Favourite Chub Hook

[sam vimes]

Usually a Nash Fang Gaper when I'm actually fishing for barbel!

If I'm actually going for chub, usually with maggot, caster and worm, I'll tend to use Drennan Super Spades.

As to the secondary bolt rig question, it depends entirely on the river and even stretch of river concerned. I've not had much of a problem catching cub on bolt rigs on the Trent. On home Swale turf it's different on different stretches. The upper and upper middle river is predominantly chub water and there aren't too many folks targetting the barbel. Up there the chub tend to hammer a tip round in much the same way as a barbel does. Below Topcliffe, where barbel are more prevalent and there much greater angling pressure, I've found the chub much more cagey. They tend to tap and rattle while mouthing at hair rigged baits. Even seemingly good sharp pulls can result in nothing at all when you try to strike into them. You know that there are fish there but hook up rates are poor. All you can do is hope that they ****** off but leave a bait on for the barbel or hope that they finally nail it properly.

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Could I suggest that everyone who was interested in the Circle hook debate, reads Simon Kings article ?

I think it will clear up a few points !!

It's on the FM New and Feature Board.

Bob

 

[chav professor]

Why do carp anglers use a rig aligner (if this is the term used for shrink tubing on vaious part of the hook) to achieve a more agressive 'turning' of the hook rather than a circle hook - because the fish tightens up to the lead itself - this negates any user error on the part of the angler.

I always tend to use even a small piece of tubing on the hook to improve the 'turning' and subsequent hooking for carp, tench or bream. perhaps hook the circle hook would be better for all forms of bolt rigging.

BTW Smons article does clear up a lot of mythes regarding the use of bolt rigging for chub. i am very won over on the idea that for a venue with cray fish (need for a hard bait), small numbers of good to amazing sized fish (negates the need to be selective), fishing open stretches of water and not fishing tight to snags, and the need for rigs to be in the water for long periods of time in order for chub to find them.

It is an evolution of tactics that has grown up and done the buisiness on your waters. I am under no illusion if and when i visit the Lea, i wouild be de-skilled in the sense that to suceed i would consult with locals and use tactics appropriate for their water.

I can even see a few occasions each year when the rivers are clear and no bites are forthcoming within the usual 20-30min window (you can do this all day in swims that should produce and occasionally blank) - that is when a few hours with a 'bait on a weight' or bolt rig would be productive.

 

[904_cannon]

I see you're a man of your word Chav

We are likely to have another member form your neck of the woods, next Chevin will reveal all. You can then share hooking experiences on the bank.(or should that be hooker)

 

[Bob Hornegold]

chav,

I have been using Line-aliner rigs for Chub for a long time, I have also fished what I call traditional methods for Chub and many other species.

The Lea is a particularly difficult water now, because of the Crayfish, it was'nt like that years ago.

It was possible (and still is) to catch a bag of chub, fishing traditional method, Flake on a slack line, dapping, Big Caterpillars, worms etc, but the big shoals are gone and now you are targetting small groups of Big Chub mainly.

The Crayfish are so bad at times it becomes impossible to fish even a normal boilie or pellet, I have got over this by fishing Enterprise Aritificial Boilies, glugged up with the flavour of my normal boilies.

You have to fish the river as times dictate, there was a time when we used to fish the Old Lea with the Beach Caster Rig and had some fantastic hauls of Chub.

There was nothing more exciting than seeing a big set of white lips come up and take the bunch of maggots, lobworm or crust of the surface.

Now those days have gone and we are targetting the Big Chub that exist in the River (Big Wise Old Fish).

Bob

 

[chav professor]

yes Bob -targetting the 'Big wise chub' is really the challenge and makes the Lea an even tougher target in many ways. Having fished a few big fish waters, I am often left feeling disapointed, often due to not just competeing against the fish, but against other anglers in terms of competition for a swim on the bank. Big fish + lines in the water = tough fishing in anyones' book!

Yours and Simons regular captures are spectacular!

On my river, big wise chub are very much the exception. They are occasionally seen but their behaviour is certainly very much different to their 3-4lb cousins which abound! Even the smaller chub wise up pretty sharpish and a swim will die pretty quickly over the first few weeks or even days of the season. This is where the bolt rig could play a role and i may 'sweat' it out for a fish. It strikes me that any 'big fish' fishing is needle in a haystack stuff - different rivers have different 'haystacks' and methods to suit

I pray no one releases crays into our river systems - they are the most infuriating creatures on the face of the planet..... what with comorants, otters and now crays eating through spawn - it does not bode well.

 

[Fred Bonney]

How did I miss this? Perhaps I was watching shoals of chub in Lake Garda.


If only I had read it first!!

 

[steph mckenzie]

Funny that Fred, i never had you down as a Chub Man, i guess it is because i always associate you with Barbel. Just goes to show how blinkered even i can be.

 

[Fred Bonney]

That's where most of those that nit pick get it wrong, Steph.
I may be an official of a much loved single species group. :wh
But, I do not fish for barbel to the exclusion of all other fish.