THE CHUB. 47 



In England the chub seldom exceeds the weight of six 

 pounds, though odd ones of seven or eight pounds' weight 

 may exist. I question, however, if there are a score of nsh 

 of the latter weights in the whole of the five hundred miles 

 of the Trent and the Thames. Indeed, if an angler is for- 

 tunate enough to capture a chub of six pounds, supposing he 

 can afford it, I should say by all means have it preserved. 

 It will be an ornament to his room ; and every time he sees 

 it, it will bring back to his recollection the glorious bit of 

 sport he had with it before it was grassed. The largest chub 

 that I have as yet taken out of the Trent weighed five and 

 three-quarter pounds a splendid fish, short, thick, and well 

 fed, who fought hard for his liberty. I was fishing with the 

 locust in a smart stream, which he took with no more break 

 than a four-ounce dace. The largest that I ever saw is one 

 that was taken by Mr. Cubley, Crown Street, Newark, out 

 of the Muskham waters of the Trent. This gentleman is a 

 first-class angler, and the chub just mentioned is now in a 

 glass case, as a trophy of his angling skill, and measures 

 twenty-five inches in length, sixteen inches in girth, and 

 weighs a little over six pounds; a splendid fish in the 

 opinion of all anglers who have seen it. I have had also 

 authentic information about the capture of a chub, that I 

 should suppose to be the largest ever taken out of the Trent 

 with rod and line. A few years ago a Newark angler, named 

 Frank Sims, was fishing below Newark, at what is called the 

 foot of the lawn at Winthorp, when he was lucky enough 

 to hook and safely land a monster that weighed eight 

 pounds. I believe this grand fish suffered the indignity of 

 being either baked, boiled, or stewed, when it ought to 

 have been made beautiful for ever, and not only it, but 

 Frank himself ought to be in a glass case. I should very 

 much like to handle such an one myself. 



I remember once fishing for roach with creed wheat, in a 

 good swim on the Trent ; a youth, a very devoted angler, 

 was with me. We had been having fair sport, when suddenly 

 the fish went off the feed. I was just beginning to puzzle 

 my brains as to the why and the wherefore, when the lad 

 suddenly had a bite. I saw by the bend of the rod that it 



