72 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



gristle, especially if he be baked), of cheese and tur- 

 pentine. He will bite also at a minnow, or penk, as a 

 trout will : of which I shall tell you more hereafter, and 

 of divers other baits. But take this for a rule, that, in 

 hot weather, he is to be fished for towards the mid-water, 

 or near the top ; and in colder weather nearer the 

 bottom. And if you fish for him on the top, with a 

 beetle, or any fly, then be sure to let your line be very 

 long and to keep out of sight. And having told you 

 that his spawn is excellent meat, and that the head of 

 a large cheven, the throat being well washed, is the 

 best part of him, I will say no more of this fish at the 

 present, but wish you may catch the next you fish for.* 



But, lest you may judge me too nice in urging to 

 have the chub dressed so presently after he is taken, 

 I will commend to your consideration how curious 

 former times have been in the like kind. 



You shall read in Seneca his Natural Questions, lib. 3, 

 cap. 17, that the ancients were so curious in the newness 

 of their fish, that that seemed not new enough that 

 was not put alive into the guest's hand ; and he says 

 that to that end they did usually keep them living in 

 glass bottles in their dining-rooms : and they did glory 

 much in their entertaining of friends, to have that fish 

 taken from under their table alive that was instantly 

 to be fed upon. And he says, they took great pleasure 

 to see their mullets change to several colours, when 

 they were dying. But enough of this, for I doubt I 

 have stayed too long from giving you some observations 

 of the trout, and how to fish for him, which shall take 

 up the next of my spare time. 



* Piscator gives in this paragraph some very good advice touch- 

 ing angling for chub. Walton understood the matter well, and was 

 no doubt a great adept in the art of fishing for chub and barbel. 

 However, chub very rarely indeed take the minnow, or any other 

 sort of fish-bait. Lob-worms, gentles, prepared cheese, honey- 

 paste, insects, natural and artificial, are the best baits for them. E. 



