Chub: Everything You Need to Know – Squalius Cephalus

The Chub is a staple of rivers and streams and can make for a fantastic day’s fishing Keep moving and keep Quiet, stealth is key to netting The Cheeky Chevin

Chub

9lb 5oz

2012

Neill Stephen

Fishers Green Complex, River Lea, Waltham Abbey, Essex

A chub between 3lb and 5lb is considered to be a good-sized fish, with a specimen being anything over 5lb.

The chub is a member of the carp family, giving it its solid muscular frame, large head, and gaping rubber-lipped mouth.

Small chub are often confused with dace, but they are easily distinguishable by their large convex fins (whereas the dace’s fins are concave). The chub’s back is green/brown, turning silver as you move down to its flanks and yellow on the underbelly. Depending on the fish’s age, the colours of the fins can change from black/gray to pink/red.

The chub’s natural diet consists of plant life, berries, insects, small fish, frogs, crayfish, and just about anything that lands on the surface. With this massive appetite, you can be sure that chub are catchable on most baits.

• Luncheon meat
• cheese
• bread
• maggot
• worm
• caster
• tares
• corn
• Boilies
• pellets
• deadbaits
• lures
• flies

Just to name a few.

Although the chub can be found in some lakes and ponds they are predominantly a river fish.

Chub love fast water and hold them selves in the current waiting for their next meal to drift down to them. From small chalk streams to deep rivers chub are a common capture for anglers.

Chub like hiding amongst weed or under overhanging trees and bridges. if you live near to a nice clear river stand on a bridge for a while, you will probably spot a chub. during the colder months fish deep holes the Chub tend to retreat to these spots in the winter.

Popular Chub Locations
Location	River/Water
Dorset	The Dorset Stour
Bristol	The Bristol Avon
Norfolk	The River Wensum
Bedfordshire	The Great Ouse
London	The River Lea
Oxfordshire	The River Thames
Nottinghamshire	The River Trent
Hampshire	The Hampshire Avon
Shropshire	The River Severn
Herefordshire	The River Wye
Birmingham	The Staffs Birmingham Canal

Chub can be caught all year round, although there is a closed season on rivers in the UK from March 16th to June 16th, when river fishing is not allowed. However, before and after this, chub are usually on the feed.

During the winter, they will retreat to deeper water, so while it’s summer and the water is clear, take note of deeper holes and swims that look deeper than others. These spots will be worth visiting in the colder months.

Winter (Dec-Feb):

• Chub head for deeper pools and holes, seeking shelter from low temperatures. Focus searching efforts in depths over 3ft. Bread flake and worm can work.

Early Spring (March-April):

• Closed season in UK rivers during spawning period. Lakes and stillwaters may offer fishing until waters clear in May.

Late Spring (May):

• As rivers clear, fish margins and swims near features like tree cover. Natural baits like worm fished close in work well as chub spread out to feed.

Summer (June-Aug):

• Warm months see chub active throughout the day. Fish drifting bait or fishing static with plenty of loose feed. Pellets, sweetcorn and bread produce bites.

Autumn (Sept-Oct):

• As temperatures cool, chub head to deeper swims once more. Fish areas retaining warmth near features. Autumn caddis hatches see surface action.

Late Autumn/Early Winter (Nov-Dec)

• Chub seek shelter again as for winter. Target very sheltered areas near obstructions with static tactics and hanging baits.

Locating areas that hold depth year-round and feature cover gives the best chance to find chub whatever the month. Adapt tactics to water clarity and conditions.

If you have the time, then the best approach for catching a few chub is to travel light and keep active. Before you even make your first cast, visit a few likely swims and throw in a few handfuls of bait. When you return to the swim later on, hopefully there will be a number of fish there confidently feeding on your free offerings. This will make them a lot easier to catch.

Chub are shy, so approach the riverbank slowly and try to keep your shadow off the water. A shoal of chub happily feeding will disappear in seconds when they’re spooked.

By far my favourite bait for chub fishing is bread. I usually fish using a link ledger set up, which is a really versatile rig that can be fished in most conditions, as you can remove and add weight as and when you need it.

I would recommend a rod with a 1.25TC, such as the Korum Allrounder (find our review of this fantastic rod here). Chub bites are usually a definite pull on the rod tip, but sometimes they can be finicky and just pluck at the bait. The soft tip of the Allrounder is perfect for this situation because these bites are easily spotted with its soft tip.

Float fishing is also a fantastic way of catching chub be it stick or waggler. check out our Guide to River Waggler Fishing.

Chub fight pretty hard, so 6lb mainline with a 4lb hooklink will be about right for any situation. Be prepared for a good scrap though, chub are particularly good at finding snags.

Cast alongside structures such as bridges, boats, or under overhanging trees. These are spots where chub like to hang out.

Once you catch one, there’s a good chance the rest of the shoal will be spooked. Make a couple more casts first to make sure, but then I would throw in a few more freebies and move on. At least you know this is a spot where they feed, so you can always come back later.