66 



move about the latter end of June or beginning of July, when he 

 makes for deep Barbel swims, orgoesunderweirs,bushe3,andtrees 

 overhanging the water. These are favourite places with him 

 during the summer months. Towards the latter endx)f October 

 or the beginning of November he seeks shallow water-^a gentle 

 swim with a gravelly bottom, by the side of wiUow beds, under 

 old trees sunk in the water, or anything that will afford him cover 

 and a home for the winter months. Tou never find Chub on a 

 sandy bottom. I do not remember ever killing a Chub on a sandy 

 bottom. He prefers at all times of the year a rough gravelly 

 bottom. 



The Chub may be found in most rivers and small streams in 

 England, but perhaps the Trent is the best for the ijumber 

 and size of this fish. I was surprised when in London, on the 

 occasion of paying a piscatory visit to the Thames, to find that in 

 all places where stuffed fish were to be seen, that, although there 

 were beautiful large specimens of every other fish, I saw no Chub 

 but of a very smaU size, averaging perhaps about two or three 

 pounds weight, the largest not exceeding four pounds.. From 

 this I infer that there are no large Chub either in the Thames 

 or any other streams in the vicinity of London. Now, we think 

 nothing of a Chub four pounds weight in the Trent. I kUled one 

 myself not long ago which weighed six pounds and a quarter, and 

 I once kiUed one that was only two ounces under seven pounds. 

 This was the largest I ever saw, but five and six pounders are very 

 common in the Trent. I have several London friends who come 

 down occasionally for a few days Chub or other fishing, and they 

 all acknowledge that the Trent Chub are the largest they have 

 ever seen. 



The best season of the year for Chub fishing is from November 

 till the end of March, but I once made an extraordinary catch 

 about the 14th or i5th of April. The morning was very misty, 

 which is the best state of the weather in which to fish for Chub 

 at all times. The Chub is a winter fish, for he is in the best 

 condition in the coldest months, and bites freer in the winter 

 than any other fish. It matters not how cold the weather niay 



