River Chub

In 2 weeks im going to have a go at the local river chub. I would also like the visit of the odd barbel. Its mostly very shallow but there are some deep straights. What swim would you look for? What bait would you use? Would you use groundbait?

Replies:

1. Probably the most important point is to do all you can about avoiding scaring the chub, which are much easier to spook than small carp on a heavilly stocked water. In my experience two anglers fishing together make more than double the disturbance of one angler.

I'd start by ledgering as it'll be more like what she's used to. Swimfeedered maggots would be a suitable starting point for her as they'll probably produce a lot of bites, especially if flavoured.

Swim choice depends very much on the river, but swims with a pronounced crease between fast and slow water have produced a lot of chub for me in the past. Otherwise I suggestthe obvious of just fishing swims that have produced for you in similar conditions.

2. Chub are greedy and will push the Dace out, stick with the maggot feeder and fish a larger hookbait for the Chub/Barbel...It has to be meat for this, but take also Breadflake and Lobworm.

You'll have to sit on your hands though as the Dace will still peck at the meat, just strike at the agressive bites.

Another thing I have learned is dont use too long a hooklink for Chub, I would never use more than 15 inches and more often I use about 10-12 or less.

If you dont catch Chub at all, try long trotting your feeder line with a matchbox size piece of Breadflake on a size 6 hook as another thing wary Chub do is hang down river to pick of titbits that the Dace have missed in the feeding frenzy.

3. Another really exciting way of catching Chub in a small river at this time of year is to try for them with a bit of floating crust.

Sit very quietly and out of sight at the top of a run, drop bits of bread in and watch it float downstream. Usually the chublets start going for it first, but when the bread gets to the area usually a feature of some type where the bigger chub hang out, after a while they will start to pick up the confidence to take it. Sometimes it is a very subtle little take, sometimes they seem to almost attack it. Wait until you are as certain as you can be that you are going to get a bite and then hook up your crust. I use six pound mono straight through to a size four with nothing but vaseline on the line between the top ring and a distance about three feet from the hook. Cast out and don't dare to breath until you get a take.

I don't think you get the biggest fish off the top and you can spend maybe three quarters of an hour building up a swim only to spook them and totally blow it, but it is heart stopping stuff.