Freshwater

Chub (European chub)

Cacho (cacho europeo)

Squalius cephalus

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

1–4 lb.

Depth

1–10 ft.

Best time

Dusk and dawn.

Found in

10 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A thick, round-bodied fish with a big blunt head, a wide mouth, large dark-edged scales that make a net pattern, a convex (outward-curved) anal fin colored red-orange, and a dark-edged tail. Dace look similar but are slimmer with a concave anal fin.
Typical size: 1–4 lb.
Maximum size: About 2 ft and up to about 9 lb.
Diet: Almost anything: insects, crayfish, small fish, berries, bread and slugs.
Behavior: Lives under overhanging trees, bridges and undercut banks; very wary of shadows and noise but bold when it feels safe.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Northern & Central Europe, Italy & Malta, Greece & the Adriatic, Turkey, Cyprus & the Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea & Caspian, Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) and Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries). Rivers and streams of all sizes across Europe to the Urals and the Black Sea basin; also some lakes.
Habitat: Rivers and streams of all sizes across Europe to the Urals and the Black Sea basin; also some lakes.
Depth: 1–10 ft.
Fishing depth: Surface to bottom near cover.
Best season: All year; winter chub fishing is a British tradition.
Best time: Dusk and dawn.
Best tides: No tide.
Best weather / conditions: Mild, cloudy days; they bite even in cold weather.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Bread crust and flake, cheese paste, worms, slugs and maggots.
Best artificial lures: Small crankbaits, spinners, surface lures and flies.
Tackle setup: Light 10–11 ft quiver-tip rod, or a light spinning or fly rod.
Hook size: Size 6–12 hooks.
Line: 5–8 lb mono.
Leader: 4–6 lb hooklength.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Feeder Hooks Float Net

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Rivers and streams of all sizes across Europe to the Urals and the Black Sea basin; also some lakes.
Rig up: Light 10–11 ft quiver-tip rod, or a light spinning or fly rod. 4–6 lb hooklength.
Pick your bait: Bread crust and flake, cheese paste, worms, slugs and maggots. Lures: Small crankbaits, spinners, surface lures and flies.
Fish it: Creep up quietly and drift a piece of floating bread crust down to fish under overhanging trees, or put a cheese paste bait right under cover.
Time it: Dusk and dawn. No tide.

Fishing techniques: Creep up quietly and drift a piece of floating bread crust down to fish under overhanging trees, or put a cheese paste bait right under cover.
BigJoe's tip: Chub see you before you see them. Stay low, wear dull clothes and keep your shadow off the water.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Bony and soft; mostly released in Western Europe, eaten fried or in fish soup in parts of Eastern Europe.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Harmless.
Regulations: A license plus a local permit; English and Welsh rivers close March 15 to June 15. Freshwater fishing in Europe always needs a permit: a national or regional license where one exists (for example the rod licence in England and Wales or the French carte de pêche) plus a permit or day ticket from the club, lake or river owner.
Conservation: Usually released.

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Sources & photo credits