Leuciscus cephalus - Chub

Taxonomy

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Cyprinidae

Young chub are sometimes mistakenly identified as roach, but as they mature the difference becomes more noticeable: chub are much more cylindrical and robust in structure, and they usually grow a lot bigger than roach.

In Britain a chub can reach 10lb in weight, and very occasionally they come close to twice that size on the mainland of Europe. The British rod-caught record chub weighed 8lb 13oz (3.997kg); it was caught by Mr Tim Archer while fishing at Dobbs Weir, on the River Lea in Hertfordshire in March 2003.

Chub are plentiful in the rivers of eastern Wales, and in particular the rivers Wye, Dee and upper Severn; they are also very plentiful on most English rivers.

Chub Chub usually spawn in May. A large female (up to 12 years old) can lay 100,000 eggs. They are sometimes found in lakes (where they have been stocked, of course!), but they can breed only in flowing water.

Young chub feed on aquatic invertebrates, notably the nymphs of insects. The adults are aggressive predators and feed on young fish. As well as traditional worm, maggot, bread and cheese baits, chub specialists sometimes use slugs as bait to lure specimen fish. In summer, chub will also rise quite readily to a dry fly.