SUMMER. 49 



or Ouse below St. Ives, and the out-of-the-way places in 

 which the chub loves to lie, render the use of a boat 

 imperative. In this the angler stations himself in the 

 stern, his boatmen allowing the craft to drift slowly 

 with the stream ten or twelve yards abreast of the over- 

 hanging branches, under which he knows the fish are lying. 

 Let the fly touch the leaves, and then make believe to 

 tumble accidentally into the water. There will be a 

 straight rush made by the chub (which is not at all insulted 

 in the old-fashioned appellation of logger-headed) ; he will 

 take your fly at a gulp under water without the ceremony 

 of a rise ; and the leathery formation of the mouth makes 

 the chances of escape very poor for the fish. The chub has 

 no character for pluck, since after one pretty strong run 

 by way of protest, it ceases to fight, and may be hauled 

 into the landing-net without much trouble or the employ- 

 ment of any art on the part of the angler. I have known 

 gentlemen in the course of a few hours' fishing in this 

 manner take their 20 and 30 lbs. of chub, ranging from 

 2 to 4 lbs. In the Upper Verniew in the month of April 

 three years ago, at one stand, fishing for trout with a 

 small March brown, I took 18 chub of about a pound 

 each. If they had weighed not more than a pennywei<^Tht 

 I would have killed them in any trout water. 



Trout-fishing I have dealt with in one or two phases in 

 the chapter on spring. It need scarcely, however, be 

 explained that this fish is the fly-fisher's idol durino- the 

 entire summer. But the carnival of trout anglers may be 

 said to occur when the May-fly is up. This anxiously 

 looked for event generally happens early in June, and 

 while it lasts the sport is indeed fast and furious. On pre- 

 served club waters, like the Hungerford water of the Kennet 

 and on the choice preserves of Hampshire, and other parts 



