October madness 3 6lb chub in two days

Autumn was in full swing as I drove down to Hampshire for a couple days fishing. Also I needed to attend the naughty boys speeding school event in Southampton. The colours were spectacular as the leaves on the trees were reaching the end of their lives and were just weeks or days away from detaching themselves from the parent tree.
After completing the speeding school event I arrived home to find I had a cold on the way with a sore thoat.
The weather was going to be kind to me as I arrived on the river a little later than normal as my cold had kept me awake during the night. I headed for a swim where I had caught several good chub. Its one where I’ve seen some monsters but caught only 6lbers. I say only it’s just that there are so many big chub on the Avon at the moment even 5lbers are common.
I put out some pellets and started to gather my tackle together. It was to be the long hooklink of fluorocarbon and pellet rig. This had caught many chub this year. The sky had some cloud which hindered my sight fishing somewhat. There had been a flood the week before which had heightened the river level plus there was the slightest tinge of colour. However I could still see dark shapes coming out from beneath the willow branches and feeding on the pellets. They would follow pretty much the same path from below the swim willows moving up over the polished golden gravel where they had fed for most of the summer and then under the trailing fronds of weed upstream where some of the pellets had settled in the slacker flow.
They looked a good size, with few if any small ones. I think looking back Andy and I had only caught 3 chub under 5lbs from there. There was little doubt that all the pellets going into the swim during the summer had the fish putting on weight and looking superb.
So with the cast made the chub scattered but returned after a few minutes. Certainly they looked a good size waltzing up and down over the gravel picking up the pellets. Occasionally the rod top nodded where they brushed the line or picked up the pellets and felt resistance and dropped them. However one chub made a mistake and hooked itself. The rod top bouncing and then hooping over as it tried in vain to gain the sanctuary of the willow branches. This one pulled and pulled almost making it however the line and hook hold held and soon I was moving the fish into midstream. The hazards where still there with plenty of weed . The chub buried deep into the weed and I moved downstream to just put gentle pressure onto the fish and guide it out. Moving downstream to where I placed the landing net. It looked a deep chub with a good girth, and as normal the notions go through my head don’t lose it now, please don’t come off, no hook pulls please.
I needn’t have worried as I drew the chub over the net I always think back of the net, oh yes!
It was a beautiful chub with a wide girth but reasonably short. I rested it in the net while I set up the camera and scales etc. Wow another 6lb chub.

Oct 18 6lbs 5oz

The cold I had suddenly felt much better after that fish. I was unsure what to do “stick or move”.
With the chub still coming out to feed on the pellets it didn’t take me long to decide stay. So I slowly rebaited and watched the chub all 4 of them feeding on the pellets. Out went the cast 45 mins after catching the beautiful chub. As normal the chub disappeared for a while after the splash of the lead hitting the rivers surface. Out they came and first they move around the swim feeling for lines however the 1.5m hooklink means that the bait is well away from the lead. Sure they do brush the line and the top nods a few times. However there is no mistaking the take as another chub hooks itself and bolts off towards the willow branches. I sit on in my chair with the rod held up high to avoid floating weed catching the line and dragging the weight out of position. My hand is holding the rod butt and you can feel the tap tap as the chub swim into the line occasionally. This time there was a tap tap as the chub hooked itself and moved downstream towards the willows. I whip the rod upright and find myself pulling hard the rod hooped over and the clutch giving a little line. The chub dives into some weed just prior to the willow branches, which fools the fish and this allows me to guide it into midstream. The normal fight continues with the fish burring itself into the midstream weed. A repeat operation of moving downstream and with gentle persuasion the fish is extracted from the weed and the rest is easy. And as normal the notions go through my head don’t lose it now, please don’t come off, no hook pulls please.
So it looked a really good fish again. I rested it in the net while I went through the normal process of setting up the camera and weighing kit.On the scales it was exactly 6lbs and my 9th 6lber of the season. Was I happy, oh yes just a little.

6lb chub

It’s not often you get 2 6lb chub in a session so it was a huge surprise to still see 4 chub feeding in the area.
One or two looked a good size too. I’m sure there is a 7lb chub in there and it’s just a case of wading through these troublesome 6lbers……..not!
I didn’t feel much like moving and there wasn’t another swim close by that I fancied fishing. So with the chub still feeding I thought I would stay put. I knew the chances of another fish were slim but as they were feeding I was in with a chance.
Sure enough the chub came out to feed during the rest of the afternoon. I had two chub in two casts and I knew if I hooked another then the average size would be hit, but with two 6lbers who cares. The chub were spoked for sure but continued to come out and take a few pellets. The sun came out from the clouds and it was a beautiful late autumnal afternoon and as the shadows of the evening lengthened I was hoping for one last chance. I needed an extra layer on as the sky cleared and the temperature dropped. Then finally another chub hooked itself. The process of playing the fish and landing it was still the same and sure enough it looked another fat chub as it came into the net. This time it was not a 6lber but one of 5lbs 10oz.

5lbs 10 oz chub

So that’s 3 big chub from the very productive swim. Both Andy and I have had some beautiful chub from here and I think they will move downstream when the floods come so I hope at the backend of the season I can make their acquaintance again.
I was going try bread flake float fishing the next day, so fingers crossed.

Next day
Still full of a cold I headed to a swim we call the best chub swim in the world. There are normally a good few chub in there however some river bank restoration about 4 years back has altered the flow and it’s difficult to fish it. However I really fancied a morning session there with flake rather than maggots as minnows are still a right pest at the moment.
The weather was not going to be good for the day. Light rain for the majority of it. I started later in the morning after another difficult nights sleep.
I won’t bore you with the results but I fished all morning without a bite in the best chub swim in the world which has now been renamed, the very worst chub swim in the world.
So I had to rethink where I was going to fish. I didn’t fancy returning to the same swim I fished yesterday as Mark was coming down to fish it later. So I thought about moving to a swim which I had not fished before, however I guided Ross in fishing it a couple of weeks ago. We had seen some really large chub in there plus a small barbel.
The rain was now a constant drizzle which was uncomfortable. I jumped in the car and drove to the next venue. I’m unsettled by a cow which looks like a bull with the horns to go with it. It looks so vicious but apparently is not a bull and doesn’t chase people. Ross and I skirted around the animal when we last fished there.
This time it was in the field but far enough away as not to notice me as I traipsed across the open area. I arrived at the swim and quietly set the tackle up which was much the same as the previous day. With the thick cloud and constant drizzle it was impossible to look into the river and see the chub as Ross and I had done on the previous visit. I was lucky to be able to recall the contours of the river bed and where the chub fed. I threw a few pellets upstream where I knew where they would settle in the swim. I cast out and put the rod on the rest. It was really a bolt rig. I had to ensure the rod top was close to the bank to avoid floating debris coming down and snagging the line. All of this debris limited my swim choice for sure on the fishery.
It wasn’t long before I had a few taps on the line which indicated that chub were present. Then the tip flew around and an angry chub pulled back on a very short line so I slackened the clutch off as there were few snags around. The fight was over quickly as it turned out to be a small chub of about 4lbs. Wow a chub first cast was a good result. Again should I stay or move. With my cold and it being wet I decided to stay put.
Out went the next lot of pellets in a pva stocking bag and my pellets on the hook. Immediately there were a few taps on the rod top. So chub were still present, so my decision to stay was perhaps the right one. Chub were rolling out in the main flow so at least they were not far away. The temperature was about 15c which was warm for mid October.
Then at about 2pm the rod shot around and a big chub was pulling away in the deeper water infront of me. There were no snags in the river only the thick vegetation under my feet. I held the rod out over the river to stop the chub from entering this area. The rod kept bouncing as the chub tried numerous times to get into it. However everything held firm and soon a big chub lay in the net. It looked a big long fish and again over 6lbs. It lay resting in the net while everything was set up. Its not good when it’s raining. However the weighing and photographing went to plan and at 6lbs 6oz. So my 10th chub of over 6lbs for the year. I was high on excitement and couldn’t believe that this chub had huge shoulders just like a big tench or carp. Take a good look.

6lbs 6oz chub

So feeling pleased with myself I was unsure whether to move but the debris coming down confirmed few other swims would be fishable. So out went the bait again. It was 3pm and the light was poor. I was still getting the odd tap on the rod top so more chub were present. Everything was soaking wet as I hadn’t an umbrella.
I was still watching chub roll in midstream and I think I saw a salmon leap a couple of times. Time was moving on and the sky started to clear and the temperature started to drop. I then had one more bite at about 5.15pm. The rod top hooped over and an angry chub fought for freedom. It was subdued quickly as it wasn’t the size of the last one. I was unsure whether to weigh it or not. I thought it was about 4lbs 8oz. Whilst everything was wet I decided I would weigh the thing, and pleased I did as it turned out to be 5lbs 2oz.

5lbs 2oz chub

My cold was starting to get the better of me. I hadn’t taken any medicine to help so it was time to pack up and start the 1hr 40 min drive home.
What a great couple of days three 6lb chub and a couple of 5lbers is a good return. The river though will be dropping quickly now the weed is going and the fish will be heading for all the cover they can find.
The minnows are a pain though and float fishing is still a few weeks away.
Then it will be the maggot fishing routine with the feeder and the float.
Happy days!