A day on the Dorset Stour with Keith Snelgrove and four 5lb chub

Keith phoned me sometime ago to enquired about a days fishing on the Dorset Stour trying to catch some of the large chub that are in the river. I had guided Keith before on the Bristol Avon for chub however we only managed to catch some big brown trout. We decided to arrange a midweek day to avoid the crowds.

We met at 7.45am and had a look around the river and chose a great swim where we could see some chub moving around. It’s not one of my favorite morning swims and we gave it one cast for nil bites. I suggested we move to one where I knew there would be a good few chub feeding. We stopped on the way to feed another swim which contained about 15 chub or so. It wasn’t long before they started to feed on the pellets I had thrown in. We would catch here for certain I said to Keith. However there was the banker swim to try. Keith walked straight past it and I had to call him back. His words to me were that he would have continued walking past and not stopped and looked as the water was only 18 inches deep.

I tossed in a few pellets and from down the near bank came 6 lovely chub. They upended and started to feed as if it was going to be the last pellet they would ever see again. Keith just stared and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Then a small barbel came up and joined in feeding albeit not as sure as the chub. The tackle we were using was a 12ft 1.75 t/c rod with 10lb main line. Yes a little excessive but with a chance of a barbel and big chub over 5lbs you couldn’t take a chance. The end rig was the trusted 5 ft floro hooklink and a 4oz lead. Attached to the hook and pellet was a small pva bag of different sized pellets. This was explained in an earlier video.

So with the chub not wishing to leave the swim I lowered the end tackle carefully into the swim just behind some weed. The chub vacated the swim briefly but after 30 seconds were back in again in a feeding frenzy.

Within a bout 2 mins a chub picked up the baited hook and bolted off. Disaster a hook pull after a couple of seconds. Never mind the chub were still feeding hard. I lowered everything back into the swim.

Again Keith only had to wait a few minutes before a chub picked up the bait and rushed off almost catching by surprise. He lifed the rod and played an angry chub expertly keeping it under control and soon to the net.

We both looked at it and I thought it was a high 4 and he thought about the same. Now Keith’s pb was 4lbs 9oz so we need to beat this. We needn’t have worried it was 5lbs 8oz and mission accomplished.

As we took photo’s the chub continued to feed. Normally you only get one chance here as they become very spooky. Not today!

I lowered the rig back in once again and soon the chub returned feeding away. This time I could see the pellets on the hook and gave Keith a running commentary on the chub picking up the bait ad spitting it back out. They did this several times. It was just amazing watching all this happen and not get a hookup. Then one made a mistake and the rod was pulled towards the river and Keith did an excellent job once again of playing the chub in a tight swim.

We weighed the fish and thought once more a high 4lber but no another 5lber. 5lbs 3oz and another great chub for Keith. He was rather pleased with the result as to catch one 5lber then another was beyond his wildest dreams. Little did he know how the day would pan out.

That was pretty much that for that swim as the chub didn’t really want to play much more. It was time to move back to the swim pe-baited with pellets on the way down.

Again it was a swim Keith would have walked past. It was a deep glide under our feet with a line of willows overhanging on the inside. A classic chub swim to be sure. I dropped a few pellets in and out came a few chub. Then I lowered the rig close to the bank once again. I was going to give a running commentary again. However within about 3 minutes the rod was pulled around and Keith was playing another chub. Again he played the fish really well stopping it from getting into the willow branches. It was soon ready for netting. It looked a good chub and sure enough it went 5lbs 3oz and his 3rd 5lb plus chub of the day

With that it was approaching lunch time and we decided to move to another part of the river to see if we could catch a 6lber now that is dream land stuff.

First though we had a bite to eat. Keith is a Spurs fan and an even more an England Cricket fan. He travels the world watching them and he retold some wonderful tales and stories. So we spent the entire day talking football fishing and cricket. There was little silence during the day just great company and laughs.

Right that was it we piled in my car and went to another stretch. I was surprised how few anglers there seemed to be on the fishery. Again I found a swim where there were 8 chub of different sizes. There looked to be a good 6lb plus fish in the swim. I threw out a few pellets and straight away the chub went down scoffing them. There looked to be a couple of big fish.

Casting out had them scattering but within about 5 minutes they were feeding hard. Plus a bonus common carp started to feed on the pellets. I expected the rod tip to go round with a big carp on the end but alast it didn’t. Things didn’t go to plan we lost 2 fish into the weed at our feet and caught a small 3lber. I was worried that this would put the chub off. It didn’t as they continued to feed. We had one last chance. One of the bigger chub bolted off the baited hook and round went the rod at the chub was attached. Keith lifted into the chub and I said that I thought the take was from one of the larger chub. He played the chub harder this time keeping it from the weed. It looked big in the river and even bigger in the net. Keith was in excited at it’s size.

Keith was ecstatic about the weight 5lbs 13oz and a new pb. So that was 4 5lb plus chub for the day. No 6lber but that can wait!

We walked around the fishery and saw plenty of other big chub. One swim we fancied held some good chub to over 5lbs that had been taking our pellet. However we were pipped to it by another angler.

After this we decided to try our luck where he caught the 5lbs 8oz chub first thing. Arriving the chub were still there and rather than fishing the long rig we chose a short 8 inch braided hooklink to see if this worked. Well after 2 hookups and the fish falling off Keith hooked another on of about 4lbs that fought really well

We stayed on in the swim as the barbel put an appearance in occasionally. The chub were really spooked now. The sun was getting lower now and seeing the bait became much more difficult. So it was time to call it a day and head off home.

Keith was so pleased with the day and 4 5lb chub far exceeded his expectations. We had a good laugh and some wicked banter. Thanks for your company Keith.