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How to catch big canal chub

Jason Cunningham explains how to catch big specimens on the cut

by Angling Times |

Published on9th April 2021 at 4.30pm

Think big fish on a canal and you picture specimen perch, bream and maybe even carp.

Increasingly, though, you can add chub to that list, with venues such as the Grand Union, Stratford, Loughborough, Nottingham and Coventry Canals all holding them. Here's how to catch them...

Get close to cover

Bramble branches trail underwater. Try to fish a little bit away from what you can see above the surface.

Get close to cover

Switch to worms

Double caster is my No1 bait, but when the fishing is hard and you’re waiting a long time for a bite, try a lobworm tail.

Switch to worms

Fish a dibber

Canals can tow from locks being opened and that means a bristle float will drag under. Use a dibber instead.

Fish a dibber

Shorten the elastic

You have to bully the chub. Less elastic will do this, so I fit just under 1m of red grade Garbolino Bazookarp.

Shorten the elastic

Ditch hooklengths

I’ll be pulling hard, so I can’t afford any weak spots. I fish direct with 0.15mm Powerline to a size 16 Animal Spade hook.

Ditch hooklengths

Ping in casters

I loosefeed a dozen casters every 10 minutes over the top of my initial feed to lure chub out from beneath cover.

Ping in casters

Use these tips and catch a net of big canal fish like these

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