At times, chub can be one of the easiest fish to catch. Like all fish, if they are hungry and competing for bait, they often throw caution to the wind, but when bites are at a premium, what is your preferred method of fishing? There’s nothing worse than sitting by the riverbank, working hard to get a bite, only to miss it!
Specimen ace Dave Robinson has found a way to maximise every opportunity using match-style maggot feeders. These feeders feature elastic running through the centre, enhancing the bolt effect and significantly reducing missed bites. We asked him to explain how to use them effectively to help you catch more chub.
WANT TO CATCH A BIG CHUB? THESE EXCELLENT STRETCHES OF RIVER ARE WORTH A TRY!
"I’ve always been led to believe that chub are one of the more catchable species in our rivers, but this hasn’t been my experience with the ones that I fish, and simply bouncing cheesepaste around certainly wasn’t going to cut it this winter," Dave told us.
“In previous years, I’d catch a couple of chub early on, mostly in late autumn, and then, if I was lucky, I’d get a few more towards the end of the season. This winter, though, conditions have been tough, even for these supposedly ‘friendly’ fish."
“This year, I decided on a different approach. Instead of wandering around with paste, trying to land it in front of a chub, I went for a more static strategy, involving elasticated feeders."
Focus on hotspots
Roving the banks is a lovely way to fish, but you don’t always need to fish every swim. It’s better to concentrate in the better areas and fish them well. That way you aren't spreading bait all over the river, which is especially important if there are only a handful of fish feeding as you want to make the most of every opportunity!
Try elastic
Although generally used by match anglers, elasticated feeders are equally well suited to finicky species such as chub and roach. The elastic helps to create tension when the hook enters the fishes mouth which I believe helps drive it home. Not only this but it helps cushion the fight, which definitely reduces hook pulls, which can be a problem with more traditional bolt rigs when using short hook lengths.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ELASTICATED FEEDERS, TRY THIS EXCELLENT RIG THAT WORKS IN A SIMILAR WAY.
Go short
Alongside an inline feeder, I prefer the use of a short 4ins hooklink, as it offers great hooking properties. By the time the fish has picked up the hookbait, there is such little movement that it gives them far less room to manoeuvre or eject the hook. Fluorocarbon is best for this which I combine with a short anti-tangle sleeve to ensure it kicks away from the feeder and negates tangles.
Use a dropper
While you could feed by hand, these bits of kit ensure your loosefeed is reaching the bottom exactly where you want it to be. It always pays to get a bit of bait down to the bottom, especially if you are fishing a couple swims. Putting a few droppers in a swim and returning to it a bit later in the session can help the fish gain confidence, increasing your chance of a bite from a wary fish.
THE BEST CHUB RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND THOSE FISH YOU HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO HOOK!
Vary your feed
Maggots fished alone will work, but I like to add a bit of hemp and chopped worms for added attraction, particularly if I’m fishing after dark. You can always add some liquids too which can help boost the attraction in coloured water but this is down to personal presence. I find the combo mentioned to be really effective and you can add them all into the feeder if you want to, to help match the hatch.
