CHUB. Leuciscus Cephalus.
Family: Cyprinidae

Distribution: Common in England, lowland Scotland, Wales and isolated colonies in Ireland.

Habitat: A common fish found in still waters and rivers. Once thought of as only a river fish, but lives and thrives in still waters.

Description: A thick-set fish with large mouth, brassy scales, convex dorsal and anal fins, thick white lips and a large blunt head (hence the nickname ‘loggerhead’), also has the old local names of Chavender, Chevin, Alderman or Skelly.

The back is olive green, the flanks bronze/silver and the belly white. All the fins, except the pelvic and anal fins which are red, are dark in colour.

Small chub are often confused with dace, but distinction lies in the large mouth and the shaping of the dorsal and anal fins. The chub has a convex shaped fins while the dace is concave.

British record: 8lb 10oz caught by P. Smith from the River Trees, any fish over 5lb is considered a worthy catch.

Chub are generally river dwellers and do not naturally inhabit still waters except where they have become trapped by floods or intentionally stocked by fishery owners. When introduced to lakes and ponds, they seem to attain a better size and weight, probably due to not having to continually fight against the flow of the river.

Like all fish, chub love underwater structures, tree roots, weed beds, over-hanging trees, etc., anything which gives them a sense of security to hide from predators and the ability to ambush any passing morsel of food.

Chub also feed well in winter when generally fishing is a little slow. A roving angler working his way quietly along the river bank can have good sport even on the coldest of days.

BAITS
Chub are just not fussy - if they can get it in their mouths they will have a go! Maggots, casters, worms, bread-flake or paste, cheese, boilies, meat, minnows - you name it and the chub will give it a try, even better if its smelly and on the large size!

Tactics for catching. Chub can be caught on most methods, they will even take a bushy fly from a fly rod or a small plug or spinner. They will eagerly gulp down floating crusts given chance, (which helps in their location). Once they decide to take a bait they don’t hesitate or nibble at it, it’s all or nothing with chub.

The hardest part is finding them - if you can locate a shoal and you are stealthy enough, you should be able to catch one or two from a swim before they shy away. If a chub can see you - the odds of catching it are against you from the start - they really are the wariest of fishes.

Float fishing, legering, free-lining will all work, just remember chub can grow to a good size, so scale your tackle to suit. Use a hook size to match the bait, don’t be frightened of using a big hook with a big bait. If you are using maggots or casters, try the ‘Animal’ hooks to nylon, they are tied with stronger line than most brands.

In summer, caster fished on-the-drop underneath a waggler can give good sport, remember to keep catapulting in some free samples. The really dark floating casters can be used to balance the weight of the hook to give a more natural appearance.
Fishing floating crust is an exciting method, chub love bread and will tackle quite large pieces.

As the water temperature falls, chub move down the water layers, and can be caught mid-water to the bottom.
Gaining in popularity for chub fishing is the method feeder, but ordinary feeders filled with maggots or casters will do the trick, try varying the hook length from the feeder until you start getting bites.

Izaak Walton recommended a large black slug as bait for the chub this ‘fearfullest of fishes’ and things haven’t changed today - a slug will still catch you a chub.

Don't forget to use a swivel in front of any spinners to stop the main line from twisting and kinking.

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