Now we have seen some cooler temperatures and some much needed rainfall, it seems some life has been restored in our rivers, with anglers targeting chub having some great success over the last couple of weeks.
Chris Fogg banked one of the biggest chub so far this season, when a late night session saw him fool a cracking 7lb 8oz chub.
“I had a tip-off that a stretch of the Thames fairly close to my home was in form, so I thought I’d have a go” he told us.
“The chub was the only fish of the evening, the bite coming at around 1am, just before I was about to pack up. It fell to a boilie hookbait cast to an overhanging far-bank tree, fished over a scattering of matching feed.”
HEAD TO ONE OF THESE FEATURES ON THE RIVER AND YOU ARE SURE TO FIND CHUB!
Ian Potts was fishing on the Trent, and liked the look of an area close-in where there was gravel between weedbeds.
"It’s a spot where I knew most other people wouldn’t fish, but where they would be likely to chuck in their leftover bait at the end of a session."
"Big fish are clever, and I reckoned they’d be making the most of a bit of free food in an area ‘safe’ from angling pressure."
My plan was to fish there at night, when the big fish would be likely to venture into the shallows under the cover of darkness. I spent the day trickling in a bit of bait – not loads, just a few Vortex Cocoons and a bit of groundbait.
The spot was so shallow that I could see my bait on the bottom when the sun came out. This I liked, as it told me if anything had been feeding in the area. That night, I cast out and soon hooked what felt like a decent fish, although I knew it wasn’t the barbel that I was after. On netting it, I initially thought it might be a small carp, before I realised it was a massive chub!
"At 7lb 7oz, it was a huge summer fish."
THE BEST FISHING CHAIRS ARE PERFECT FOR LONGER SESSIONS ON THE RIVERBANK.
Steve and Tommy Rudkin enjoyed a father-son session on their local River Welland last week, which resulted in Tommy banking a superb chub.
“My 13-year-old son, Tommy, has been fishing all summer for chub on the Welland, and has done well, catching fish to just under 5lb."
“He’s been trying hard for that elusive five-pounder, and after spotting some bigger chub the other night, soon caught one of around 3lb."
“As the light faded, he didn’t want to leave until he had one more bite, and when it came, he caught this beauty of 6lb exactly, beating my Welland PB by 7oz!"
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