Still searching for big Chub.

 My recent attempts to locate and catch some Chub over the 5lb mark has been alot more challenging than I thought when I decided to pursue them, my quest has taken me to 6 different rivers in a 70 mile radius and still not managed to acquire my target in 2 months of trying, today I decided to stay closer to home and have a go at my most local of tributary's.

 I had been selected for a home match in a league fixture, so I had to get out early because I had to be off of the river by 11:30 at the latest to get home and grab some bits and then meet up with the squad, on the bank for sunrise I had travelled light and only armed with some Chub favourites, a few casts in each swim and with no enquires I would move, my first swim certainly looked good for a Chub but for all the cover, gravel bottom and running water with slacks not a sniff, my next swim I had a Chub wrap and nothing, normally rolling will get the attention of the greedy ones first but even they managed to not hook themselves, next cast and a Barbel sideled across the river clear as day heading straight for the bait and I was brimming with confidence that it was just about to suck the bait and run, but no that wasn't to happen when it appears to nudge the bait and I struck thinking it took it, clever sod must having been testing it!

 So the Chub my target and the Barbel were playing smart today, another mile or so downstream I walked along the bank and spooked off a Pike about 7lb from a snag under the bank, the next swim I did finally catch a Chub but not a big one of about 2lb.

  Today I was also trying out a centre pin I bought off ebay, a Marco cortesi centre pin, for only £20 I wasn't expecting much but so far it's okay, in regards to spin my Okuma Sheffield is so good with a small flick of the wrist will give it a spin of about 45 seconds and the Marco cortesi reel maybe 7 seconds, far different by comparison but the Okuma is about £120-£160 on average so the price gap is what you would expect, but it's light and the ratchet is okay and for rolling so far I have found okay.

 Another half a mile or so downstream I found a shoal of Chub sitting in mid-stream and about 3 rolls through another Chub was hooked and after a brief fight a larger fish slipped over the net but it wasn't a big one either at 3lb 4ozs which was quiet heavily scarred on both sides like it had been attacked by just about everything in the river.

 

Definitely got plenty of room to fill out.

 

 Still no large Chub showing themselves, but as time was closing in on me I headed further down and rolled around a pool and spotted a Barbel at the tail end of the swim of about 9lb maybe a bit bigger which spooked so I naturally followed it, one Barbel turned into about 6 if not more, the longer I looked down into the water more appeared and on one of my first rolls I felt a tug and I struck into the smallest of the shoal, but not to sell it short it certainly gave a great account of itself, not a Chub but a fish all the same. Another one for the future, without these there is no future for this river!

 

 

Photography by Stu, who after seeing the Barbel wanted one himself.

 

 After that fish I packed up and headed home. 5 hours later and home grabbed the gear, got transport out back to river, we drew 2 - 2 at home unfortunately having been 2 - 0 up at HT so none of us was happy with the full time result but that's football for you, you don't close out games you run that risk.

 

 Back out and in search for Chub so effectively starting from where I finished in the morning but I fished a number of swims and some at length with not a touch and at 8:30 it was a long day I needed a rest. Home time it was. Another trip to the Great Ouse me thinks, I'm going to crack this big Chub target before the 14th of March, I will!  Tight Lines until then.