Huge river chub out at 9lb

THIS is a picture of one of the biggest chub ever caught from a river, weighing in at a colossal 9lb.

It marks a pinnacle in the decorated 60-year fishing career of 68-year-old Bob Hornegold, who became only the fifth angler ever to bank a chub over the magical 9lb barrier when his four-month campaign on the ultra-tough River Lea in Hertfordshire culminated in the historic fish.

The chairman of the Osprey Specimen Group had already broken his personal best for the species twice since the New Year with chubweighing 7lb 4oz and 7lb 9oz. But his perseverance in fishing through snow and floods delivered the biggest reward in his angling career when his legered salmon boilie from All Season Bait Developments, mounted on a 10lb monofilament hooklink and size 10 hook, attracted the attention of one of the UK’s biggest specimens.

“I lost a monster of a fish just after Christmas and it has haunted me ever since, so to finally net a chub like this is truly the highlight of a lifetime’s specimen hunting,” said Bob. 

“Many people criticise anglers like me, who target big individual fish. But I just have to laugh because huge chub like this are some of the most difficult to fool. They’re like cautious big carp, so your presentation has to be absolutely spot on because these fish will literally come up  and inspect your bait. They won’t give it a second look if you’re set-up isn’t perfect.

“Since last October I’ve fished through every kind of adverse weather condition mother nature could have thrown at me. To have beaten my chub personal three times, capping off they campaign with a fish like this, is something very special indeed.”