8lb chub for teenager
A teenager from Nottinghamshire has banked one of the biggest chub of the season in the form of this 8lb specimen.
Ryan Donnelly (16) from Clifton braved a heavy frost on undisclosed section of the River Trent near his home to land the huge fish which fell to a prototype Stotabaits 18mm Grandad’s Feet boilie Feeding his swim via a PVA bag filled with crumbled baits, Ryan had to wait until the early morning when he was awoken by a screaming run as the fish duly tested his running rig made up of 18lb mono fished straight through to a Drennan Specialist size 8 hook.
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River Kennet produces personal best chub of 6lb 10oz
A rising river greeted Ray Pulley for his latest session on the Kennet but it didn’t stop him catching a new personal best 6lb 10oz chub.
The fish is his third 6lb-plus specimen in the last two months and came from a spot tight to a set of nearside snags.
Using a bait dropper to introduce a mix of pellets, bloodworm, maggots and groundbait he left the swim to settle before presenting a piece of Sausage Sizzle paste wrapped around a 10mm pellet over the top.
“It was raining constantly and there was loads of debris coming down the river into my line, including a traffic cone! Just half an hour into darkness the rod wrapped round and I was into what felt like a barbel. When I saw a great big pair of white lips break the surface I knew it was a big chub!” he said.
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'No feed' tactic pays off with 7lb River Lea chub
Phil Buckingham proved that you don’t need mountains of bait to catch big fish when he landed this 7lb 7oz chub from the River Lea.
The 63-year-old vice president of the Barbel Society, opted for a no feed approach, instead casting a running lead rig with just a large chunk of hair-rigged meat into his swim at Kings Weir in Hertfordshire.
The Essex rod remained patient through a biteless first few hours but when the light faded his rod wrapped round and the fish - his eightieth chub over 6lb - was no match for his 10lb Berkley mainline, 10lb Drennan Sink Link hooklength and size 8 Korda Longshank hook.
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7lb 1oz chub from Derbyshire Derwent
The Derbyshire Derwent has built up a reputation for its big barbel but Dan Dakin proved it has large examples of other species when he netted this 7lb 1oz chub.
Wetting a line in a noted hotspot during darkness, the Derby-based angler shunned more traditional chub baits such as pellets and maggots in favour of a large piece of garlic Spam.
His hookbait was taken within seconds of hitting the water and after a spirited fight he netted his new personal best for the species.
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Night out leads to 6lb 3oz chub from the Wear
A 20-year campaign to land a 6lb-plus chub from the River Wear finally came to an end for Simon Ashton when he landed this 6lb 3oz specimen.
The County Durham all-rounder has caught countless big fish from waters across the country but one of his biggest targets was to crack his local venue.
After spotting a shoal of chub while gazing at the water on a night out, he decided to see whether he could entice them to feed the day after.
He began pinging maggots in to the swim and once he had the fish competing he flicked out a waggler rig baited with two white grubs.
“On the fifth run through the swim the float buried,” said Simon. “Once I’d hooked it I had to play it very carefully as there was a canoeing event going on and they were flying through the swim as I brought it in. I’ve landed three fish of 5lb 15oz from the venue in the past and I was starting to wonder whether it would ever happen,” he added.
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Trent chub christens Drennan cap in style
Lee Swords christened his new Drennan Weekly Winner cap with this 5lb 15oz chub.
The Sheffield-based head chef wore his new piece of headwear for a recent session on the River Trent where he targeted a sharp bend on the waterway for barbel and chub.
Two 4mm pellets superglued to a size 12 hook alongside an open end feeder filled with micro pellets proved successful for Lee.
He said: “It was a savage take and my rod was almost pulled off the alarm. It may not be the biggest chub I’ve ever caught but it was certainly one of the hardest fighting.
Lee had received his winners cap after catching a 7lb 4oz chub from the same river in June.
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Chub personal best from River Trent
Richard Easom took a break from his usual barbel fishing antics to take this personal best 6lb 12oz chub from the River Trent.
The Three Foot Twitch Baits boss targeted a swim on the Middle reaches of the waterway with his Rubber Dubby and Flamin’ Furter hookbaits.
Using a bed of boilie dumbells to draw in the fish, Richard cast a single offering over the top which his new pb simply could not ignore.
“As soon as I hooked the fish I knew it was a chub as it was fighting doggedly to get into a snag. I managed to steer it away and land what was a beautiful specimen that looked every bit as big as it weighed,” he said.
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Top River Trent chub brace
Adrian Needham’s fantastic run of form on the River Trent has continued with a brace of chub for a combined weight of 12lb 8oz.
Fishing a section on the middle reaches of the waterway, the venue regular took fish of 6lb 8oz and 6lb on a Three Foot Twitch Dubby boilie fished on a long fluorocarbon hooklink in conjunction with a cage feeder.
He told Angling Times: “I’ve been having a great season so far in terms of the chub fishing. I’m very optimistic of upping my personal best of 7lb as the year progresses and I’m also looking forward to having a go for the barbel now that autumn is approaching.”
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Fishing legend Bob Church banks big chub on Angling Times free float
Fishing legend Bob Church put the free chubber float which was on the cover of Angling Times a few weeks ago to good use – landing this 6lb 5oz chub from the River Ivel.
The Northants-based all-rounder presented a piece of breadflake on a size 8 hook on the edge of a crease close in on a Kings Arms Angling Club controlled stretch. He laid his bait overdepth and anchored it in place with the buoyant float, using 10lb line and a size 8 hook.
“Small fish were knocking my float and trying to attack my breadflake when all of a sudden I saw a good fish swirl, then this big chub jumped clear of the water. A few minutes after, my float shot under, my reactions aren’t as fast as they used to be but I hit it!”
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Shock 7lb 7oz chub from River Soar
A potential River Soar record chub has been banked in the form of this 7lb 7oz fish.
The impressive specimen, which is believed to be the biggest ever of the species caught from the Midlands waterway, was landed by 20-year-old all-rounder, Sam Grice, from a Loughborough Soar Angling Society controlled stretch in Leicestershire - an area which is relatively unknown for producing big chub.
The Nottingham based rod, targeted a deep and slow moving swim where he had fed 0.5kg of broken and whole fishmeal boilies the night before. Arriving back at his swim at first light, Sam tempted the huge specimen with a 13mm CC Moore Odyssey XXX boilie on his first cast of the session.
“When I hooked it I thought it might have been a barbel or a carp as it went off like a train. When I finally got it to surface I couldn’t believe my eyes, I’ve never seen a chub so big, especially from this river,” he said.
Well known specimen angler and Loughborough Soar AS committee member, Rob Thompson, was also shocked at the size of the catch: “It is a massive fish for the Soar particularly in the middle reaches. I know of a couple of fish which have just scraped 6lb over the years, but a mid-seven is mind blowing. With an increase in the signal crayfish population I'm sure that we will see weights increase in the future,” he added.
Sam’s setup consisted of 10lb mono mainline and a 2ft long 10lb mono hooklink tied to a size 8 Drennan Specialist hook. He now believes there could be other ‘catch of a lifetime’ fish in the waterway. “This catch will hopefully shed some light on this river’s potential as no one really knows what’s in there as some stretches barely see a rod and line.”
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6lb 7oz chub from Hampshire Avon
Kenny Parsons took a break from guiding anglers to pay a visit to the Hampshire Avon where he caught this superb 6lb 7oz chub.
The impressive specimen fell to a maggot hookbait and was part of a six fish haul which included three others over 4lb to 5lb 9oz in just four hours fishing.
Kenny baited his swim with hemp and maggots to build the fish’s confidence before casting a 60gr Korum Grub Feeder attached to 7lb Xpert mainline into his spot.
He told Angling Times: “I have been working on a feeder rig which has a very short hooklink since last winter but the floods meant I couldn’t really test it, so I’m chuffed to bits that I know it works.”
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6lb chub from Staffs Worcester Canal!
A bite at last knockings produced this 6lb 8oz chub from the Staffs Worcester Canal for Ryan Hilton.
A change of lure just as the sun was setting produced the all-important bite after two hours without any action.
He said: “I attached a Savage Gear 9.5cm Firetiger Swim and Jerk lure and decided to have a couple of last casts before heading back to the car.
“The chub hit the lure as soon as it hit the water but at first I thought I had foul hooked a carp as it kited round the bay of the marina. Once I got it in I realised it was fish of a lifetime and beat my previous best for the species of 4lb 5oz.”
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Back in the swim after ten years for 6lb 2oz chub
Paul Calow’s first session on running water in over a decade produced this 6lb 2oz chub from the River Wye.
It was the first time the sales director from Oxford had fished the famous Herefordshire waterway, and he did so under the expert guidance of angling guide Kenny Parsons.
Paul said: “It really was a session of firsts for me. The trip included more than 20 chub including another of note at 4lb 13oz and six barbel to 4lb.”
All of his fish were taken on running feeder rigs with Hinders Elips pellets on 3ft, 12lb braided hooklinks.
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Two 7lb chub just days apart
Just days after catching his first 7lb-plus chub, Lee Swords has added a second over the magical barrier to his name in the form of this 7lb 2oz specimen.
The Sheffield-based head chef was supposed to have been taking part in a charity match on the River Wye but as he was unable to get away for the full weekend and finding himself at a loose end he decided to take the opportunity to spend a few hours on his beloved River Trent.
On arrival at the Nottinghamshire waterway Lee was faced with low, clear and weedy conditions and with the sun high and bright he decided to tweak his usual tactics.
“Even with its almost invisible qualities there was no place for 11lb fluorocarbon leader with the sun as bright as it was and the river running so clear,” he told Angling Times. “For this reason I scaled down to 7lb Kryston Incognito with size 14 Drennan Super Specialists doing the duty on point.
“Bait wise, I super glued two small Hook Bait Company high oil pellets to the tag end of the hook knot and wrapped them in a paste made of HBC Stimanol Powder and powdered salmon crumb.”
Action was almost instant with a 12lb barbel finding his offering. This was shortly followed by a smaller barbel of 7lb.
“The barbel action did not last, however, and the chub soon moved in… and what a chub the first one was! At 7lb 2oz it is my second seven in under a month and my third over the 6lb-barrier. I continued to bag up on good chub with fish of 5lb 1oz, 5lb 8oz, 5lb 9oz and 5lb 10oz gracing the net.
“I can only hope my rich vein of form continues,” he added.
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New personal best chub with 7lb fish from River Trent
Adrian Needham’s fantastic start to the season on the River Trent has continued with the capture of this 7lb chub.
The new best came just days after he landed a 13lb 5oz barbel from the middle reaches of the Notts waterway.
The local 49-year-old used a Three Foot Twitch Dubby boilie and also banked chub of 5lb 5oz and two bream to 8lb 4oz.
Adrian said: “As I was playing it my mate was shouting ‘it’s colossal!’ I’m still in shock and there’s every chance I’ll never see another chub of this size.”
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Three trips to Warwickshire Avon results in two new personal bests
In three trips to the Warwickshire Avon Barry Peck has managed to break both his barbel and chub personal best.
After years of trying to catch a 5lb-plus chub from the waterway he finally achieved his target and beat his pb for the species with a 5lb 5oz specimen.
He said: “I caught four chub of 4lb 15oz last season and was beginning to think I’d never get a five.”
His next evening session then resulted in a cracking barbel of 11lb 1oz. “This has been my best start to a river season and I hope it continues. Both fish fell to dumbbell boilies on 3ft fluorocarbon and braid combi-rigs with size 12 Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hooks,” he added.
Huge River Trent chub to start the river season
Arriving on the banks of the River Trent several hours before the start of the season to secure a fancied swim paid off for Lee Swords as he went on to land this personal best 7lb 4oz chub.
Having done his homework, the Sheffield-based all-rounder headed to a spot that he was convinced held some big fish and introduced over 4kg of Hook Bait Company pellets and paste.
On the stroke of midnight he flicked out a leger rig baited with a Red Arctic boilie wrapped in paste and his preparation was soon rewarded with a double figure barbel.
Four others up to 13lb 7oz were netted before the standout specimen of the session appeared.
“The chub obliterates my pb of 6lb 12oz and I am truly elated to have finally joined the seven pounder’s club!” said Lee.
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First session on new river produces 5lb chub
A session on the River Blackwater produced this cracking 5lb 3oz chub for Mark Erdwin.
The Reading-based big fish hunter targeted the Thames tributary using a light link-leger approach with a mixture of maggots, casters, sweetcorn and lobworms.
His tactics also resulted in a smaller chub of 4lb 4oz and a bream of 8lb 9oz.
He said: “I had been counting down to June 16, and my first session of the season didn’t disappoint. It shows the exceptional fishing that is on offer from many of the Thames tributaries.”
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Best start to river season for years
Predictions that the nation’s rivers would be in red hot form for the start of the season were proved correct as match, pleasure and specimen anglers alike enjoyed one of the finest opening weeks in history.
Confidence was high that the River Trent would kick-start with the same memorable sport that it produced last year and Richard Easom got off to a flying start when he netted this 14lb 1oz barbel.
The fish was the biggest of a trio of barbel landed by the Three Foot Twitch Baits boss which also included another double of 12lb 8oz. He said: “I fed a kilo of Dubby boilies and once the barbel turned up it was non-stop. After a long and tiring 20 minute fight from the biggest fish it finally came over the net – I couldn’t have asked for a better start the season.”
Further south, Ade West celebrated opening day in style with the capture of a huge 7lb 14oz personal best chub. Having struggled to get a bite on the Throop Fishery stretch, the Gillingham-based rod decided to visit a secret spot for a couple of hours.
Several handfuls of 4mm pellets were introduced before a link-leger rig consisting of an 8lb braided hooklink and a size 10 hook baited with a boilie was placed over the top.
“I received several small taps on my rod tip and struck in to a powerful fish,” Ade told Angling Times.
“When I saw the size of it on the surface I knew it was bigger than my previous best of 7lb 8oz which I caught from the same swim.”
Bream dominated proceedings on the Thames, where numerous triple figure catches were landed in the overcast yet mild conditions.
The biggest catch reported came to Michael Homer who banked an estimated 500lb of slabs from a stretch at Kingston. After balling in 2.5kg of Vitalin at the start of the day he started catching straight away and ended up with over 100 fish to just shy of double figures and averaging 8lb, all falling to worm and corn baits.
Former Fish O’Mania finalist Tony Curd embarked on a rare pleasure session on a stretch of the Thames above Teddington Weir and proved his bagging prowess isn’t solely reserved for the competitive stage when he took 40 bream to 7lb for a 150lb-plus netful.
A feeder attack with a 50/50 groundbait mix of Bait-Tech Kult Sweet Fishmeal and Omen held the shoal for several hours.
Bream were also top of the agenda for Burt Baits boss Tony Wynnick and Laurie Summers who both used an open end feeder approach for over 270lb from the capital’s most popular river.
Team England Lure squad member Sam Edmonds showed why summer predator fishing on the Thames is a worthwhile exercise as he took a 3lb 4oz perch and a 26lb 2oz pike.
The large stripey fell for a Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw Texas lure from a spot close to a weirpool and despite searching several other areas throughout the day, it was exactly the same swim where the rod was bent almost double by the specimen pike.
“It fought so hard in the fast current that it actually up-anchored the boat, which made for an incredible battle as we quickly drifted downstream! It was a bit hairy but thankfully we got it in the net,” said Sam.
The famous Royalty Fishery on the Hampshire Avon hasn’t disappointed either as the chub fishing has been second to none with specimens to 8lb reported by anglers fishing the area known as the ‘Telegraphs’.
Maggots have been scoring well for this species, but the big barbel are also showing a liking for this bait presented on the float or feeder as several ‘doubles’ have graced the bank topped by a fish of 14lb caught from ‘Watersmeet’.
Last but by no means least, silverfish enthusiast Mike Townsend stumbled across a shoal of large rudd while patrolling a Fenland river and used his vast experience to tempt a 2lb 10oz fish.
Floating crust presented alongside a well-balanced waggler rig enticed the specimen into feeding.
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Great end to river season with four chub over 8lb from River Lea!
The river that’s emerged as arguably the UK’s best running water venue for big chub provided an incredible end-of-season finale by producing four chub over 8lb.
River Lea expert Kevin O’ Kane banked an incredible brace of specimens that topped the scales at 8lb 6oz and 8lb 1oz when he link-legered a piece of home-made cheesepaste at the famous southern waterway.
The capture was the icing on the cake of a memorable few weeks for Kevin and came hot on the heels of another 8lb-plus chub and a 14lb 8oz barbel.
The venue regular moulded his bait around two trimmed-down hair-rigged cork balls that were mounted on a rig made from 10lb braided mainline and a 6lb fluorocarbon hooklink.
“There’s no other river capable of producing two 8lb-plus chub in a short evening session,” Kevin told Angling Times.
“If I’d been anywhere else I probably would have packed away my gear after netting the first one, but this just goes to show that you can’t afford to do that here.”
Welsh specialist Terry Theobald has also been focusing his attention on the River Lea and after spending two hours trotting maggots his only bite of the trip produced an 8lb 1oz chub.
Feeding his way through four pints of grubs he eventually coaxed the huge fish out from beneath a snag and then got the better of his well-earned prize with the help of a single white maggot on a size 18 Drennan Super Spade hook.
“On this river you’re not feeding a shoal of chub, but you still have to introduce bait in the same way as if there were more than one fish competing for food because this is what it takes to get these big chub out from tight under the snags,” said Terry.
Gary Knowles also found the allure of this incredible river too hard to resist and made the long journey from his home in Cheshire worthwhile when smashed his personal best by over 1lb.
His fish also tipped the scales at 8lb 1oz and was banked using a legered piece of cheese paste moulded around a size 6 hook and placed under a snag two feet from the bank.
He said: “When I saw the fish roll mid-river I’m not ashamed to admit that I felt my knees buckle and I was really trying not to descend into sheer panic as I coaxed it over the net.”
