Updated  29 May 2008

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Fly fishing for chub is a minor tactic amongst coarse fishers and is mostly practiced by trout fishers who fish streams or rivers where chub are resident. Although I have a friend, Phil Sampford, who prefers to fly fish for them whenever possible and has caught them in every month of the year, except January. Past trout fly fishing authors have occasionally praised the chubs particular attributes - their cunning and apparent aloofness on the one hand, their greed and willingness to take when trout may be definitely 'off' on the other. This 'Jeckle & Hyde' character presents a challenge to the open minded fly fisher.

Like trout they can be seen and stalked, where water craft and hunting skills must be used to the full and the ability to present, particularly a dry fly, with finesse is often rewarded with a good scrap. It has to be said though that unless you like fly-fishing for its own sake there are easier ways of catching chub. Since they are the supreme opportunist taking just about any bait presented in any way from the surface to the bottom, moving or still. But there are times, especially in certain summer months, when they can frustrate all efforts when fly fishing comes into its own.

I don't think chub become preoccupied with any particular food as might some other species, their nature precludes this, but I've found that in May and August, in particular, they appear to be some way toward it. Because of the close season on rivers, my May chub have been mainly accidental whilst trout fishing. Although the occasional trip North of the border or in the far West, where there is either no-close season or where worming is allowed, standard baits have been surprisingly ineffective, at least during daylight, compared with the fly.

I've also noticed the same situation on a couple of still waters I fish that contain chub and where one can now legally fish at this time of the year. Incidentally, on one of these, where the main population are chub, which is very unusual, the residents can be seen rising in almost any month of the year to 'buzzer' hatches, if its mild enough, to the exclusion of bottom feeding.

Generally speaking, early May sees a profusion of fly hatches and this is the time the dry fly comes into its own. Unlike later in the summer the artificial needs to be small, an Olive pattern fished dry or a buzzer fished in the surface film on say a size 14 hook have been successful for me. Nymphs and wet flies are also useful fished just below the surface on a greased leader.

Colours? Well green, brown and black will suffice, 'exact imitation' is not only impossible but unnecessary in my opinion...size of fly and presentation is the key.

Its often been written that fly fishing for chub requires the biggest, bushiest flies you can get and that they should be cast to land with an audible plop. This I suggest is only applicable in high summer - late June or July. In these two months chub are ravenous after spawning and will take anything that looks like a meal. It is also the time when they would expect large insects like caterpillars, beetles, bees, wasps, moths etc to find themselves in hot water as it were.

This is the time when fly fishing is a little less exacting, a poor cast or clumsy delivery can be very productive and just as exciting as a pair of rubbery lips slurp down your offering, the line shoots out and a light. Come August and perhaps early September fly-fishing really comes into its own. I've always felt August to be the worst Summer month for coarse fishing for a number of reasons. School and Summer holidays putting extra pressure on fisheries, low gin clear water, hot and humid weather (at least in years past), stacks of natural food, all contribute to shy, spooky fish disinclined to feed except

Article: Chub on the fly