This week most of my time was spent at work as I decided to go on an overtime fest. Needs must I guess with the current world financial situation the way it is , and let's face it , those incoming bills are never going to pay themselves. Fishing Time would be limited to say the least , but as always I had a cunning plan . Any trips would be confined to early morning or late evening which suited me fine as this week my Target Species would be Crafty Chub form a tiny stream. Now I talk somewhat in riddles here for the stream that I refer to is actually a tiny River , but as you can literally step over it in many places I do class it as a stream. I have had some great fun over the last two years on this neglected stretch of water and the place still continues to amaze me with the stature of fish that it throws up. And so , with my work head firmly to the grindstone , this little piece of living breathing water would provide me with the escape and Magic I needed to satisfy my Ever Wandering Angling Mind.
As anyone who has targeted Crafty Chub will tell you , they really can be ridiculously accommodating yet at the same time incredibly frustrating , once spooked. I cannot emphasize how important stealth is when targeting these Shy Wild Creatures. Step on the wrong twig or branch at the wrong time and it will certainly be curtains. Wave your rod tip on the horizon and the fish will simply disappear. However , drop a ridiculously large bait noisily into the right place during a careful first cast , when fish suspicions are at a minimum , and normally a Chub will hang itself , so is the nature of this Wild Greedy Opportunist. The Chub is a True Predator in every sense and he will rarely miss an opportunity of a free meal given the chance. Slugs , worms , small fish and hatching fly life all sustain the Chubs hungry appetite on a daily basis. Chub often dominate parts of rivers with only Barbel and Pike as opposition and competition. As this tiny river holds no Barbel the Chub present only had to deal with a few resident jack pike , and so often boss swims from hungry Roach and Gudgeon. As always , I had studied these fish on previously hot sunny days during the close season just to get a taste of what was to come when the River Season Opened. They were certainly present and I knew there were some really Good Fish Present that could certainly see my tiny venue 4lb 2 oz PB tumble.
Another Free Lined Beauty.Chubing for me is one of the most rewarding types of fishing I have ever undertaken. You are simply doing what comes natural , in Hunting and Stalking Wild Fish whilst actually witnessing them consume your Bait. I thrive on this type of fishing as this really is Fishing in it's purest sense . No bite alarms here just the rivers pace and your inbuilt watercraft to net you a hard fighting prizes. Maybe that is why I enjoy catching Carp on surface baits so much. The Thrill of witnessing a surface feeding fish consume a bait at close quarters before the water erupts really does take some beating.
My Tackle would be light and simple for I would be roaming the stretch and free lining baits searching out opportunist fish. An old and trusty Diawa 1 1/4 lb Test Curve Rod equipted with an equally old Shimano 8010 bait runner reel with 10 lb Drennan Double Strength Line and a Size 8 Drennan Super Specialist Hook would all that would be required. No Shot , No Weights for this would only hamper the action of a slow sinking natural bait. You may think that my choice of line is somewhat excessive but I can assure you that as most of these fish are usually only yards from snags and willow roots and so the choice of breaking strain allows me to initially bully them from a swim once a take has occurred. The Natural Sandy colour of the light tends not to worry the fish unlike some darker lines I have tried in the past. A variety of Natural baits would often be tried from Worms to bread flake to maggots possibly being the most successful. Previous seasons had taught me where the Chub would be present and so during the week I went on to whinkle out quite a few fish from various spots. Many of the fish were in the 3lb range and once they have achieved this weight they are always a stunning sight with their Deep Bronze Flanks Glistening.
It is always heart stopping stuff as your bait sinks slowly to a waiting fish with that will it won't question burning deep in your mind. Normally a split second viewing as a large White Mouth Opens before the water erupts from the fleeing fish upon strike. Once spooked Chub become possibly the hardest of species to catch , Very Rarely have I caught two fish from the same swim in succession using these stalking tactics. Normally a capture normally means an instant move to another spot for another chance. If there are fish in a swim and you fail to catch then you can always nip back after say an hour when the fish have become less weary but normally a capture kills the swim for the remainder of the session.
Red and White Campion
The Wild Flowers in the meadow were a joy to behold this week after the constant noisy smelly hydrocarbon pumps and tanks at work. Red Campion flourished in great numbers whilst it's sister The White Campion was more illusive. Poppys , Wild Crab Apple Blossom , Deadly Nightshade and Flowering Stinging Nettles all added to the spectacle. I watched a kestrel hunting one morning whilst crouched in a favourite spot. Dressed in a bay of green She just never saw me as she hovered yards from me. A sudden drop followed by a high pitched shriek told me She had been successful as a tiny Field Mouse met it's maker.
A New Venue PBOne Capture during the week did stand out amongst all the rest as I went on to successfully beat my venue PB with a fish just 2 ozs short of the Magical 5 lb mark. At 4 lbs 14 ozs this Mighty Fish from a Tiny Stream allowed my passion to be full filled during a week of hard graft at work. This was certainly not my largest Chub capture but sometimes you have to put things in perspective. This tiny venue was not the Great Ouse or The Upper Severn but so it wasn't a monster , However it really was a Great Capture and Any PB fish from a tiny venue is always very pleasing. I for one was Cocker hoop and will be back for the same during another Work Orientated Break.
Happy Fishing Roamers and Tight Lines of Course , of Coarse.
Video..... A New Small Venue PB Chub , ( intent on smacking me in the chops ;)
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