Guide to chub
Rigs, baits, tips and where to catch a personal best now
“If you are in pursuit of big solitary chub on smaller rivers, the approach can be a bait-andwait job, biding your time for a bite”
OF ALL the big fish swimming in our rivers, the chub is probably the one that gives anglers the best chance of landing a specimen.
Although they are seen as spooky fish, sensitive to bankside movement, chub are also greedy – if the mood takes them they can throw caution to the wind and feed as if there’s no tomorrow.
Another bonus is that if you find a shoal of chub, it’s a good bet that a few big fish will be in among them too. However, if you are after solitary fish on smaller rivers, the approach can tend to be more of a bait and wait job, biding your time for a bite.
There’s a wide range of venues where you can go on the hunt for chub, from small streams that you can leap across to our biggest rivers such as the Severn and Thames – and as we head towards autumn, now is the prime time to start thinking about a spot of chubbing.
HISTORY
‘The fearfullest of fishes’ is how Izaak Walton famously described the chub back in the 1600s, and little has changed in the years since – the species still has a reputation as being the very devil to catch.
However, at times chub can be almost suicidal and ridiculously easy to catch. Much depends on the environment the fish live in, and the amount of angling pressure they are subjected to.
Found in shoals when small, big chub tend to live a solitary existence and develop predatory instincts, chasing and eating small fish – but, like bream, barbel and carp, they’ve grown in size over the last 25 years as more boilies and pellets are used.
Despite this, a 5lb fish remains a worthy capture. Some big-fish anglers have developed a knack of picking off the massive fish from a shoal wherever they’re fishing.
HABITAT
Classic river chub swims involve some sort of far-bank cover such as trees, bushes or reeds, as the fish will hole up under this canopy until the time to feed arrives.
‘Creases’ caused by fast flowing water meeting slacks are also great spots to catch from, and you should never ignore very shallow water either, especially if a river is coloured from rain.
Small streams and rivers are classic chub territory, but massive tidal rivers like the Trent also hold impressive specimens.
The UK’s canal network has also seen the chub thrive and, on stillwaters, careful stocking has produced some very impressive results.
THE RIGHT TIME
Chub are complicated creatures that on any given day can either feed with abandon throughout a session or only creep out and have a go for a few hours.
Like most predators, they’re not big fans of bright sunshine, so unless the day is overcast or the water has colour to it, catching at noon is highly unlikely. Early and late give you the best opportunity.
Chubbing on small rivers is often done on sight, so if you find some fish, you’ll know pretty quickly whether they’re going to feed or not because you’ll either get an instant bite or nothing at all!