A favourite of river anglers, chub can also get very big in stillwaters too. As proven by this 8lb 4oz fish caught by Oliver Taylor.
In a recent issue of Angling Times, he told us how he caught it...
“My local syndicate lake is known to hold one very large chub, and by spending time watching and baiting an area where I’d spotted the fish prior to my latest session, I managed to land it!
“The fish weighs over 8lb and is known to hide among the resident carp and bream. One night, while scoping out the margins, I spotted it beneath a large, fallen tree close to the lake’s entrance. It’s a spot I’d fed with a few grains of corn, and I watched the fish drop down and feed twice in a short space of time, which gave me confidence that I’d found an area where it felt happy to feed. It would only do so deep in the security of the snags, so I knew that was where I’d have to place my hookbait.
“I arrived the following day and set up on the bank opposite the fallen tree. I crept back round to the spot and introduced 10 grains of corn one at a time, watching as each one fell to the bottom. It was clear that no fish were in the area, so I moved to get the rods in. Using a simple blowback rig, I managed to get my single grain of corn tight to the snag, before feeding some liquidised corn and a handful of pellets.
“Two hours later I had a small common of around 10lb, but it was the chub I had my eye on. I managed to get the rig back in place before darkness set in, and sat back for the night, eager to see if the chub would make an appearance.
“Dawn broke, but with no action through the night I sat scratching my head. I put the kettle on, and had a walk around to see if anything was moving, and as I sat back down the rod pulled up tight with the bobbin holding against the butt.
“I was on it right away, playing what I thought was another small carp. However, as the fish rose though the water I saw a giant set of white rubbery lips break the surface.
“I knew it was the fish I was after, and she pulled the scales round to 8lb 4oz, leaving me smiling from ear to ear. A new chub PB, and to catch it among a stock of other species at my local syndicate made it even more special.
“Next time you’re chub fishing, spend time baiting and watching how and where the fish want to feed. Doing so allowed me to plan my approach and was key to landing this fish.”
