176 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



is first a strong, determined rush for the tree roots r 

 the rushes, or some other place of refuge, and then 

 a ding-dong fight, in which the angler ought to- 

 prove the victor. The chub does not fight so 

 madly as a trout, but he fights uncommonly well ; 

 on light tackle the resistance is, I think, quite as 

 lengthy. 



This hot weather stalking is one of the most fas- 

 cinating ways of taking chub, and it can be done 

 with either the wet or the dry fly, with tiny midges- 

 or with huge buzzy things called palmers, and 

 meant to imitate caterpillars. On the whole, I 

 think the w r et fly pays best, but not always or 

 everywhere. Some highly-educated chub have to 

 be approached with small flies on fine gut, especially 

 if they have been educated by good fishermen. For 

 such fish the novice's dry flies (especially the coach- 

 man and the red spinner) will do well enough. The 

 others can be caught freely with big flies which fall in 

 with a plop. My favourite chub flies are the alder, 

 coachman, black palmer, soldier palmer, and Francis,, 

 a silver-bodied fly that looks like a cross between 

 an alder and an Alexandra. I have them all tied 

 with a tail of white wash-leather, about |in. long, 

 and in sizes varying from Jin. to ijin. A fly lin. 

 long is big enough, as a rule, but now and then I 

 have found a black palmer ijin. long do better; 



