Tuesday 10th Jan Dorset Stour and 6lbs 9oz chub

I had my chances to travel to Oxfordshire to fish Willow lake for a couple of days for the roach, however with reports coming back from two friends that 2 or 3 days each and no bites gave me a hint that I should be traveling south to the D. Stour and the H.Avon. The rains of the last week had both rivers up and coloured however they were becoming clear and lower signalling the perfect conditions for big chub. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow!

A phone call to Brian Wilson, one of the bailiffs on Throop confirmed that the river was fishing well and that my favourite method of float and maggot was doing the business.

So I bought a gallon of maggots at my local angling shop and headed south at 5.30am the next day. Those that know me understand that I normally fish for a couple of days and sleep in the back of the car for the night on my wideboy bed chair. Luxury!!!!!!!

The weather forecast was for mild conditions. The rivers had been dropping for the last 5 days so the conditions should be perfect.

I arrive on the Stour at 7.30am before the sun rise. I made my way to the swim where the chub normally gathered at this time of year.

My tactics were float fishing a 4 bb stick float 5lb main line and 3lb hooklink and size 18 hook. Rod was my trusted 15ft Hardy Marksman float rod.

Bait was two red maggots. I started by firing out maggots down the trotting line for 20 minutes as I tackled up.

Soon it was time to cast out. I knew the swim very well from wading it in the summer. There was a slack behind some rushes and then a great gravel run after this. You can pull the chub up from way downstream by careful feeding and all in 3ft of water.

Without going on too much I landed 6 chub  to just over 4lbs from this swim plus dropped a couple more. Brian showed up and said that it was also fished the day before and the guy had 11 chub to 5lbs 8oz on the same method.

This got me thinking that no larger fish were in the shoal.

So in the afternoon I headed further downstream and tried a new method that I’ve been developing. It’s a maggot feeder system and short hooklink. But more of this in the future.

In the first hour I had several small chub and dace. the largest chub was only about 2lbs but at least the method was working.

However none of the larger fish were present.

I also cast out a rod with a Source boilie and paste next to a sunken tree. At one point I had a great take on this rod but the fish got in the tree. It was my fault for not giving enough stick to start with.

As dusk approached I had one more bite, which resulted in a very one way tussle (to get it away from the snag) from a chub.

The fight wasn’t spectacular however when i lifted the net I knew it looked a good fish. When it was on the unhooking mat it looked a good 6lber. Slipping her into the poly shopping bag and onto the scales she went 6lbs 9oz. A very deep broad fish which was in great shape.

Chub 6lbs 9oz Jan 12 D.Stour

So that was it 8 chub and a very nice 6lber to round things off.