Chub were first stocked in October 2009, then again in November 2011 and November 2017. They were little more than fingerlings, i.e. as big as your index finger.
The above pictures are of one of those "stockies" which have clearly grown on well. Although this fish was not weighed it was a good 15" or more long.
The latest picture shown the Chub held in a 2ft landing net! It was caught with a loaded method feeder and sweetcorn in the Main Lake.
Quite a few Chub have been caught but this was the first time that the owner witnessed the capture and was on-hand to photograph it.
More chub were stocked in November 2011. These Chub are now roughly 2lb in size!
Roll-on the next 18 months as Chub Fishing at the Fishery should become tremendous?
Early mornings, and the afternoons at the Fishery with dog biscuit’s on the bottom in the margins. Soft hook-able, dog biscuit’s like Baker’s Beef or Chicken, plus bait banded pellet or soft biscuit’s like Chum Mixers, a sharp size 10 or 12 hook and 6lb line, it should be really good.
Try ledger fishing a dog biscuit as a “pop-up” which is an excellent bait and method. Other good bait’s include sweetcorn, luncheon meat, paste, beef tongue (in tins), fresh or frozen cockles, muscles or prawns (not those in preservatives) fished in the margins. Plus, Worm and Maggots will catch plenty of good Roach, Bream and Chub.
You should find them in the margins and especially where there is a flow of water. Try trotting in the flow and watch the behaviour of your float. Fish a couple of inches over-depth. As soon as the behaviour of your float alters - strike, and always strike before your reel in - just in case! One angler, known as sausage man, fishes the margins at the Fishery using a float road, pole float and fresh sausage as bait. The takes are extremely fast, so he holds the rod at all times. He misses many but he also catches lots and many, mainly Carp 8-10lb about 12” from the bank.
This method works for all fish, not just the carp. Chub anglers at the Fishery do not use pods and snooze, they have the rod close by at all times. I would recommend having the handle of your rod resting on the edge of your seat next to your thigh. That way when a fish bites the rod is immediately to hand, no stretching to a pod or down to the ground.
By the time it takes to stretch out the fish will have had your bait and spat the hook out. Remember, a fishes reaction time is 10 times faster than yours. By the time you’ve spotted your float, indicator or what ever move, the fish has had the hook and bait in his mouth, stripped it, found the hook and spat it out, and you’ve thought “oh, I’ve got a bite”! So, you have to be quick, no lazy fishing here. Although boilies are a good bait, they’re not normally a bait for chub.
Although, those that use the smaller sizes, 8mm etc. have done exceptionally well over the winter months, especially when their bait has been tipped with sweetcorn. All the fish here, even the small Roach will take a bait on a size 10! As we’re not heavily match fished they’re not particularly hook shy.
What will change your catch rate is the presentation of your bait, no long tails from your knots. I’ve always found that the grinner knot presents the bait superbly, is a strong, small and neat knot.
If you don’t know how to tie it ask me and it would be a pleasure to show you how I tie grinner knots the easy way, my way. Usually when angler’s are not catching it is usually they’re knots and how they tie them that are letting them down. Their hooks are not “in-line” but sit at an angle to the line, so when they strike instead of the hook pulling in to the fish it pulls out, away from the fish. With a grinner knot the hook is in-line with the line and so moves accordingly. Once I’ve tied a grinner knot for an angler, they usually catch before I walked 10 yards away! Presentation is everything!
