Waiting for bite time – July 2018
After a nice break during the opening two weeks of the new season, it was back to work although it wasn’t long before my next session on the bank. I arrived for a short dusk trip on a new local stretch with the intention of roving in a few swims. My plan was thwarted by another angler who I’d met on the stretch in previous visits, so I decided to sit it out for a few hours into dark in the one swim.
The area of the river I chose to fish on this short session, has a clean gravel bottom its entire length which ends with an extensive bulrush bed interspersed with weed beds at the end of the swim. With so much cover to hide the fish below the swim, it is the perfect ambush point to draw the fish upstream onto the bait. I’d not had any chub bites on previous outings in this peg, but I remained confident that with my bait going in consistently that chub would move through the area at some point.
After the usual chat with John I settled into the swim, cast out my 2 SSG running link ledger down to a baited size 10 Kamasan B983 and dropped five boilies over the top. Within five minutes the tip showed a positive indication as a chub was hooked. It dived straight into the downstream weed bed although by keeping the rod tip high it ‘kicked’ itself free and soon it was resting on the mat.
Mint-condition chub – July 2018
Returning the fish well upstream I settled back down and repeated my routine. I was quite shocked when within five minutes I was playing a much harder fighting fish. Sadly, this time the chub won as it buried itself in the downstream weed bed and wouldn’t budge. Cursing that I’d lost a fish, I reluctantly re-tackled up as the hook was gone. For the next hour I had indications, but I was unable to connect as they played ‘pass the boilies’. Eventually the swim died and I headed home in the darkness still cursing!
The following morning I was back on the river a few miles downstream. I spent the first two hours walking, looking at swims and fish spotting on the famous Throop stretch. Plenty of fish were spotted in the low clear river, although most were not tempted by the trickle of pellets. I was not fussed, as for me walking the banks is always time well spent because it gives you that vital clue of where the fish might be later in the season when spotting is impossible.
I made my short first cast at 8.30 am in a swim that I’d not fished before, but with another angler recasting every five minutes just downstream on the opposite bank. I was soon on the move because I doubted any fish would be left in the area! In the second swim I dropped in I’ve had indications in the past but never connected. The rod wasn’t even in the rest after the first cast when the tip flew round and I connected to a chub which had taken the bait on the drop. It fought well for its size as it tried to find sanctuary in the lush weed beds surrounding the swim. All ended well and it was soon in the wet sling.
An upper 4 lb Throop chub – July 2018
A few other spots were tried without luck. On the way back toward the car I came across a very shallow run of gravel with a slightly deeper depression below a tree right in the edge. As I peered over the bank side foliage I spotted a chub. I dropped the gear and set about the task of trying to trick the fish into taking my bait. With the fish out of the swim I baited with pellet and boilies and awaited its return. As always in these close quarter encounters I tend to mess up the fist bite, which is usually the most positive. Today was no different and after an hour and a bit of taps, bangs, line bites and dropped baits I finally hooked one slightly bigger than the original occupant. After all the excitement of chasing chub under my feet, I headed home just before lunch.
Caught under my feet – July 2018
My next outing was a short dusk session on a beat close to home. With the fishery empty I set about baiting a few spots for the return visit back to my car. After an hour without any joy, I decided to head to a swim which is usually a banker on the stretch. The river has weeded up quite a bit in the heatwave we’ve been experiencing; this swim had a little more flow over clean gravel with a great holding spot just downstream and to be honest looked good for holding a fish or two in the conditions. My hunch paid off as it only took one cast before I was playing a chub up the swim into the waiting landing net.
After slipping the chub back I headed upstream to another baited swim, where I sat biteless for the next hour into dark before calling an end to the short session.
A low four from the banker – July 2018
My week ended with a ‘fishless’ afternoon session on a local stretch. I should’ve had at least one, but missed my chances. The first bite came just after the lead had settled when my attention was diverted by a wood pecker, which landed in a tree behind me, as I admired the bird sat yards away from me the tip sprang to life. By the time I’d noticed, my strike was met with nothing. The second bite was missed while another angler stopped for a chat and after that they became cagey as they played another game of pass the hook bait. That is chub fishing!
Fish Tales From The Riverbank 