LEDGERING FOR CHUB. 71 



worm. Bottom fishers chiefly use pastes, graves or 

 scratching, ox-brain, and the worm, when angling 

 specially for these fish. But they are more often caught 

 when angling for other fish, as for barbel, roach, bream, 

 etc. Float-fishing is the best in the winter months, when 

 surface and midwater food is scarce. An old haunt 

 fcr these fish will often yield great sport upon a sharp 

 frosty day in midwinter. We once took six fish that 

 scaled 27lbs. from one hole on the Dove below 

 Rocester. The scales of some of these were the size of 

 a shilling. Chub are to be steadily headed from the 

 hole when hooked, in order to avoid disturbing the 

 remainder of the school. Ledgering is also a favourite 

 style of angling for them in some waters, the gut and 

 tackle being generally stouter than for other fish, as 

 when a large fish is hooked it is a case of " pull devil, 

 pull baker." A slender weak rod should especially 

 be eschewed, as to keep the fish from the roots in the 

 neighbourhood of their haunts, the best built and most 

 evenly proportioned rod procurable is unequal to the 

 occasion ; a certain amount of pliant play is neces- 

 sary to aid the tackle. The best wood to employ for 

 a bottom rod for chub is Ramshorn Ash (English) for 

 butt, hickory for middle joint, and a spliced treble cane 

 top. We have had a rod of this description in use for 

 the last forty years, and it is still as sound and useful 

 as ever. Upon all bottom rods the rings should be 

 upright, and the reel fittings, as in the case of the fly- 

 rod, should be fixed to the bottom of the butt joint, 

 so as to balance as much as possible. To place it a 

 foot or so from the extremity of the joint is foolish, it 



