fine and strong: by some are recommended a Rod not exceeding six feet, a line somewhat shorter, of six hairs, and about two feet of gut for the bottom links, a swan quill float, and hooks No. 11 or 12, (although if not made of stouter wire than those usually sold of those sizes, No. 9 or 10; Roach rarely break the hook in the water, yet the beard of these very fine hooks is frequently broken at the time of being extracted by

The Thames, both above and below London Bridge, was formerly much resorted to by the London Anglers. One favourite Station was near the Starlings of the Bridge. About 1730 JOHN REEVES, a Waterman, died, who had made a comfortable living by attending Anglers in his boat, for which the hire was two shillings a tide. He used to ply at Essex Stairs; and his method was to watch when the Shoals of Roach came down the river from the upper parts of it; and when he had discovered them to go round to his Customers, and give them notice. Sometimes they settled opposite the Temple, at others at Black-friars or Queenhithe, but most frequently about the Chalk-Hills, near London Bridge. His Employers, as a reward for his diligence and attention, bought him a Waterman's Coat and Silver Badge, the Device upon which was himself with an Angler in his Boat. The Coat was annually renewed to the time of his Death.

the fish's springing about, and their mouths being so bony;) the baits, gentles, red paste, boiled wheat, or malt: the gentles of a pale red colour, with a white one, are often taken both by Roach and Dace with great eagerness; red paste is also excellent. (The Angler is cautioned to be provided with several sorts of baits, as these fish are capricious in their feeding, and in the course of a morn or eve will shun what they had just before taken, and in a short time again with avidity seize that, rejecting all others.) Great attention must be paid to strike quick. In using boiled malt or wheat select those corns that are soft and plump; one is sufficient: put the hook into it so that the point may lie where it is burst and the white appears, the fish will be more readily hooked. The ground-bait should be boiled malt, with which some holes may be previously baited; if that mode is not adopted whilst fishing, throw it in from time to time sparingly.

The following method is mentioned as being more generally successful than any other. A rod rather stiff, which will strike true, and in length proportioned to the place where used; the line a foot shorter than the rod, strong at top and tapering to the bottom, which must be a fine, smooth, silkworm gut, dyed brownish, or of a water colour; the hook No. 8; one small shot is to be put on the line, about ten inches from the hook, the rest (large) close together, four or five inches higher up, sufficient so to sink a swan quill float as that its top may just be discerned above the surface. When a spot is fixed on plumb the depth, and the float is to carry

the bait not more than one inch from the bottom, which must be level, the run gentle, and the water deep when clear, or in winter; at other times, when the water is coloured with rain, and especially if in the rain, the bait should swim from about three quarters of a yard to the depth of a yard and a half: if in a Tide, or where streams rise or fall, the depth by means of the plummet is to be ascertained and observed as above directed. At the top of the swim throw in three or four balls of ground-bait, (about the size of an egg, and a pebble in each to sink them, and which is to be made with large wheat bran, enough sweet coarse flour to bind the bran, and scalding water; this is to be so kneaded as to be sufficiently stiff to prevent its breaking in sinking to the bottom, and yet so as to fall gradually to pieces soon after it reaches it,) and care should be taken so to throw the balls as that the bait may rest as directly over them as possible. The bait is a grain or two of Salmon's roe, or a small piece of red-paste in imitation of it, (which is as good as the roe, and will continue on the hook a long time, if properly made, even if the fish is struck at and missed, and there be no cotton mixed with it.) A sharp eye must be kept on the float, and the least nibble is the signal for striking; if a full-sized Roach is hooked he should be played, for they struggle much; and although many accustom themselves to a single hair line, yet where the fish run large it is not always to be depended upon. A landing-net is useful in getting out the big ones, and by drawing them two or three yards below where the ground