Change of plan sees huge chub double banked

A last minute change of plans proved fruitful for Jamie Cartwright who banked two chub over 7lb in consecutive casts.

The Northants Specimen Group member targeted a private stretch of the River Great Ouse in the Midlands which he had pre-baited with boilies the day before and landed fish weighing 7lb 4oz and 7lb 1oz.

“It was a bit early in the season for chub but my friend who I was supposed to be going barbel fishing with cancelled so I headed out chubbing instead. And I’m so glad I did now,” he said.

Jamie took both fish on CC Moore Meteor boilies on running rigs constructed with 10lb mainline, 10lb braided hooklinks and size 8 ESP hooks.

“My first cast produced a fish of 7lb 4oz which I rested in the net before photographing. It would have been rude not to have another chuck, and five minutes later my tip banged round again. After what was without a doubt one of the best fights I’ve ever had from a chub I completed the brace.”

Further south, Bob Hornegold ended a two month break from angling after the loss of his close friend and fellow specimen angler Simon King, by landing a colossal 8lb 9oz chub from the River Lea.

The 68-year-old chairman of the Osprey Specimen Group had only just cast out at the Fishers Green stretch of the waterway when the fish took his hair-rigged All Season Salmon and Crab flavoured boilie offered alongside a PVA bag of broken boilies.

Bob said: “I was actually fishing for barbel but you have to use boilies here to prevent being pestered by crayfish.

“After my friend Simon passed away I just didn’t feel like going fishing for a while, but I think Simon would have wanted me to carry on and I’m sure he would have been happy with this nice fish. I know I am,” added Bob, who beat his prize with a size 10 Gardner Mugga hook and a 12lb Stealth hooklink.