THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 57 



especially if he be baked), of cheese and turpentine. He will 

 bite also at a minnow, or penk, as a trout will : of which I 

 shall tell you more hereafter, and of divers other baits. But 

 take this for a rule, that, in hot weather, he is to be fished for 

 towards the mid- water, or near the top ; and in colder weather 

 nearer the bottom. And if you fish for him on the top, with 

 a beetle, or any fly, then be sure to let your line be very long 

 and to keep out of sight. And having told you that his 

 spawn is excellent meat, and that the head of a large cheven, 

 the throat being well washed, is the best part of him, I will 

 say no more of this fish at the present, but wish you may 

 catch the next you fish for.* 



But, lest you may judge me too nice in urging to have the 

 chub dressed so presently after he is taken, I will commend 

 to your consideration how curious former times have been in 

 the like kind. 



You shall read in Seneca, his " Natural Questions," Lib. 3, 

 Cap. 17, that the ancients were so curious in the newness of 

 their fish, that that seemed not new enough that was not put 

 alive into the guest's hand ; and he says that to that end 

 they did usually keep them living in glass bottles in their 

 dining-rooms : and they did glory much in their entertaining 

 of friends, to have that fish taken from under their table 

 alive that was instantly to be fed upon. And he says, they 

 took great pleasure to see their Mullets change to several 

 colours, when they were dying. But enough of this, for I 

 doubt I have stayed too long from giving you some observa- 

 tions of the trout, and how to fish for him, which shall take 

 up the next of my spare time. 



[NOTE oisr CHUB-FISHING. The scientific name of this well-known 

 fish is Cyprinus cephalus, which means, the big-headed carp. Although 

 Blaine, in his celebrated " Encyclopaedia of Rural Sports," describes its 

 colour thus, "silvery bluish carp, with olivaceous back," I should 

 rather call it the golden olive carp. The scales on its sides have cer- 

 tainly more of a yellow or golden hue, than of a bright or silvery one. 

 The following description from the author just cited, is on the whole 

 good : " It much resembles the carp, but is of a longer form ; the body 



* Piscator gives in this paragraph some very good advice touching angling 

 for chub. Walton understood the matter well, and was no doubt a great adept 

 in the art of fishing for chub and barbel. However, chub very rarely indeed 

 take the minnow, or any other sort of fish-bait. Lob-worms, gentles, prepared 

 cheese, honey-paste, insects, natural and artificial, are the best baits for them. 

 Study my directions at the end of this chapter. ED. . 



