Ribble Chub Feed with a Vengeance

One of the great things about being a pensioner is I can go fishing most days of the week. Today conditions couldn’t be much better for a winter’s days angling. A blue sky with no wind greeted David and me when we arrived on the banks of the Ribble; where we were surprised to see five anglers on the river fly fishing for grayling; and after several weeks of no anglers out and about on the banks it was nice to see. The water level was perfect with just a ting of colour. As we walked the banks a chrome bright salmon swirled on the surface in mid river. Further upstream I heard the sound of the wild goose, looking up I could see a big skein of pink footed geese probably numbering a hundred and twenty. With good light conditions I had a perfect view of them through my binoculars. Turning to David I said “That’s made my day seeing all those geese” Having walked the upstream beat, we then walked to the bottom of the beat. It was nice to see no cormorants. Though I did see two dabchicks. We then went off for some lunch.

I suppose it was around 2’oclock when David went home and I arrived back on the river in search of some chub, armed with my favourite ‘Chevin’ an Avon action rod, matched with a centre pin reel and 6lb line to which I had tied a size 4 barbless hook. My bait bucket contained two loafs of extra thick sliced bread, some sausage meat and cheese paste. If I didn’t catch on these baits, I don’t reckon I would catch on anything. Leaving my gear in the car, I walked downstream dropping a cricket size ball of mashed bread in five swims which I thought might contain some chub. Back at car, I collected my gear then walked downstream to the bottom of the beat.

My plan was to slowly fish my way upstream spending at least fifteen minutes in each spot. If I didn’t get a bite I would move on. Should I get bites then I would stay in the swim until I felt it was time to move on. I chose a spot where the river made a sweeping right hand bend leading into a small copse, on the inside of the bend I had about five feet of water with an over hanging willow tree. From past experience I new it was a noted and very good chub spot. In the current weather and water conditions, I really did expect to catch. I sat on the bank for several minutes trickling in some mashed breads, on the far bank a group of mallard sat preening in the winter sunshine.

After pinching on three LG shot some four inches from the hook, I baited with a chunk of crust. I dropped the bait a few feet downstream and towards the centre of the river. I had just enough weight so I could bounce the bait down the steady flow of water. The weight and bait landed with a slight plop, I fed some line then lifted the rod high. I waited some three or four minutes and with no sign of a bite I lifted the weight off the bottom and let it drift about two feet downstream then dropped the rod tip allowing the bait to be anchored once more. After a minute or so I lifted the rod tip, as the bait lifted off the bottom a fish hit the bait hard. A firm strike set the hook into a good fish. The rod was hooped over; I was forced to give line. Suddenly the fish kited in towards the bank, no doubt seeking the sanctuary of some willow tree roots that plunged into the water. I swung the rod in the opposite direction pulling the fish away from the bank, into the faster water. I was more than happy to have a chub fighting for its freedom in this area. The trick worked, soon I had a tired fish coming towards the net, and then it was mine. A fish of about 4lbs. slipping out the barbless hook I lowered the net into the water then watched the chub swim off.

In the next ten minutes I had two more fish both about four pounds again crust was the bait. Fifteen minutes later with no more bites, I picked up my gear for a move upstream to the next baited swim. Though I was more than happy to catch those three fish from three bites. My next spot was a long glide over some three feet of gravel and small rocks; it’s also a place where I fancy my chances of catching a barbel. It can also be a good grayling swim. The glide is about thirty feet long, which then shallows up and makes a left hand sweep flowing under some large alder trees. I introduced some mashed bread, then taking off one of the LG shot I moved the other shot further up the line some fifteen inches from the hook. I baited with a chunk of bread flake. Casting out I bumped and rolled the bait down the swim. I reckon these chub would take moving bait, rather than a static one.

First cast, I’m rewarded with a nice chub which I weighed, thinking it might go 5lbs, it weighed 4-9-0 but had the length of a five pound fish being 23 inches I then changed tackle from legering to float fishing. All I had to do is take off the shot slide two float rubbers over the hook then fix a cork on quill Avon float at about three feet. The float needed 4 AA which I bunched about 12 inches from the hook. I trotted the tackle through the swim several times adjusting it slightly before I was happy with the float position. Baiting with a chunk of flake I watched the float to move down the glide, holding it back so the bait preceded the float. Just as it reached the tail of the swim where it started to shallow up. I held the float back allowing the bait to lift. As it did so the float stabbed under the surface. My sweeping strike connected with a nice chub which after a good scrap was bought the net. After unhooking the fish I rebaited with another bit of flake. Half way down the swim the float moved across the flow and disappeared. I soon had another good chub to the net. In the next few casts I had a chub on each trot through the swim.

With the light fading fast I dispensed with the float, pinching three LG shot on the line about four inches from the hook. Baiting with a big chunk of crust, I dropped the bait twenty feet or so down the swim. Placing the rod in the rest, I decided to put the kettle on. I got as far as picking up the water bottle, when the tip nodded then pulled over. Another chub was soon ready for unhooking. The tea could wait. I rebaited with another chunk of crust and dropped it in half way down the swim. Within thirty seconds the tip savagely pulled over. Another chub was hooked and quickly netted. After unhooking the fish I fed a handful of mashed bread in the swim. With the light fading fast I switched on my torch then positioned it to illuminate the rod tip. Baiting with another chunk of crust I cast it in the area of where I had my last chub. I waited about two minutes then the tip went over, another chub was hooked but only for a few seconds as the fish was lost.

Winding in I rebaited then made another cast, I soon had another chub which was quickly landed. I fed another ball of mashed bread in the swim. During the next hour I probably had eight or nine more chub. I never did have that mug of tea. With the temperature dropping I decided to call it a day. As I walked upstream to the car park I looked back on my chub fishing session, thinking to myself ‘Its nice being able to get out on our rivers when conditions are good’. Tomorrow I was going to fish the River Aire in search of some pike