There aren’t many better ways to fish than running a float along a river with a few pints of maggots in tow, only for it to suddenly bury under, hitting into the unmistakable weight of a big chub on the end. The beauty of this method lies in the satisfaction of getting it just right, and even when the fish aren’t feeding, the simple act of gliding the float perfectly through the swim brings its own sense of achievement.
However, catching chub on the float often requires patience, but those who dedicate themselves to mastering the technique will see their efforts rewarded. Former Drennan Cup winner Greg Buxton has demonstrated just how effective this method can be, landing chub many could only dream of. After a challenging seasoninterrupted by flooding and poor conditions, Greg had a session to remember—landing not one, but two chub over the magical 7lb barrier in a remarkable feat of angling.
"In 1984, I caught a 14lb 1oz barbel and Angling Times wrote at the time that it beat the ‘official’ British record by five ounces (the official record then was 13lb 12oz, Joe Day’s 1962 Royalty fish)," Greg explained.
"Angling Times also described it as ‘the biggest authenticated barbel caught in the last 50 years!’ They entered it for the inaugural Drennan Cup, which I won for the 1984/85 season," he added.
"I was a very serious barbel and chub angler, and in the 1985/86 season, I came within a few ounces of breaking the then-official chub record. I even made the front page of Angling Times with a picture of the chub, under the headline ‘Brilliant Buxton’!"
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A BIG CHUB, THESE ARE SOME GREAT STRETCHES TO TRY BEFORE THE END OF THE SEASON!
After winning the first Drennan Cup, Greg has dedicated much of his angling to catching fish from riverslike the Dorset Stour and Hampshire Avon in the last few years. While these rivers are known for holding big fish, they are heavily pressured, and you have to get it right to extract the fish that everyone wants to catch, something Greg has managed to accomplish with superb consistency.
"This winter has been tough on the rivers, with seven different storms from October through February flooding the local waterways," he said.
"Opportunities to trot a float for chub were few and far between. Using both trotting and quiver-tipping, I experienced many blanks!"
"On the day in question, the River Avon was finally in good condition. With my alarm set for 5:30 AM, I was on the river, shrouded in mist, by 7 AM. I trotted maggots on a size 18 hook to 4lb nylon, using a 15ft Drennan Acolyte Plus rodand a Daiwa reel."
Feeding little and often with maggots via a catapult, it took a couple of hours to get his first bite. While many anglers give up at this stage, experienced anglers know that this preparation is all part of the process when trying to catch chub. Once you manage to get them competing, you can often have a successful day’s fishing.
"After my first bite, I hooked fourteen fish and landed ten over the next six hours of fishing. I landed four trout up to 4lb 8oz and six chub, with the best four weighing 5lb 3oz, 5lb 14oz, 7lb, and 7lb 4oz!"
"I’ve been fortunate to have many successes with chub over the last four winters, but catching a brace of 7-pounders from the Hants Avon is up there with my Dorset Stour captures—five 6-pounders and a 7lb 1oz in one session, again trotting on the float, as well as my floodwater quiver-tipped caught 8lb 2oz chub!" he recalled.
"In the 1980s, chub fishing meant we fished for 5-pounders, hoped for a 6, and dreamed of a 7! Having returned to angling in 2017 after nearly three decades away, it feels like I’ve landed on a different planet," Greg concluded.
HERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT TIPS TO CATCH CHUB AT THE BACK-END OF THE SEASON!
