Winter chub is a Throop Fishery record

The thaw is on and the chub are feeding hard, with a stream of catches coming from the nation’s rivers since Christmas.

The biggest specimen to be landed came in the form of a new Throop Fishery record for the species. But far from falling to a pellet casting specimen hunter, the 8lb 3oz chub was landed during a contest held on the famous Dorset Stour fishery to matchman Nigel Groom.

Just a few ounces heavier than the previous best from the stretch, the fish fell to trotted maggot during a Ringwood and District Angling Association match. The fish, however, didn’t give Nigel a big enough overall weight to take the top spot. That went to RDAA match secretary Peter Hutchinson with over 31lb.

“It was a beautiful fish, long and fat,” Peter, who witnessed the new record told AT.

“It took Nigel over 10 minutes to land because it held on in the heavier than usual flow.

“Sadly though, no one thought to take a picture of the fish, which is a real shame.”

Also producing specimen chub was the River Blackwater in Essex. Following on from his catch of what is believed to be the biggest brace of the species ever taken from the waterway landed a few weeks ago, Alan Stagg returned to the river to take yet another big fish. At 5lb 15oz the specimen was tempted from under a far bank raft and was followed by two smaller fish of 4lb 6oz and 4lb 12oz.

“When I arrived at the river and saw ice in the margins I nearly went straight home,” the Gardner Tackle-backed angler told AT. “I gave it a few hours though and took all the fish using bread flake with a cage feeder packed with hemp and cheesy garlic flavoured liquidised bread.” Alan’s tackle consisted of 6lb Hydro Flo main line through to a size 8 Talon Tip hook.

Another fisherman to take advantage of the chub sport recently was Bedfordshire angler Lez Reed. Fishing the river Ivel at Biggleswade on Boxing Day, Lez legered breadflake on a size 10 hook to 5lb line straight through to tempt his 6lb prize, along with a 4lb 8oz fish, during a short afternoon session.