82 BOTTOM OR FLOAT-FISHING. 



The Dace is indeed a bright, graceful fish, 

 glancing about in the clear quiet streams with 

 which the southern counties of England especially 

 abound, and which are too often barren of Trout 

 or Salmon. Moreover, it is in full season in 

 October, November, December, and January, when 

 the latter fish are spawning or preparing for the 

 process, and thus a red-lettered day's sport is not 

 unfrequently to be obtained, which would other- 

 wise have been a blank in the diary. When hooked, 

 the Dace is one of the gamest fish that swims. 



Of the Chub as a " sporting" fish less can be said 

 with truth than of its congener, but on the other 

 hand it grows to a far greater size, and from its 

 being one of the comparatively few species of 

 coarser fish which will take the fly kindly, it is 

 not to be despised. As its specific name the 

 " Headed Dace" implies, it is somewhat slow and 

 clumsy in its movements and appearance, though 

 withal a stately and handsome fish when large and 

 in good condition ; but I cannot but think that the 

 fashion with old writers of painting the Chub as a 

 sort of water-donkey must have either lacked 

 sufficient foundation, or else that the Chub of our 



