82 AN ANGLER'S HOURS v 



Before beginning to speak of the chub, 

 I will own to a further private prejudice, 

 strongly in his favour. Therefore it is pain 

 and grief to me to read the undeserved re- 

 proaches that are cast at him by all manner of 

 fishermen. Even that most charming writer, 

 " The Amateur Angler," whose nature it is to 

 speak well of all men, fish, and things, con- 

 fesses that he has never caught a chub, and 

 if I read aright I do not detect in him any 

 desire to do so. But he regards him from 

 the point of view of the dinner-table, and 

 that explains his attitude. 1 Yet I maintain 

 that a fish is not to be proved, basely like a 

 mere pudding, from the eating ; and even if 

 it must be so I would not dismiss the chub 

 without some attempt at vindication. 



I remember once catching a most lovely 

 trout, lovely that is in point of condition 

 and colour. It was cooked ; it cut a se- 

 ductive pink ; but its savour was of foul 

 mud, and I had to breakfast on something 

 else. Yet this trout lived on a shallow of 

 the fairest gravel, and the water that rippled 

 over it was pure crystal. On the other 



1 Since this was written " The Amateur Angler " has made 

 the chub honourable and delightful amends. 



