ANGLING FOR COARSE FISH. 



and the leger must be cast where the chub are, the angler keep- 

 ing as much out of sight as possible, and casting the tackle 

 neatly, and without undue disturbance of the water. Legering 

 is sometimes very useful for fishing swims which cannot be got 

 at with float tackle. 



The only method of float fishing for chub worthy our con- 

 sideration is that practised by the Trent anglers, and already 

 described in the chapter on Roach, on pages 43 and 51, to which 

 I beg to refer the reader. The tackle, save that it is rather 

 stronger, is in all respects the same. The rod 



r should be the stouter one described on page 13. 

 It is better to have the quill larger, and the shots 

 heavier, than is really necessary to keep the bait 

 below the float, as with somewhat heavy tackle 

 the bait can be let down stream more steadily 

 than with light tackle. The tackle which I find 

 most generally useful in summer carries a pierced 

 swan-shot between two split No. 1 shot, and two 

 No. 3 shots nearer the hook. The illustration 

 (Fig. 34) shows their relative positions, though 

 the float shown is not a very good representa- 

 tion of a quill. I always serve the gut round 

 with silk at the spot where the leads are placed. 

 The hook is shown baited with cheese-paste ; the 

 shape into which it is squeezed is very important. 

 Some anglers prefer a triangle, but I hardly 

 ever miss a fish if I bait a single hook carefully. 

 The point of the hook should be all but through 

 the cheese. If the point is well covered, fish after fish will 

 be missed, the cheese acting as a guard to the hook. I 

 always press down the cheese over the point until I can 

 feel the point with my thumb, when I know that the chub 

 will feel it too. The hook for cheese which I use is a No. 1 

 Round Bend. Trent anglers use a size or two smaller. 

 The point should always be kept sharp by a touch on each 

 side with a needle or watchmaker's file; and the barb is 

 best filed half away. The shank of the hook for the cheese- 

 bait should be painted (see page 20) with white lead and French 



Fig. 34. Float 

 Tackle for 

 Chub Baited 

 WITH Cheese, 



