62 HINTS ON ANGLING. 



the gravel in very shallow water. The operation is 

 supposed to occupy a period of about eight days. 



Most of the rivers of England contain chub. He 

 haunts deep, quiet holes, under overhanging banks; fre- 

 quents the bottoms of old walls, and deep retired nooks, 

 where piles and old posts stick up out of the bottom, and 

 yet he likes occasionally to fight against strong rushing 

 streams, and to contend with the most rapid waters. The 

 chub of the river is far finer and more active than his 

 brother of the pond or lake; indeed, he is not often 

 found in the latter, unless they communicate easily and 

 freely with some river, or constantly open current. 



This fish attains a considerable size. It is said, he will 

 sometimes weigh six or seven pounds; and in France he 

 has been known to reach a weight of ten pounds. Fish 

 of this size, however, must be very scarce; as few sports- 

 men can boast of having seen them so large. A chub was 

 caught in the Thames in the month of May, 1844, by a 

 friend of ours, which weighed four pounds. He was a 

 very strong active fish, shot across the river like an arrow 

 on feeling himself hooked, and fought well for a full hour, 

 before he could be got out of the water. He was caught 

 with a common gut line ; and therefore required consider- 

 able indulgence, before he could be overcome. This was 

 considered a remarkable fish. 



Chub are gregarious, and in hot weather may be seen 

 basking on the surface of the water over some deep hole 

 in considerable numbers. The moment they become 

 sensible that they are observed, they sink down in an 

 instant, being perhaps, with scarcely an exception, the 

 shyest of all river fish. 



