Hi I am heading south in January from the highlands to Derby (Swanwick to be precise) and I would like to target Chub as I've never had the pleasure of catching one before. What I would like to know is if anyone knows any good spots within the area? I was thinking of using cheese paste or bread as bait with 8lb mainline and 6lb hooklength. The method I was thinking about using was a couple of ssg on sliding line and just trundling down the swim. I am getting a tad excited over my visit down south after working all over christmas and new yaer the missus has said I can get out as often as I like over the 3 weeks I'm down there cant wait. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Cheers Kev

hi kev. i do often fish for chub in the winter and sometimes im successfil sometimes im not nad most of the time i am successfull i have caught on carp pellet wraped in a layer of bread. i have also tryed cheesepaste aswell but not as successfully as bread or pellets. and also snags are a big problem.and to solve his i would use a on line lead sutch as a peirced ball held in place with a small shot or two and if you want some tubing aswell.

good luck and have a great trip from b's

i live about 7 miles from swanwick, the best place around here is either the derwent, i fish the ambergate - whatstandwell stretch (but i must admit i havent had any luck with chub there, i know they're there but i cant seem to get them) or the trent, a bit further away (collingham, kelham, fiskerton) but its worth the trip, my PB came from that area, its mostly day ticket, unlike the derwent, where the best stretches are club only

I can't tell you about the river you are going to, but your plan of attack sounds reasonable. I assume you mean a link ledger. If so, use just enough weight to hold bottom, so that if you lift the rod tip the bait will be moved by the current. This means you can roll the bait around the swim and into likely looking spots you can't cast to.

As to bait, chub takes mostly anything, but a little pre-baiting with groundbait mixed with mashed bread, hemp and the hookbait helps to get them going. Bait up several likely looking swims and fish them in rotation.

I've been having good success with lobworms with the ends cut off and held on a barbless hook with a small piece of spicy or boosted meat. I had 8 chub up to 4lbs the other day all from a a single small swim using these tactics. Bites can be surprisingly delicate this time of year, especially if the river is running low and clear. Use as sensitive a quiver tip as you can, preferably 1 oz.

what i forgot to say in my previous post, is when are you coming down here? we should try to organise a trip to the trent

Yep, a light ledgered or free lined lob would be my first choice, dependent on conditions at the time of course.

Thanks for the info jeepster. I am travelling down on the 11th of Jan and will be staying with the inlaws until 27th Jan. Would be great if we could go and try and get a few Chub together I think my brother in law would be up for it too.
Kev

It might pay to take a spare spool along filled with a lighter B.S. mainline in case the Chub prove a little spooky should the water be low and clear.

Keep your cheese past soft and very smelly 50/50 Danish Blue and bread flakeis about right but make sure all the lumps are squeezed out. Cheese goes very hard in cold water and any lumps could mask the hook point. Lobs can work just as well if the weather is on the mild side, however location as ever, is the key.

Alan.

Keep your cheese past soft and very smelly 50/50 Danish Blue and bread flake is about right but make sure all the lumps are squeezed out. Cheese goes very hard in cold water and any lumps could mask the hook point. Lobs can work just as well if the weather is on the mild side, however location as ever, is the key.

Alan.