38 ANGLING. 



noon's chubbing, because it argues many smaller ones 

 turned back again to grow. I never take, or at least keep, 

 a chub under lib., and more often, if the fish are running 

 well, not under If Ib. They are very little use, though on 

 the upper parts of the Thames the people gladly buy 

 them at fourpence a pound, coast fish not often reaching 

 them. 



Chub may be taken in various ways they will take 

 either float or ledger freely, they take the fly greedily, and 

 at times both live and spinning bait, though these latter 

 are not always certain. When roach fishing in a punt you 

 will often get hold of a few chub quite at the end of the 

 swim ; and if you let out a few more yards, and make a 

 somewhat longer swim, you will often pick up a chub or 

 two when barbel fishing, both with float and with ledger ; 

 the chub are nearly sure to be handy to the swim in larger 

 or smaller numbers. Though a shy fish, there are few 

 bolder biting fish than the chub, when it does bite, and 

 whether it be at bait, fly, or fish, he lets you know that he 

 is at the hook unmistakably. At the fly he makes a rush 

 and a dash which you cannot fail to see and hear too ; and 

 when he does get the lure within his big leathern chops 

 he holds on, and is easily hooked, and, unless he gets to 

 weeds, does not easily get away. The first rush or two of 

 big chub is very fierce and determined, but he does not 

 make so long a resistance as the barbel. 



If the angler desires to fish specially for chub with 

 a float, the best way is to plumb the hook to about 

 two-thirds of the general depth of the stream, and to 

 fish with a travelling float tripping just outside the 

 boughs where chub are supposed to be, and casting 

 in an old fragment or two of bait every now and then 

 to attract the chub, and draw them from their holes. 



