Chub (Squalius cephalus)
Current record: 9lb 5oz
Water: Fishers Green Complex
The European chub (Squalius cephalus) is a solid, streamlined fish, silvery with a darker back, that turns up in rivers and streams across the country. They'll grow past two feet in the right water, and their build alone tells you they're not built for still water, this is a species that likes current.
Chub favour cover: submerged branches, overhanging vegetation, undercut banks, anywhere they can sit out of the main flow and dart out to feed. Clear water and good eyesight mean they're often easier to spook than to catch, which is exactly why bigger chub tend to come from smaller, clearer rivers where stealth matters more than tackle.
They're genuinely easy to catch small: a stick float or simple swimfeeder covers most situations, and chub aren't fussy, maggots, luncheon meat, sweetcorn, small lures, and flies all work. Wild chub diets have even been found to be nearly half fishmeal-based pellets in some rivers, so don't overthink bait choice for an average fish.
Bigger specimens are a different game entirely. Set up quietly, keep noise and movement to a minimum, and get your tackle sorted before you're anywhere near the swim, a spooked big chub simply won't feed again that session. Trotting a float down through a likely run, letting it drift naturally with the current, is the classic approach, paired with a centrepin if you want that smooth, natural presentation. Takes can be quick and easy to miss, so stay ready.