In Search of Monster Chub: Thin on the Ground.

 Another day, another trip, this one was getting back on the trail of a seven pound plus Chub. Over the last few weeks I've been keeping my ear to the ground on how the river was fishing and most reports coming back didn't fill me with confidence, however I fancied it in the conditions, the wind was a lot cooler but it gave the feeling of a winters day and that always fills me with hope.

 The river was clear with a few inches on, ideal for a Chub, I picked a few small patches of gravel and fed some pellet, boilies and crumb to draw any feeding fish in, even if a Barbel showed up I'd be very happy to try. I decided to start at an overhanging bush which appeared to hold a couple of Chub on my last visit, knowing this I fed some broken baits out and put my rig straight in the mix, sat back and waited, twenty minutes later the rod lurched round and I was in, the clutch gave off a quick screech as it made off for the bush, I wasn't having any of it though. Halfway through the fight and cruising towards my bank in the eddy a huge Pike rose up off the bottom and stalked my Chub which was a low 4lb fish with the view to nail it, the Pike either an upper double or a low twenty followed my catch all the way to bank before drifting out of sight, that what close!

One of the two early Chub.

 After that excitement I was rather hoping for a hectic morning. After an hour or so it was apparent a hectic start wasn't going to materialise, so I decided to head around the neighbouring swims with a float rod and some bread, this proved to be a good idea as I managed another Chub (4.06) but a bigger one was sat side by side, as soon as I hooked the "four" the bigger fish vanished, not to be seen again. By 3pm I'd moved half a dozen times but simply couldn't get a touch, apart from a rogue fry-munching pike, I couldn't resist not fishing for it!

Not a monster but good sport.

 Another couple of hours passed before an take came to fruition, but when it did ( didn't think it was coming ) the take was brutal, the line pulled tight in an instant and the tip violently ripped around, certain Chub I thought to myself, I was right, it didn't appear to be a big fish, the fight though was deceptive, short lunging runs and head knocking had me thinking a big fish, for a couple of minutes i couldn't tell, even when it came towards the net there was plenty of uncertainty, I lifted the net to find a thick set fish and possibly a six pounder, not what I initially thought!

I thought it was six!

Mint condition, not quite a six pounder though.

  When I got the chance to photograph and weigh her I was to find out that at 5.10 it was clearly lacking at the back end, December onwards surely it will tip the scales past that milestone, I wasn't complaining though, it was a good a fish on a tough day, so tough that apart from a couple of liners before dusk that was my lot. Three Chub and a Pike....that'll do, it's been harder on other trips. I am looking forward to the winter Chubbing though, very much so!