chub on bread

[Vagabond]

If you have not used flake before, do not be afraid to use big chunks on a biggish hook.

 

You will be amazed at how small a chub will take a matchbox-sized piece of flake (and I'm talking Swan Vestas here rather than Bryant & May )

[Anderoo]

On the small, intimate rivers, the most consistent features I've found for chub are areas of slow water next to tree roots, often right under my feet. If there is cover like branches or rafts, even better. Depth doesn't appear to be too important as long as its not too shallow, but the slow water is vital.

 

On the bigger rivers (some of them, at least), cover seems to be a big red herring. Slow, deep water with a hard bottom is often key, with the straight, featureless stretches holding the big chub. With only current speed to help you pick spots to fish it's down to baiting to create artificial hotspots to fish. Bread mash is perfect for this as it creates a long, attractive trail for the chub to follow.

 

The difference between this style of fishing (especially on the small rivers) and trotting, is that with trotting you are mass baiting with small baits like maggots, drawing chub up into glides and catching them in pacy water. With the bread fishing, you are fishing directly into their homes, spots where they feel safe. This is why trotters don't find chub spooky, as they can get a group of fish out of their safe havens, competing for bait. The quivertippers are approaching chub that have not yet started feeding and started to lose their caution. They soon learn that being absolutely silent is vital - without doubt the most important aspect of this style of fishing.

 

The difference between these two styles of chubbing is also why the trotters can catch a load of fish from a swim, whereas the quivertippers usually have to make do with just one.

[Tigger]

On the small, intimate rivers, the most consistent features I've found for chub are areas of slow water next to tree roots, often right under my feet. If there is cover like branches or rafts, even better. Depth doesn't appear to be too important as long as its not too shallow, but the slow water is vital.

 

On the bigger rivers (some of them, at least), cover seems to be a big red herring. Slow, deep water with a hard bottom is often key, with the straight, featureless stretches holding the big chub. With only current speed to help you pick spots to fish it's down to baiting to create artificial hotspots to fish. Bread mash is perfect for this as it creates a long, attractive trail for the chub to follow.

 

The difference between this style of fishing (especially on the small rivers) and trotting, is that with trotting you are mass baiting with small baits like maggots, drawing chub up into glides and catching them in pacy water. With the bread fishing, you are fishing directly into their homes, spots where they feel safe. This is why trotters don't find chub spooky, as they can get a group of fish out of their safe havens, competing for bait. The quivertippers are approaching chub that have not yet started feeding and started to lose their caution. They soon learn that being absolutely silent is vital - without doubt the most important aspect of this style of fishing.

 

The difference between these two styles of chubbing is also why the trotters can catch a load of fish from a swim, whereas the quivertippers usually have to make do with just one.

 

 

On the larger rivers I fish medium depth and gravel bottoms fish best for me and medium pased to fast'ish flowing water is preferred.

 

I fish small rivers also and again have a total different opinion, I find cover to be a red herring on my local small river. I often catch a chub first trott without any freebies being introduced (so the fish are not in a feeding/ competing frenzie) and before the float has travelled more than 5 or ten yards. Also i've found the open pacey glides (not rapids) to be most productive (on small rivers) . I also quivertip for chub and barbel and have had multipe catches.

[Nicepix]

The upper river roding is very narrow and twisting, in the summer it was so low it was not worth fishing, in 2010 summer i had chub to over three pounds. it should have risen with all the rain. i am going to have a long wander and travel light. i am going to target bends particularly where there are overhanging trees.

 

Nicepix do you fish the BDAS stretch at passingford bridge?

 

Peter, I think you have mixed me up with another poster. I fish the Sth. Yorkshire rivers.

 

Interesting that Tigger's experience is totally oposite to the generally accepted views on chub. Just shows that you can never take anything in angling as being cast in stone. Dick Walker was once asked how long a spooked chub would remain spooked and he replied something like "20 minutes a pound". Isaac Walton described them as "The fearfullest of fishes." I've found them to be the hardest fish to stalk given their habit of roving around a swim rather than obligingly laying head upstream like trout and grayling do. I describe stalking big chub as trying to sneak up on a flock of sheep - eyes looking everywhere. Cast to the biggest one and a little one that you haven't seen rushes in and snatches the bait / fly. Totally frustrating - and addictive.

[lutra]

The difference between this style of fishing (especially on the small rivers) and trotting, is that with trotting you are mass baiting with small baits like maggots, drawing chub up into glides and catching them in pacy water. With the bread fishing, you are fishing directly into their homes, spots where they feel safe. This is why trotters don't find chub spooky, as they can get a group of fish out of their safe havens, competing for bait. The quivertippers are approaching chub that have not yet started feeding and started to lose their caution. They soon learn that being absolutely silent is vital - without doubt the most important aspect of this style of fishing.

 

The difference between these two styles of chubbing is also why the trotters can catch a load of fish from a swim, whereas the quivertippers usually have to make do with just one.

Sorry Anderoo, but i don't agree. I know of no reason why large baits like bread flake can't be float fished into the home of maybe just a salutary chub or equally why small baits like maggot (or any bait) can't be fished with a quivertip and with a feeding patten to draw the fish in and get them competing for bait in open water and maybe resulting in good bag numbers.

[Steve Walker]

I think the difference there is between matchman/building up a swim tactics and specimen/roving tactics rather than float and quivertip. I've had a big chub on flake out of a swim weighing more than the bag of gudgeon, roach and chublets another chap had spent the previous five hours putting together on the float & maggot. The selectivity of big baits is sometimes welcome.

[Tigger]

The selectivity of big baits is sometimes welcome.

 

 

Yes but also on some occassions large fish will only take a small bait, like a single maggot or caster for example and won't go near a large bait.

[Steve Walker]

That's true. Good to have the option!

[Peter M]

Yes but also on some occassions large fish will only take a small bait, like a single maggot or caster for example and won't go near a large bait.

 

Well the large lump of bread did not work for me today although in the end i only fished for a couple of hours and did not fish into dusk as the rain was coming down in bucket fulls, that was a shame as it was nice up till then being out on the bank. one other angler was out trotting maggots and it had about 10 fish all roach and dace, No chub for either us. Thanks for all the advice especially about how to make mashed bread in the landing net I did it fine and the mash was good. The river was surprisingly low considering the rain we have had.

[Anderoo]

I think the difference there is between matchman/building up a swim tactics and specimen/roving tactics rather than float and quivertip. I've had a big chub on flake out of a swim weighing more than the bag of gudgeon, roach and chublets another chap had spent the previous five hours putting together on the float & maggot. The selectivity of big baits is sometimes welcome.

 

Thanks Steve, yes, that's what I meant. The bait and method is immaterial, fishing directly into a sanctuary is likely to give you 1 chance, getting fish competing for bait away from their sanctuary means you can catch a lot of them.

 

I have no experience of the northern rivers, but all the chub rivers I've fished have responded well to the big bait, 1 fish per swim tactics. Trotting may be even more effective, but I enjoy the quivertipping more so that's the main reason I do it so much

 

Ps it seems to be more effective in proper cold winter weather. In my opinion (around here at least) it's just too mild and the rivers too sluggish right now for it to work properly. I had a go the other day, and it was all wrong.