90 ANGLING FOR COARSE FISH. 



of weeds, and so on, or have someone witli us who can tell us 

 these particulars. In a strange river we are certain to lose 

 much time and many fish in finding out these details. Well, 

 we cut up a few cubes of cheese (if we are baiting with cheese) 

 with our knife, throw them in, and let our tackle, carefully- 

 baited after the manner already described, follow them down 

 stream steadily and without check.* As it reaches the spot where 

 the chub are, our hearts beat a little faster, perhaps, and then 

 down goes the float, up goes the point of the rod, and we feel we 

 are in a good fish. Immediately after striking we reel up as 

 fast as we can, for master chub must not be allowed to go into 

 the roots which project from the bank, and by holding him hard 

 at first the hook is puUed well into his leathern mouth. "We 

 try the swim again, and after a trial or two basket another fish, 

 and then move to a fresh spot, for it would probably be useless 

 to continue fishing here. But there are occasions — very rare 

 ones — when as many as a dozen chub may be taken out 

 of one hole. 



If we fish from a boat or punt, there must be no flurry, noise, 

 or movement which can give the fish an inkling of our presence. 

 "When we are 40yds. away from the fish, we get close to the bank, 

 and drop down with the stream until we reach the top of the 

 swim. We are careful not to stand up, to put in no rypecTcs, and 

 drop no weight ; but our man catches hold of a twig, or holds 

 on to the bank with a boat-hook. From the boat we fish as we 

 did from the bank, and are certain of success if the fish have 

 not been disturbed by us or some passer-by. 



I would never bait up a spot for chub, but pass from swim to 

 swim, picking up a brace here and a brace there. Even the 

 ground-bait thrown in should be small in quantity, especially 

 if it is cheese or greaves. A pound of cheese will last out a day's 

 chub-fishing, ground-bait and all. Success, of course, depends 

 a good deal on the angler's judgment in so throwing the ground- 

 bait that it reaches the right place ; but not so much with chub 

 as with many other fish. 



* As a matter of fact, the mere passage of the line through the rings slightly 

 checks the float ; and this is desirable, for, if it were otherwise, the float would get 

 in advance of the bait, as rivers flow faster near the surface than lower down. 



