BOTTOM FISHING. 63 



the method of using these we have given in a separate 

 chapter. Upon the Thames and Trent of late young 

 frogs have become the favorite bait for chub in their sea- 

 son. The average yield of a day'? "chubbing" with 

 these lures is about eight to ten brace of heavy fish. This 

 would often be larger were it not for the smaller fry biting 

 so voraciously, and thereby causing loss of time to the 

 angler, whose duty it is to carefully unhook and return 

 them to the river. It is now no uncommon thing to 

 meet an angler with his bait-kettle converted into a tem- 

 porary prison for frogs, so popular has become this sys- 

 tem of fishing for chub. 



The arrangement of tackle is simple: A No. 4 Kendal 

 hook, at the end of two feet of tolerably strong round 

 gut (slightly stained blue) with a scrap of lead wire 

 wound round above the knot. The baby frog is then 

 hooked by a bit of the tough skin at the back of the 

 neck, and carefully lowered from the point of the rod, 

 the weight of the bait taking out the line through the up- 

 standing rings, when allowed, until it reaches the water's 

 surface, the rod meanwhile being kept stationary. The 

 struggling movements of the captive quickly attract the 

 attention of the best and largest fish near, amongst whom 

 the bait is often divided, and, when this is so, great 

 diversion is afforded, as eventually the most voracious is 

 the first to grace the creel. The most artistic method of 

 extracting chub is to fly-fish for them. The surface flies 

 for these fish should be large and gaudy; if nature must 

 be copied at all, bees, wasps, and cock-chafers are the 

 things to reproduce, the ordinary red, black, and dun 

 palmers, having plenty of tinsel upon them, are also kill- 

 ing. .Lake or sea-trout fly size are very good, also old 

 May-flies, and indeed anything that is sizable and gaudy. 

 A good strong cast should be used with these, especially 

 when the water is a little turbid, or discolored. The red- 

 haired caterpillar, too, may be used for chub with marked 



