Any Tips For Chub Tomorrow?

[peakoverload]

I'm going to be fishing the River Rother tomorrow as it's on my club's lists of waters and this is the first time I've fished a river in over a decade! This is what they say about their stretch of it:

"Approximately one mile of the River Rother at Hardam provides non-tidal river fishing. It contains few small fish but makes up in quality, for what it lacks in quantity, with massive Chub, Carp, Bream, Pike and quality Sea Trout."

I'm going to try and target the Chub being that I've only caught one Chub in all my life and that was only a few onzes. Can anyone give me any tips to hopefully increase my chances?

Bait wise I already have some tins of 10mm cubes of Spicy Luncheon Meat and tins of Hemp along with some Sensas Exploding Feeder groundbait that is supposedly good for Chub. I know traditionally cheese is also supposed to be a good Chub bait but is there something else I should be trying instead?

As for rigs, having never fished or even seen the River Rother, other than short video clips on the clubs website, I don't know how deep it is but there is some weed that looks like it breaks the surface in places and the flow looks fairly gentle. In terms of width it doesnt look that wide either, I reckon you could hit the other bank with a 5BB float without any problems.

My first thought was to try a feeder on a quivertip but I'm not sure what kind of rig to use if there is thick weed.

I also wondered if at this time of year a static bait on a ledger may not be the best approach and that the Chub would prefer the bait to come to them on a long trotted stick float for example.

Any thoughts?

If the water isnt too weedy I think I'll also try spinning for the Pike as unfortunately I don't have any snap tackle to make up any dead bait rigs and there won't be time to get any today

[Wilza]

I've never fished that river but if it was me i would fish like i do on the Wensum for chub. I would use my feeder rod with a couple of SSG shot or three link ledgered about 15 inch from a size 4 hook with cheese paste, bread or maybe steak on the hook! I would bait up likely looking areas with minced beef (cheap frozen stuff) mixed with a little marine pellet ground bait or the ground bait you alreay have. Put in a few small balls slightly up stream. you can add shot or reduce the weight if need be. you may find if you have bushes, reeds etc on your side of the river, you could just plop the rig in and let the flow drift your bait round untill it settles more or less under your feet! You could use a feeder to hold your rig between the weed beds, you won't know till you see the river in the flesh how to approach it. I would also take some maggots with you for trotting a float down. Maybe a few fishy boilies and pepperami would be worth taking. You may have to fish fairly light if it's running clear. Best of luck mate.

[peakoverload]

Thanks for the tips.

Unfortunately I totally blanked Didn't see any signs of any fish anywhere, not a touch on the feeder and even tried long trotting but again not even a nibble.

I did get one take on a small lure from what I think was a Jack Pike but it was so fast I didn't even get a chance to set the hooks, just one quick BANG and it was gone.

As I was leaving I met another angler who said that he had fished it the last two evenings without even so much as a nibble but did say "you wouldn't believe it but this place is packed with bream, chub and Pike".

Looks like I'll just have to try again.

[Wilza]

Oh well, don't worry too much, maybe it's the settled weather we have at the moment putting them off.

[tat]

1.take a rod and reel.
2.put a hook on.
Sorry could'nt resist it,best of luck hope you get loads.

[markl813]

mashed bread with flake on the hook is my favorite chub bait