So you are on the river...it's very cold. Chub day....what approach?

Assume you are on a mid size...Kennet or large, Stour size or above river.

It's Freezing out today.(whats new!)

Maggots the bait. Chub and silvers the target.

Pile it in before you get started? Very little ? And see?

Ok variables, like fish numbers, but how would you approach it for your favourite river?

I would approach it very cautiously at first especially where the feeding is concerned.
Maybe trickle in a few maggots at a time and not bother with the first cast for a good 30 minutes.
Then as bites develop increase the number and frequency of the loose feed but being careful to not feed off what can be small shoals at this time of the year.

The old adage that you can always put more in but canot take it out has to be kept in mind.

A wizzed up loaf of bread, bread in all it's forms as bait, late afternoon, early evening fishing, packed and on my way home for 8 pm, unless the fish are really having it. Then may stop until 9 pm but no later.

Graham, I'd be inclined to agree with TBO, in so much as I'm not sure it's maggots I'd reach for. Liquidised bread for the feeder and a bit of flake on a size 10 or 12. Fish to features, especially far bank trees, if there's a decent raft of debris formed behind some branches going in to the water then so much the better. I'd keep on my toes too, if I've not seen any sign of a bite within 3 casts then move, keeps you a bit warmer than just sitting there all day. Also, even if you catch from a swim then on a river that size there's no guarantee that any other fish present will hang around, best to move to pastures new with a view to returning to that productive swim later. This is all of course assuming that there's not anglers pegged as far as the eye can see, but at this time of year that rarely seems to be the case?

Now I have a question for you. End of season, day or two before the close. River Wye - is it worth an hour and a half's drive for a day session, and with that one day to play with what would your tactics be?

Jim. When we get a spell of warmer weather, for a few days, with some warm rain. Yes.
Like all rivers, after this long cold spell, when they start to feed.........should be fantastic

Drennan flat maggot feeder with couple of holes
enlarged filled with 3 and 4 mm pellets and banded West Country Elips on a size 9 .


Yes, agree the comments about bread. It's what I have fished last two times BUT. I really wanted to know about is maggot approach tbh.

In these situations would be fishing quite fine and looking for Chub, Dace and Roach on the edge of some slacker water, maybe either along a nice crease or searching out any Eddie’s that I can find along the edge or below features further out, and be using a float wherever possible as I prefer trotting more than using the lead.

I would be trying to introduce just one or two maggots (no more) every few yards along each trot and only increasing this if and when bites start to increase.

In really cold conditions I don’t think that the fish are going to be in the mood for searching for food or chasing food quite as much so I think that the fewer maggots that are washing past them the better as there’s more chance of them homing in on the one with my hook attached; well that’s my theory anyway.

If I were fishing a lead or a swimfeeder it would be as small and light as possible and if I’m using a feeder it would have most of its holes taped up to minimise the leak rate.

That would be my initial plan anyway.

Keith

Keith.

My only worry would be in searching out for some Eddies, it would be more like Dogging than Angling

I would be another one that would go with bread however if your hell bent on maggots something I did do on the Kennet in the past was to fish a upstream balanced feeder.

Just enough weight to hold bottom then fish it upstream of you. Give it a few mins then tweak the rod enough to dislodge the feeder which will bounce a few feet downstream and settle again. The key point being that because its fished upstream it should bounce down in a nice straight line towards you. Keep moving it every few mins till you have fished the entire run then recast on the same line upstream and repeat. The advantage in winter is there less weed about to snag up on.

End tackle can be anything you favor although I would opt for a shorter rather than longer hooklink to avoid snagging up & I used to use those green drennan feederlinks which were round rather than flat but I dont think they are available anymore but I doubt it makes that much difference if you get the weight to flow balance right. Bites will be drop backs although sometimes they will tear off and bang it round.

Anyway, maybe worth a try.

Trotting is the game , chub are the target, and you're confident there's a chance of a few in the area.

Start loose feeding maggots as soon as you arrive. The perfect situation is to be able to loose feed accurately by hand or else with a catapult. Around half a pouch each time with the aim that those maggots will end up in a general target area. That target area is where you want them to compete for the food and gives you enough space to play and land them without continually spooking them.

Continue feeding accurately as you set up, have a coffee, have a chat (with yourself if no-one else around). That should take care of 15mins/20mins.

8grm/10grm loafer bulk shotted to start with, #18/#20 hook single or double maggot.

One more pouch goes out and your first trot is set to less than full depth and follows behind that loose feed. Feed in that way accurately every trot. Continue with that religiously until you feel it's not working! mg:

It works more often than not on my favourite parts of the Dorset Stour but often requires playing around with depth and shotting during the process.

After the first obvious bite or lost/landed fish increase loose feeding to the same place twice each trot, once as usual, and again at the end of the trot.

Keep that feed going in accurately and often. If the odd chub turns up every now and then, give the swim regular rests for a few minutes but keep the feed going in.

If you sense they're there and ready for it.... attack, attack, attack mg:

I suspect that Graham already knows all the answers!

I've listed below a few thoughts which may be worthy of consideration:

Water temperature. Take a water thermometer, if it is above 42f I fish for roach (my favourite), if it's below then consider chub, grayling, trout or pike.

At 39.2f water is at its densist (thickist) and logically the fish will try to get out of fast flows, sounds good by nobody told the chub, graying and trout!

When legering for chub I use four bits of punched bread (16mm diam) on a size 6 hook. Do not expect the big bites of warmer water temperatures. Bites can be very half hearted and if you wait for the bite to develop it usually does not. Try not to be tempted to use a cage feeder just let the bait swing round with a lightish lead. Also the bread is flavoured, flavoured baits are definitely better even in clear water.

I'm probably totally wrong (wouldn't be the first time) but I believe that chub prefer shallower swims to roach.

Philip mentioned upstream legering, it is a superb method. Baits can be flake or maggots used with a balanced feeder. You can either quivertip and wait for the tip to spring straight or use a buzzer and a heavy bobbin. I prefer the buzzer and bobbin because bites are more excagerated and also you can concentrate on your downstream rod.

Neil Maidment mentioned "attack attack attack" (I'm certainly not going to argue with him) but that's fine if the venue has a large chub population. On so many lesser venues it just won't work.

Another facet which has to be taken into consideration on a cold river is light levels. Either water clarity and/or sun light. Big roach will feed in cold water but nearly always when the light levels are low.

There was a recent thread about laying on, it is a great method (but it does have its limitations). If set up correctly it is just so sensitive, it lets the bigger suspicious roach get hold of the bait and move with it before feeling any resistance. If you can find an appropriate swim where you can lay on with one rod and upstream leger with the other then things are looking good.

With very low water temperatures most fish just can't eat and digest food even if they wanted to - the exceptions most of the time being chub, grayling, trout and pike - so go easy on the bait!

Correctly flavoured baits, especially bread and maggots work well in cold water. I make my own flavoured groundbait which I have tested alongside shop bought groundbaits and my homemade stuff is definately better, so don't believe all the stupid hype which the bait companies come out with! I prefer white maggots.

Good luck.

Peter. I wish I did.

Up until a few years ago my 2 approaches given the conditions would have been.

Handful of mashed bread followed by large lump of flake on a size 6 long shank hook under a chubber float.

Or. Cage feeder with mashed bread and same hook set up.

Yes, succesful combined with a move downstream fishing the same line after hopefully a chub or two.
It worked very well on the Kennet and Thames.

However Neil and others seem to utilise a wake up call (if I can call it that)

To feed enough to get the fish active and competing despite the cold water.

Maybe the right approach simply depends on perceived fish numbers.?

When I used to trot for chub and grayling ,on the hodder I used to fish two pools, the first one I would fish and feed maggots sparingly for an hour or so.

Probably wouldn’t get a bite or possibly a grayling or two, then I would walk down to the next pool, and fish that the same, usually had the same result.

After an hour or so I would return to the first pool, and I would then start to catch chub and grayling, it was like fishing a different pool, the first time it felt like there were no fish in the pool, second time it fished well, the earlier feeding must have got them feeding, and when I went back they were looking for food.

When it went quiet, I would fish the second pool with the same result, this worked best when the river was low and clear, after early frost,