Roger's Angling Pages
The Chub Leuciscus cephalus		Carp family Cyprinidae

This fish is found mainly in running waters throughout Europe with the exception of northern Scotland, Ireland and Denmark. It also likes to enter still waters, which are temporarily joined to a river or a stream. It inhabits all the fish habitats but is most numerous in waters characterised by the presence of Barbel. It has a broad head with a large mouth and it can be distinguished from Dace by its rounded anal fin. Its large scales with a silvery sheen are edged in black, whilst the anal and ventral fins are a deep red. It is not particular about the quality of the water and can be found even in municipal waste water, at the openings of sewers etc.

It eats almost everything from algae, bits of vegetation, and various seeds that have fallen into the water, to insects and their larvae and worms. It can even swallow a small frog or a drowned mouse and also catches prey from among the shoals of small fishes. Its usual weight is about I lb, but sometimes it is heavier, rising to 4 lb at a length of about 50 cm and in rare cases even up to 8lb. It grows slowly and by the age of 6 years it only weighs about 8 oz and is 25 cm long. It matures sexually in the third or fourth year of its life. It breeds at the end of spring on the gravelly river bottom in midstream. The males exhibit at this time a spawning 1rash in the form of white hard growths on their heads. The female lays 20,000 to 100,000 eggs. Chub grow more quickly, in dams than in flowing water, especially the larger specimens which change to a predatory existence.

The Chub is popular among anglers for its general voracity which sets no limits on the choice of fishing techniques. It is possible to fish successfully for it all year round, even in winter. Sometimes it requires considerable skill as it is quite often very shy, moody and particular as regards food. Large fishes are most difficult to catch. In winter animal bait is commonly used, including small fishes, such as Minnows, which are hooked by the lip or near the head. Even stuffed intestines of poultry and maggots have turned out to be successful bait. The tackle should be sensitive, but firm and the bait should crawl along the water bottom. It is possible to fish with success using cherries, morellos, plums, raspberries, blackberries, boiled peas or tomatoes. Even stewed fruit is effective but fastening it to the hook proves difficult. When fishing for large fishes, the line is left fairly slack as the bite can be a very strong one and the angler must have plenty of time to react and hook the fish.

Fishing by vibrating live or dead insect bait is an interesting angling technique. It is most often effective when the angler can hide on the river bank among the trees, whose branches reach out over the water. When using this method, very fine, long rods with springy tips and fine lines are employed. The effect on the water surface is achieved by a finger knocking on the rod; this vibration is transmitted . along the rod to its tip, down the vertical line and so to the bait. Bait used for this purpose includes butterflies, cockchafers, grasshoppers and flies. Artificial wet or dry flies are similarly helpful.