THE River Wye has thrown up some staggering weights this season, but none better than the almighty 144lb 2oz of chublets netted by James Robbins to seal victory in the final match of the prestigious Wye Winter League.
James, the UK boss of tackle firm Cadence, drew peg 96 between the town bridges – an area that often holds plenty of chub when the river’s low and clear. Unsure about how the swim would fish, James kept his options open, setting up a Bolo rod for down the middle, plus a whip and stick float rod.
“I was relieved to see the float go under first chuck on the bolo, and for the opening 30 minutes it was a small chub every cast,” he told us.
“I then had a look on the whip and had 90 minutes of brilliant sport, landing 8oz fish every drop-in.”
Once this line died down, James switched to the stick float and chased the fish further out, getting a bite a chuck for the rest of the match.
“My fish seemed small, so I was uncertain whether I had 100lb,” James revealed. “When my two nets totalled 144lb, I was amazed. It’s my biggest-ever match weight from a natural venue.”