DACE AND CHUB. 317 



found in the sharpest and swiftest streams, into which it rushes 

 to recover its strength after the spawning exhaustion of May. 



In June and July it moves into deeper waters, especially 

 below banks hung with trees or bushes, and will be there found 

 until October or November when it takes up its winter quarters 

 in quiet swims, under willow beds, amongst roots, by sunken 

 piles, or in any other cover affording good shelter. At this 

 period the fly ceases to be of much use, and ground fishing 

 takes its place, for which purpose I can speak very highly of 

 cheese paste (vide p. 232). 



A winter bait which has found many advocates of late yeans 

 is the 'pith' or spinal marrow of a bullock or cow, with 

 bullock's brains as ground bait, as described at p. 234. In 

 the ' Modern Practical Angler,' I have observed that, ' For 

 this mode of chub-fishing the colder the weather the better, 

 provided only that the water is not discoloured. The pith 

 should be used with Nottingham tackle, so as to fish the 

 stream for fourteen or fifteen yards down, the most favourable 

 position being deepish water close to boughs and ' rooty ' banks. 

 The bait should swim about three or four inches from the 

 bottom, as nearly as may be, the brains being thrown in from 

 time to time above the swim. In this mode of fishing it is not 

 advisable to bait any one swim beforehand, as chub are shy fish 

 and it is seldom that more than two or three can be taken out 

 of the same place without scaring the rest ; consequently it is 

 better to move from place to place, throwing in a small quantity 

 of ground bait at each. By this mode of fishing the largest 

 chub are to be taken ; and when used by skilful hands, I have 

 known a punt well to be half filled with fish. 



The following correspondence on the subject of ox brains 

 and pith as bait, took place sorne^ years ago in the columns of 

 the Field) between ' Greville F.' and the editor. As the corre- 

 spondence, besides giving some valuable hints, presents the pros 

 and cons of the question in a picturesque way, I here quote it. 



Sir In reply to ' E. R.,' in notices to correspondents in last week's 

 Field the following paragraph appears : 'We never used it, as one 



