72 THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



all the year, and occasionally take your live or dead 

 bait when you are trolling for Jack ; and, while alive, 

 they will continue to harbour in the same hole ; so 

 true is the old saying among Anglers, " Once a Chub- 

 hole, always a Chub-hole.'' 



Although the Chub is not much prized for the table* 

 they are a very bold handsome-looking Fish in form 

 and colour, until they attain the weight of three or 

 four pounds ; afterwards, as they increase in size, 

 they diminish in the symmetry of their shape, par- 

 ticularly by the enlargement of the head, and the 

 enormous widthof the mouth. When quite in season, 

 and from two to four pounds in weight, they greatly 

 resemble the Carp, (for which they are often taken,) 

 except the back fin, but they are rather longer in the 

 body, and their scales are also larger and of a lighter 

 colour 3 indeed, when small, their scales are so white " 

 that they are often mistaken, by the superficial Angler, 

 for large Dace ; but the greatest difference between 

 large Dace and small Chub is, that the upper part of 

 the dorsal fin and the end of the tail of Chub are of 

 a dark purple, (see the engraving ;) the tail is also less 

 forked than the Dace, and the mouth and head larger, 

 and of a bluff or round shape. They generally spawn 

 in the beginning of May, and deposit it in the sand 

 or gravel on the sharps and scowers, which points 

 out to the observing Angler where to fish for them 

 in the Spring. Chub eat better while full than after 

 they have spawned: the spawn fried with the Fish 

 at this season will be found very palatable, and per- 



