DACE AND CHUB. 319 



at the palace in the evening- by accounting for his fatigue with the 

 statement that, while he was fishing, a man in the same punt 'blew 

 out his brains' — the surprise being only allayed when his friends 

 were assured that the fellow did it for his living. In using brains, 

 the essential is that the particles should be so minute that they 

 should be capable of being extensively dispersed upon the water. 

 If too large, the chub would be satisfied with this gratuitous offering, 

 and not come to the hook — Master Chub being somewhat like the 

 guest of Count Beauflitte, an eminent gourmand of Louis XIV.'s 

 reign, who, objecting to Xh& fricassee not being sufficiently minced, 

 was answered, ' Oui, je pense la denture de mon chef actuel n'est pas 

 si bonne que celle de mon dernier.' But what is ' pith ' .? This is 

 simply the spinal marrow of the ox, which requires some little skill to 

 manipulate for the hook, and is the bonne bouche ai the repast, the 

 brains being but an appetising whet or preparation. It will be 

 found that after the pith is taken from the vertebras it possesses two 

 skins. The outer one, which if boiled would be too tough for the 

 hook to penetrate, is removed by first cuttmg the tube the entire 

 length on one side with a sharp pair of scissors, and then with the 

 finger and thumb pulling it off the pith, which is now perfectly 

 white, but when boiled for a few minutes the inner skin becomes 

 brown, and is then consistent enough to hold on to the hook. 

 This is, perhaps, the most killing bait for chub in the winter 

 months, even when the snow is on the ground, that has ever been dis- 

 covered. ' The Angler's Instructor ' on this head says : ' Bullock's 

 brains, when nicely cleaned and cooked, are as white as a curd, and 

 fully as sweet to eat as sheep's brains. The renowned "Bendigo" 

 when he goes chub fishing — and he is no novice at this game — 

 takes half a hatful with him, and he is obliged to chew the brains 

 before he throws them in ; nor can he prevent, as he says, a portion 

 going down his throat, they are so sweet : so, you see, he fishes 

 with one part and swallows the other. Two heads of brains are 

 quite sufficient for a day's chub fishing.' If, however, you have an 

 epicure in the punt with you, it may be well to provide accordingly, 

 or you may find yourself brainless before half the day is over. 



Greville F. 



[The process of chewing ox-brains, whether cooked or raw, and 

 sputtering them into the water all day long for ground bait is cer- 

 tainly fat least in our opinion) one which might raise an objection 

 to the use of such a bait on the part of any angler troubled with the 

 slightest feelings of delicacy in the following of his amusement. 



