THE CHUB 131 



communicates easily and freely with some river or 

 constantly open current. 



The fish attains a considerable size. It is said he 

 will sometimes weigh six or seven pounds ; and in some 

 Continental waters he has been known to reach the 

 weight of ten pounds. Ksh of this size, however, must 

 be very scarce, as few sportsmen can boast of having 

 seen them so large. A chub was caught in the Thames, 

 in the month of May 1844, which weighed four pounds. 

 He was a very strong, active fish, shot across the river 

 like an arrow on feeling himself hooked, and fought 

 well for a full hour before he could be got out of the 

 water. He was caught with a common gut line, and 

 therefore required considerable indulgence before he 

 could be overcome. This was a remarkable fish in the 

 estimation of many who saw him. 



Chub are gregarious, and in hot weather may be seen 

 basking on the surface of the water, over some deep 

 hole, in considerable numbers. The moment they be- 

 come sensible that they are observed, they sink down 

 in an instant, being perhaps, with scarcely an exception, 

 the shyest of all fish. 



The chub requires adroit management when first 

 hooked. But clumsy and strong as he is, and thick- 

 headed as he looks, we would nevertheless recommend 

 the same tackle as that suggested for the carp. The 

 lighter the tackle, the easier it is to deceive the fish, and 

 the greater the merit of overcoming him. 



The baits generally recommended for chub-fishing are 

 red-worms, gentles, grubs, bits of cheese, insects, etc.; 

 but as the fish is a gross feeder, he prefers large baits to 

 small ones, invariably. A lob-worm will tempt him, 

 while a smaller one would be unheeded; and a cock- 

 chafer wUl attract him, when a lesser insect will excite 

 no attention whatever. The best summer bait is a large 

 bumble-bee. If the angler will pass his hook under the 

 forelegs of the bee without injuring him, and, concealing 

 himself behind a tree, or any other shelter which may 

 overhang the haunt of the chub, will dibble the insect 

 on the surface of the water, allowing him to burr and 



