THE CHUB. 87 



the hook without being squeezed up in any way, is 

 a very killing bait ; it floats rather than sinks, and 

 can thus be used in very shallow swims. It is a 

 good natural bait, especially in the Thames, as in 

 summer time much bread is seen floating down 

 the river, frequently surrounded by a grabbing 

 crowd of bleak. Chub know well enough what a 

 tasty morsel is a piece of half-soaked bread, and 

 take it with avidity. Swims of forty yards are 

 easily managed from the punt, the long, straight up- 

 stroke greatly assisting the rod ; and by keeping the 

 rod straight down stream with the top close to the 

 surface, you get a marvellous " pull-back." Boating 

 parties are a great nuisance to the chub-fisher; 

 they have, as a rule, no idea that a float can travel 

 more than a few feet away from the angler, and 

 scull over your tackle in complete ignorance that 

 anything is amiss. Most of these annoyances are 

 happily lost in winter- and spring-fishing ? winter- 

 when chub are gamest. The best winter- fishing 

 bait is pith, and the delights of chubbing on a 

 bright frosty day are hard to beat. A lobworm 

 is frequently taken soon after a flood in winter, 

 but there is nothing to equal pith for general use 

 in cold weather. The method of fishing is called 

 "pith and brains," brains being the groundbait 

 and pith the hook-bait. Bullocks' brains may 

 be obtained from most butchers, or from the 

 slaughter-houses, and they make a beautifully white 

 groundbait. They should be boiled for a few 

 minutes, and are used by cutting them up in a dish 

 or tin and mixing them with water. This " brainy " 

 water is dribbled into the swim, and the white 

 milky line attracts the chub, but does not feed 

 them to any extent. A hook or triangle baited 



