Back on the Ribble Catching Chub

For Friday 20th December I had planned a pike fishing session on the River Aire, after looking in my diary this morning I noticed I was booked to fish with Anthony Morris of Wigan for an afternoon session on the Ribble. I suppose it was around 3 o’clock in the afternoon when Anthony and me arrived on my stretch of the Ribble. After chatting with the bailiffs and given out some Christmas presents to these hard working guys, then wishing them the best of seasons greetings. It was off to try and catch some chub. With a water temperature of 44 degrees Farenheight, an overcast sky with no wind and a distinct feel of warmth in the air. We had conditions as good as they get for a winter chub fishing session. Though I would like to have seen some colour in the water.

Anthony and I decided to fish on a bend in the river, opposite a small wood. I was fishing with two Chevins matched with centre pin reels and 6lb line and size 4 barbless hooks. The rod I would use for fishing meat baits I pinched an LG shot some fifteen inches from the hook. The rod I would use for crust fishing, I pinched on three LG shot five inches from the hook. Having settled in my first swim, I baited with a big chunk of luncheon meat, not cut with a knife but torn off. This was cast out close to the opposite bank where I allowed it to swing under some over hanging braches of a big beech tree. The crust baited hook was dropped onto the inside seam of the main flow about twenty feet downstream. As I put this second rod in the rest, the meat baited hook was away. Soon fish number one was in the net, a chub about 4-8-0, re-baiting I cast to the same spot.

As I put the meat rod in the rest, I spotted a slight knock on the crust baited rod, as I picked it up, the tip pulled over quite savagely. I connected with another good chub. Once in the net I could see it was another four pound plus fish. In the next hour I made eleven casts catching nine chub, the average well over 4lbs. Anthony fishing just upstream couldn’t get a bite. Then the bites dried up without another touch for twenty minutes I said to Anthony “Let’s go downstream to the big oak”. Arriving in the new swim Anthony immediately had a savage pull whipping the rod tip round to right angles. He missed this bite, as he did the next one. The third bite wasn’t missed which turned out to be a chub well over 4lbs. Meanwhile I pricked my first fish, then landed the next two fish both chub about 4lbs. We fished on in the darkness but didn’t get a bite between us. After an hour of fishing into darkness we called it a day.

On The Bank with Anglers Mail Photographer

Arriving home I got a call from Ian Chapman of Bolton a professional photographer asking if we could do a feature on “Trotting for Chub” for Anglers Mail the countries number 1 weekly fishing magazine. I said “I could but not until around 12-noon as I had to be in the studio from 5 o’clock in the morning until 11 o’clock” We agreed to meet in Clitheroe around 11-30am. Before going off to bed I sorted out some trotting gear, chest high waders and various baits lobworms, sweet corn, luncheon meat and bread.

Ian and I were on the river about 12-30 pm, as Ian set up his cameras, I made a few trots through my chosen swim so I could get the float to trot through with the bait just inches off the bottom .I then fed in some crumbed bread. Having got the depth right it was time to start fishing. Wading out far enough so I could trot close to the far bank, I baited with a chunk of bread flake. Making a Wallis cast I dropped the tackle some two feet from the far bank. The red tipped balsa on quill float was then allowed to move slowly through the swim. I find it’s most important to have the float held back making sure the bait precedes the float. I suppose the float had gone twenty feet then it dipped. The answering strike connected with a good chub. I called to Ian “Good fish on” Three or four minutes later I was drawing a lovely chub toward the landing net. It looked as if it might go five. Once in the net I waded ashore. Laying down my rod, I got the scales and weight bag out; zeroing the scales we weighed the fish. It went 4-15-0 what a good way to start a feature. Ian had a keep net as he wanted to get a picture of two or three fish. Within the hour the feature was all done. Ian went off home, while I returned to the cabin for some lunch and a mug of tea with Mick Holgate from Wigan.

Mick and me then decided to fish the big oak swim where I had two good chub both five pounders on crust, while Mick had three bites all missed. As we sat together chatting Mick said “Those chub you caught must have thought they were barbel, they pulled your rod tip right over and hooked themselves, while all my bites were rather tentative”. After Mick made another cast with the hook baited with luncheon meat. He said “Your first fish waited for you to finish your mug of tea, the second kept the rod tip pulled over until you had sorted out the hood of your jacket. How lucky can you get? I must admit I do get some lucky breaks like today. Don’t tell me there isn’t any luck in fishing as I wouldn’t believe you. We fished on in the darkness for half an hour and with no more bites we went off home. On Christmas Day, after an early morning session in the BBC Radio Lancashire studio I would head off down south, on the 26th and 27th I would be fishing the Kennet. On the 28th I was booked to write and shoot some pictures for a magazine feature on a pheasant shoot in Dorset. On Friday I would be on the London Anglers Association water on the Hampshire Avon at Britford. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year with pulled string and bent sticks in 2007