well...it hasn't been a bad season so far......
- Thread starter chav professor
- Start date
maceo
Well-known member
Nice chub there - don't know how you've managed to fit in the sessions with the weather like it's been.
Presumably the snails are fished sans shell, right? I would have thought that worse than collecting them would be peeling the suckers....
By the way, I like the Fidel Castro t-shirt in the final pic!
Presumably the snails are fished sans shell, right? I would have thought that worse than collecting them would be peeling the suckers....
By the way, I like the Fidel Castro t-shirt in the final pic!
chav professor
Well-known member
Most of my fishing involves 'quick hits' on the river, perhaps no more than 2 hours, sometimes less than an hour an a half - note the pic of Wooster the flat coat? I have caught most of my fish this season whilst on dog walks. Plus, working only 3 days a week, I can cherry pick my times........
As for preparing snails...... its easy, crack them at the side (toughest part) then peel off the bits. Less slimy than slugs..... even soap doesn't shift the slime... it reactivates it. However, acoustically, slugs have the edge and make the most distinct 'plop' sound.
If you know where they (Chub) are (and Wooster behaves himself)......... I probably spend as much time observing fish in the close season as I would If I had been fishing for them - this is the key!
The hard bit is getting into a casting position where you don't disturb the fish, can land them safely (saying that, I have caught 5 fish this season over a 4 week period whilst inside a bush) and hardest of all, the shadow of the rod does not scare the fish and put them down again. Sometimes you can make a right hash of things and it still comes good.....
BTW, the T-shirt is my 'Dad Rocks' one..... I would like a Che Guevara one though
---------- Post added at 22:23 ---------- Previous post was at 22:14 ----------
I could of course add another five, this time off the Waveney..... a long, sleek fish, obviously spawned out (length 22", girth 13.5"), 5lb4oz.......
As for preparing snails...... its easy, crack them at the side (toughest part) then peel off the bits. Less slimy than slugs..... even soap doesn't shift the slime... it reactivates it. However, acoustically, slugs have the edge and make the most distinct 'plop' sound.
If you know where they (Chub) are (and Wooster behaves himself)......... I probably spend as much time observing fish in the close season as I would If I had been fishing for them - this is the key!
The hard bit is getting into a casting position where you don't disturb the fish, can land them safely (saying that, I have caught 5 fish this season over a 4 week period whilst inside a bush) and hardest of all, the shadow of the rod does not scare the fish and put them down again. Sometimes you can make a right hash of things and it still comes good.....
BTW, the T-shirt is my 'Dad Rocks' one..... I would like a Che Guevara one though
---------- Post added at 22:23 ---------- Previous post was at 22:14 ----------
I could of course add another five, this time off the Waveney..... a long, sleek fish, obviously spawned out (length 22", girth 13.5"), 5lb4oz.......
bennygesserit
Well-known member
Great fishing Chav it must be very satisfying when a plan comes together like that.
chav professor
Well-known member
Cheers bud and I think you would would have to agree, the price is truly revolutionary.....
barbelboi
Well-known member
Nice pics Chav, personally I always always leave the shell on, after all that's how they arrive when they fall in naturally.
Jerry
Jerry
chav professor
Well-known member
Snails are an interesting bait........ I used to smash the shell a little and then put the foot on the hook, then i started to experiment with taking the shells of all-together. I particularly like this presentation as I think the 'plop' followed by the indistinct shape falling through the water column must be quite attractive to a chub.
In the process of smashing and taking the shell off, the delicate snail is damaged and leaches out juices. Chub soon wise up to baits dropping on them and learn from the experiences of others.... allowing the snail to descend to the bottom in shallow water, a chub travelled someway from down stream picked it up and was landed from the cramped quarters of a bush....
It can be hairy stuff - real hook and hold!! so long as they do not get up any momentum, its just a case of holding the fish off the very end of the rod tip, sliding the net in and under, releasing the bail arm to give line and then shuffling back through the hole in the hedge!!
Chub will really take anything on the drop... in-deed I have dropped a small piece of masonry onto a chub and it has engulfed it, then spat it out.... Locusts are really good, they will come up and take these off the surface even in swims you may not have been aware of the presence of a chub....
In the process of smashing and taking the shell off, the delicate snail is damaged and leaches out juices. Chub soon wise up to baits dropping on them and learn from the experiences of others.... allowing the snail to descend to the bottom in shallow water, a chub travelled someway from down stream picked it up and was landed from the cramped quarters of a bush....
It can be hairy stuff - real hook and hold!! so long as they do not get up any momentum, its just a case of holding the fish off the very end of the rod tip, sliding the net in and under, releasing the bail arm to give line and then shuffling back through the hole in the hedge!!
Chub will really take anything on the drop... in-deed I have dropped a small piece of masonry onto a chub and it has engulfed it, then spat it out.... Locusts are really good, they will come up and take these off the surface even in swims you may not have been aware of the presence of a chub....
cg74
Well-known member
Nice start to the new season - nothing like starting as you mean to carry on.....
Went down on tidal stretch after our chat earlier and landed, and lost my best fish this season. Spent a while feeding bread mash and fishing maggot under the rod tip. Lots of small rudd then a monster ruffe. Thought it might have been a baby zander at first. When better fish got on the move I realised I'd left spreader block for my net at home. Carried on anyway and waded out a bit to deal with a fish that took off in the main flow. Took a while on 4lb line but got my biggest ever carp into net. Fantastic long fish. No belly at all. A real willdie style torpedo.
Very pleased with myself and already planning to use my new camera after scooping it with net in hand. Stupidly chose to take hook out in the water, dropped net and she slid away. No rush no panic, just a slow sweep of the tail and upstream then gone.
Mullet didn't show at all.
Very pleased with myself and already planning to use my new camera after scooping it with net in hand. Stupidly chose to take hook out in the water, dropped net and she slid away. No rush no panic, just a slow sweep of the tail and upstream then gone.
Mullet didn't show at all.
chav professor
Well-known member
well, we do have six weeks leisure time to rectify the situation! I do fancy a nice mullet.... bit like Chub, only stronger and wilier....... er.....
dannytaylor
Well-known member
some cracking chub there :w Like the idea of trying snails never used them. Need to get on the rivers not been near one yet this season.
You sponsored by Drennan now?
You sponsored by Drennan now?
chav professor
Well-known member
IMO Chub will take anything that plops on their heads - but wise up pretty quick... I have dropped a small piece of masonry (chip of a weir) and it accepted it before ejecting it. If slugs have been used before they can be wary, so it is well worth investigating the weird and wonderful - the stranger the better.
Things I have used to take chub on the drop or surface dapping include: bread, cheese paste, luncheon meat, paste, bollies, pellets, slugs, snails, lob worms, sweetcorn, blackberries, morio worms, black crickets, locust....
That list is not exhaustive, there is plenty of scope to add to it, I have always wanted to take a chub on a cherry, elderberry, live fish - perhaps this years targets!
No, I am not sponsored by Drennan - I have a love for their 'retro' rods - original super specialists, Big feeder rod, medium feeder rod... plus terminal tackle is very good quality. As for floats, I rarely use anything else - though I do love Andrew Field's floats which get an airing every now and then!
At the moment, I am sponsored by mother nature
Things I have used to take chub on the drop or surface dapping include: bread, cheese paste, luncheon meat, paste, bollies, pellets, slugs, snails, lob worms, sweetcorn, blackberries, morio worms, black crickets, locust....
That list is not exhaustive, there is plenty of scope to add to it, I have always wanted to take a chub on a cherry, elderberry, live fish - perhaps this years targets!
No, I am not sponsored by Drennan - I have a love for their 'retro' rods - original super specialists, Big feeder rod, medium feeder rod... plus terminal tackle is very good quality. As for floats, I rarely use anything else - though I do love Andrew Field's floats which get an airing every now and then!
At the moment, I am sponsored by mother nature