Andrew Fordham called upon some tactics he used to use when he was younger to fool some wary chub from a tricky stretch of the Hampshire Avon.
“This season, I’ve got a new ticket on the Hampshire Avon and, when I arrived at the stretch, I could see numerous big chub in the low and clear water.
“However, to begin with they proved very difficult to catch using my normal pellet fishing approach. I’d been dropping a bait into little holes in the weed, but the fish just weren’t having it, and I knew that natural baits would be a better way to go.
“You can present these on a float but, with the stretch being so weedy at the moment, it was hard to find an area where I could run a moving bait through.
“However, as a kid, I fished the upper River Lea, which was also very weedy, and enjoyed some great results using maggot feeder tactics, which allow you to present a natural offering in any clear areas.
“So, I rigged up a small but heavy Kamasan Black Cap feeder on a running rig in the hope of tempting one of the chub.
“Usually, the standard approach is to cast regularly and build the swim up, but feeders can be pretty cumbersome to fish with.
“Because I didn’t want to disturb the fish, I planned to drop it into position and leave it. The steady trickle of maggots from the feeder would hopefully entice a bite.
“I’d seen fish in a swim previously that was shallow and pacey, and which also held a snag that I could lower my feeder right next to, sneaking it in without alerting the chub. They were so spooky that you couldn’t even walk past them, but as I knew the spot had held fish, I crept into position and lowered it in without daring to peer into the river.
“I’d barely sat down before I received a positive bite – far more positive than the subtle taps I’d had on pellets previously – and hooked a fish that held bottom in the flow.
“Initially, I couldn’t lift it, but as it rose in the water my legs went a bit wobbly, and I didn’t hesitate to scoop up a very big chub!
“At 7lb 6oz, it’s a fish that beats my previous personal best by over a pound, and was a great reward from the tricky stretch.
“If your local river is too weedy to fish the float this summer, as many stretches are, why not try a maggot feeder?
“It’s an old-school tactic, but one that certainly still works well.”
THE BEST CHUB RODS ARE IDEAL FOR UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL FISHING ON THE RIVERS!
Subscribe to Angling Times magazine today. Choose a Print+ Subscription and you'll get instant digital access and so much more. PLUS FREE UK delivery.