THE CHUB. 79 



for this branch of piscatory recreation. Walton, who was partial 

 to this species of sport, says of the barbel, " he is curious for his 

 baits that they may be clean and sweet ; that is to say, to have 

 your worms well scoured, and not kept in sour and musty moss, 

 for he is a curious feeder ; but at a well-scoured lob-worm he will 

 bite as boldly as at^ any bait, and especially if, the night or two 

 before you. fish for him, you shall bait the places where you intend 

 to fish for him with big worms cut into pieces ; and note that 

 none did over-bait the place, or fish too early or too late for a barbel. 

 And the barbel will bite also at gentles, which not being too much 

 scoured, but green, are a choice bait for him ; and so is cheese, 

 which is not to be too hard ? but kept a day or two in wet linen 

 cloth to make it tough; with this you may also bait the water 

 a day or two before you fish for the barbel, and be much the 

 likelier to catch fish. 3 ' 



CHAPTER X. 



THE CHUB, THE BREAM, AND THE ROACH. 



THE chub is a strong, compact, but rather clumsily built fish, well 

 adapted to afford capital sport to the angler, but is a very miserable 

 affair in the hands of the cook. Walton gives a receipt which he 

 says will make him eatable, but who will be at the trouble of 

 trying it ? The French, who understand this department of 

 cookery as well as, or better perhaps, than any other people under 

 the sun, pronounce him a villanous fish; and they are most 

 certainly right. t His flesh his woolly and watery, and has a nasty 

 sweetness about it which is absolutely nauseous. Perhaps the best 

 mode of serving up the chub, would be to imitate the Irish 

 manager's method of performing Hamlet send up the richest 

 receipt you can get, hot and piquante, omitting the fish. 



The chub ^spawns about the time of Easter, and is probably very 

 prolific. His eggs, which are yellow, and about the size of a grain 

 of poppy seed, are deposited on the gravel, in verv shallow water. 

 The operation is supposed to occupy a period of about eight days. 



Most of the rivers of England contain chub. He haunts deep, 

 quiet holes, under overhanging banks, frequents the bottoms of old 

 walls, and deep retired nooks, where piles and old posts stick up 

 out of the bottom, and yet he likes occasionally to fight against 

 strong rushing streams, and to contend with the most rapid waters. 

 The chub of the river is far finer, and more active than his brother 

 of the pond or lake ; indeed, he is not often found in the latter, 



