THE CHUB. 75 



chestnut bud. Quite recently I heard that an 

 unfledged sparrow was one of the best baits for 

 big chub, and I firmly believe my informant was 

 not romancing. Pith, the spinal cord of the 

 bullock, is the standard winter bait for chub, and 

 at that period of the year the fish are in splendid 

 condition. I kill plenty of chub with cherries 

 directly the picnic parties throw their waste fruit 

 into the river. Chub are exceptionally -fond of this 

 bait when they have had a taste or two, and it is a 

 bait of exactly the right consistency, sticking well 

 on a triangle (which I prefer to a single hook), j'et 

 allowing the barbs to come freely through on 

 striking, and making a good show in the water. 

 A large white-heart cherry seems irresistible, and 

 a chub must take it should he see it, provided j-ou 

 have not alarmed him in any way. That is my 

 experience of Thames fishing, where the fish get 

 plenty of cherries ; but I ha\e not found this bait 

 so killing in other rivers. I believe a very fine 

 catch of chub was once made at Pangbourne from 

 under a damson tree ; the branches partially over- 

 hung the river ; the ripe fruit was detached by 

 heavy squalls of wind, and the fish were " madly 

 on " for the fruit as it fell. 



The angler must always remember that, although 

 greedy feeders, chub are easily alarmed ; ^^. . 

 stamping on the bank or plunging rypecks chub 

 or punt-poles into the river bed do not '^^'^'^g 

 improve sport. I always make use of weights when 

 punt-fishing in preference to rypecks, lowering 

 the weights as cautiously as possible and 

 tying the punt to the boughs when the 

 swim suits without dropping a weight at all. 

 Let me strongly impress the necessity of the 



