CHAPTER III 



HOW TO FISH FOR, AND TO DRESS, THE CHAVENDER, 

 OR CHUB 



[Ubirfc 2>a] 



Pise. The Chub, though he eat well thus dressed, yet 

 as he is usually dressed, he does not. He is objected 

 against, not only for being full of small forked bones, 

 dispersed through all his body, but that he eats waterish, 

 and that the flesh of him is not firm, but short and taste- 

 less. The French esteem him so mean as to call him 

 un vilain ; nevertheless, he may be so dressed as to 

 make him very good meat ; as, namely, if he be a large 

 chub, then dress him thus : 



First, scale him, and then wash him clean, and then 

 take out his guts ; and to that end make the hole as little, 

 and near to his gills, as you may conveniently, and 

 especially make clean his throat from the grass and 

 weeds that are usually in it; for if that be not very 

 clean, it will make him to taste very sour. Having so 

 done, put some sweet herbs into his belly ; and then 

 tie him with two or three splinters to a spit, and roast 

 him, basted often with vinegar, or rather verjuice and 

 butter, with good store of salt mixed with it. Being 

 thus dressed, you will find him a much better dish of 

 meat than you, or most folk, even than anglers them- 

 selves, do imagine : for this dries up the fluid watery 

 humour with which all chubs do abound. 



But take this rule with you, that a chub newly taken 

 and newly dressed is so much better than a chub of 



67 



