Summer is Over

[Peter Jacobs]

Another brilliant piece Mark, and one that I am sure will drop me right in the middle of a new 'great bait debate'


To put the record straight, what I actually said was: that if I can't catch using Maggot, Caster, Hemp, Bread, Worm, Cheese and Luncheon Meat, then I'd rather not bother.
(add to that list, Tares and Elderberries as well

I get a lot of fun from my fishing usually with the more "traditional" baits although I did spend years and years using Boillies for Carp in lakes.

It is really that I just don't think that Pellet and Boillies are 'River Baits' fine on a club or commercial lake, but not for me on the Avon.

I did try both Pellet and Boillies on the river last year after a forum debate with Graham, but for me it just wasn't the same.

I don't have any problem with anyone else using whatever they fancy as bait either, so I guess it is simply a personal thing as far as I am concerned.
But then again, I am not overly concerned these days whether I catch bloody great Chub and/or barbel or a hundred or so Roach and Dace because to me fishing is fishing regardless of the size of my catch.

Thinking back on that last sentance I just realised that I think I'd actually rather spend the day feeding maggot/caster/hemp for a hundred or so small roach than land a couple of Chub.

The great thing about our sport is that it ca nbe all things to all anglers, and that is just how it should be too.

At least in my book.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Thanks Mark, I was trying to blend in with the bright blue cloudless sky (blue T-shirt) haha. I was too bleeding keen to fish the famous Stour and forgot to change my shirt, divvy!

Lovely article Mark, I learnt loads from you, my catches proved that.

I forgot to mention the chub I had been stalking one day. I found a patch of gravel down the inside, about four foot square. Four chub were moving in and out, one was big! I set my trap when it was empty, they returned. I was amazed when the big one moved over my bait then rose up in the water doing a funny head shake. It had picked my bait up, but I didn't realise, out of the corner of my eye I noticed my tip doing a funny shake as well!
He spat it out as I struck, gutted, it was Big! and Crafty!

I also agree with you Peter, but you have to adapt your approach sometimes in order to catch. I can't wait to start running a float down The Bristol Avon for some chub and roach on maggots and casters, just waitng for it to get a bit colder now.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Steve,

I agree that if you want to 'catch' a big chub on a certain day then yes, you have to adapt.

My point is that (on that given day) rather than switching to pellets or boillies then I'd rather move swim and be just as content catching Roach and Dace trotting maggot or caster.

Like i say, its a personal thing and I'd rather go back on a different day and catch that big old Chub on a lump of break flake.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Peter,

I totally agree.

I was amazed, gobsmacked and a little upset some years ago when I saw anglers fishing boilies, pellets and optonics on our river. Now I'm doing it! And I swore I never would.

It's good to have the choice, that's what fishing is all about.

Is it time for a frost yet?

 

[Chub King]

Great piece Mark! Have to say that I'm surprised that you don't fish after work mid-week in the winter. Last winter the Nene was so low and clear that I couldn't buy a bite during the day on any method - yes, they could probably see me. But after dark was another matter - a swim that seemed barren during the day was suddenly full of suicidal chub for the first two hours of darkness.
Bread and crumb feeder worked but it was maggot that slayed it spectacularly - I had over 60lb of chub in two-and-a-half hours one January evening.
I fed the swim (a good chub peg) with 10kg of fine roach-type groundbait on the Wednesday evening and fished from lunch Saturday. In two hours maggot feeder caught me two gonks and two bleak! They went under a float after perch which produced a few pike. Went back onto the feeder as the sun hit the horizon and never looked back!
I now prebait the best swims and fish them ONLY after dark! The Dog had great success with Thames chub mostly after dark so don't discount it!

 

[Chub King]

On the subject of bolt-rigging boilies and pellets for chub.... Don't do it if you can get away with fishing critically balanced rigs on the tip!
Chub are so good at bouncing bolt-rigged, hair-rigged baits it's unbelievable. Whilst I'm sure an efficient rig could be developed, I have found I hook only 10% of bites with such presentations!
One good method has been a pop-up off a 5oz grippa - they find that difficult to bounce for some reason! Not the most fish-friendly set-up though!
Chub love both boilies and pellets and they're great for pre-baiting in the right swim, but fish them on a tip rod. What does eevryone else find?

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

Does bloody amaze me. Numerous times on the Ouse whilst Barbeling i've had a sharp whack on the tip only to find when bringing it in the baits gone, sometimes two baits. Last night prior to darkness i setup a new rig with a bait almost side mounted, short hook link and 4oz lead and in no time had two fish on the bank to 5lb 3oz. Barbel didnt play ball though.



Lovely smile Greg.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Usual high standard Mark, great stuff.

I've noticed through your articles and talking to you, you never seem to bother with cheesepaste, is this the case or have you just not got round to writing about it?

 

[Mark Wintle]

Some comments;

Bread, cheese and luncheon meat are as artificial as the Xpander pellets/boilies that I use, and therefore all are valid baits, and all are immensely successful in the right circumstances. But this summer, dedicated chubbing has made a change from the usual roach/dace fishing on the rivers though I have done some of that too, and these baits have been essential. I did try slugs once or twice (100s come for the pellets) with no result!

My chubbing rod, a cheap looking Abu Max Titan medium feeder ('97 vintage) won't even cast an ounce so 5oz is a non starter, and I don't think I'd want to fish that way. Playing big chub on this rod with very little weight on the line has been terrific fun, though the outcome has rarely been in doubt with 8lb line - heavy? Maybe but in the circumstances valid. I have done better than hitting 10% of bites on my link legers though varying from 40% to 80%.

I have night fished for big roach in winter getting them to 2-11 when bites were unforthcoming in daylight. Most of the better chub water is not available at night though some is. (Beat 2 isn't as far as I know). I may give some thought to this later in the year.

Cheesepaste? Many years ago I tried it and caught one or two little chub but I've never fished it with the confidence that others like Dave Slater have. I know that many swear by it but I haven't tried hard enough with it; maybe this winter I will give it a go. An angler opposite me last Saturday tried it and I got far more action on boilies, and of course one of the Essex lads had his biggie on one of my borrowed boilies.

 

[Chub King]

Good, but naughty, trick for winter chub involves a paternostered two-hook rig, with cheesepaste on the short link acting as the 'weight'and breadflake on the longer link. Not something I use regularly, but has bought me a fish or two when I've been desperate to save a blank in the depths of winter. Not really HP though is it?

 

[Chub King]

So is it only Beats 1 and 3 that members can night fish Mark?

 

[Fat Blerk]

Great article Mark. Kind of reflects my summer season. My first season fishing and it has been chub all the way, finishing the summer with a pb of 6 pound a few weeks ago. I agree that boilies and pellets are so convenient and seem to work well enough. My fishing time is so limited, I hate to think that I am wasting half an hour picking up a few pints of maggots that will be off in a week. I can have a store of boilies and pellets for a month or two and only visit the tackle shops occasionally.

While we are talking about boilies and pellets for chub, I am fascinated why people fish with only "savoury" boilies for chub (and barbel). I have stacks of scopex and pineapple boilies in my garage that I have bought for carp fishing but never got round to using. Anyone used them for chub/barbel ? Shall I try and report ?

 

[Chub King]

Great fish FB. That's a very good weight for this time of year.
Chub love boilies of virtually any flavour - white chocolate have been great for me.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Greg,

Unless very much mistaken, only night fishing on Beats 1 & 3 with night permit.

 

[Derek Lewis 5]

hi guys,marks right,beats 1 and 3 you can night fish,and although it can be hard on there there are some really big fish of most species,and a lot quiter than beat 2,i tend not to fish the swims where other anglers fish but next door to them,if you see what i mean.i put an angler from work 2seasons ago,in a swim,that i knew where a big barbel patrolled along a certain stretch as he had never caught a barbel before,and promptly caught a 13lbs.8ozs one.not only that it was caught on a bait that another angler fishing upstream from us gave us to try.strange how things come about in fishing.regards derek.