THE ClllB. ^63 



small bones; yet he afioids good sport to tli« 

 angler, especially to a Tijru in that art. 



This iisli lakes its name from its head, not 

 only in the English, but in other langnages; it 

 is called Chub, according to Skinner, from the 

 old English copy a head ; the French in the same 

 names, call '\t iestard ; the Italians, capitone. Ifc 

 does not i^row to a larire size : we seldom meet 

 v/iih them above five pounds vveiglit; but Salvi- 

 anus speaks of eiglit or nine pounds weight. 



They spawn ai)out the [)eG:imiing of jlpril\ 

 and their A«/zr//5 are chiefly in large rivers, having 

 clayey or sandy bottoms, in holes, shaded with 

 trees ; where many of them in general keep to-» 

 gether. He bites best from sun-rising till eight, 

 and from three till sun-set. In March and April 

 you must angle for the chub w^ith toorms, in June 

 and July, with ///c'.'?, snails, and chen ies ; but in 

 AuQ:ust\and Sentember, use a paste made of 

 Parmesan or lioUnud c/iee^c, pounded in a mor- 

 tar with a little butter, and a small quantity of 

 safiron put to it to make it of a yellow colour. 

 In the winter, when the chub is in his prime, a 

 paste made of Cheshire cheese and turpcritiuc, is 

 verygoorl; but no bait more killing for him, 

 than the pifh of an ox or cov*f's back-bone: 

 you must take the tough outward skin oif very 

 carefully, but take particular care that you do not 

 bruise the inward skin; also tlie brains of the 

 above animal-> arc excellent for him. Let your 

 line be very strong, with a quill lloav. on it, strong 

 gul at bottom ; the hook, No. 3 or 4, the depth, 

 in hot weather, mid-water, in coldi.h near the 

 bottom, and in quite cold weather on the ground. 

 The most pleasant v.ay of taking him isby dibbing, 

 w hicli is thus performed ; in a hot summer's day 

 L,o to any Ijolfe that you know they haunt, and 



"ml 



