48 (1ITB -BAIT. 



in as ground-bait from time to time to attract the chub, 

 though the angler is not necessarily confined to these two 

 baits. Good takes of big fish are often thus made in fine 

 open weather. 



Chub are often, too, caught when float-fishing in the 

 ordinary roach and dace style, either from punt or bank ; 

 mostly, however, at the extreme end of the swim ; and if 

 there be a chub about, a swim of some five or ten yards 

 extra will often be rewarded with a good one. Many 

 trout and even salmon rivers abound in chub, as the 

 Welsh Wye and Irvon, where they are a positive nuisance 

 to the angler, and take the place and food of better fish. 

 I once, when fishing the Wye with a very light eleven-foot 

 trout rod, had two of these brutes on at the same time of 

 above two pounds each, and no landing-net. I was fishing 

 a very promising run of trout and grayling water, and, to 

 my disgust, they quite spoiled all chance of sport in it. 

 They are very abundant also in the Kennet, Windrush, 

 and many other excellent trout streams, which suffer 

 severely by their superabundance. 



The scales of chub, as well as those of bleak, were for- 

 merly valuable for the nacre upon them to the artificial 

 pearl-makers, but a better substitute has long rendered 

 them valueless. , 



It is but seldom the angler would either spin or use a 

 live bait for chub, as their taking it is rather the exception 

 than the rule, though they do take both spinning and 

 live bait at times. Besides cheese and greaves for bottom 

 baits, chub are very partial to various grubs and cater- 

 pillars, to the black slug, to snails, gentles, and worms. 

 The chub likes a large and fat mouthful, so that the hook 

 may be well covered. 



I always look upon the chub with somewhat of venera- 

 tion ; for was it not that historical chub, that chub Dagon 

 in fact, with the white spot on his tail, that was the first 



