New PB Chub - 5lb 1oz

[Maceo]

Caught during a session yesterday at a certain south of England water, known amongst the cognoscenti by the codename 'old father'.

I reckon I've got to be careful advertising the Newbridge Thames now - there were three other people fishing down there last week. The most I've ever seen. Nobody except me down there yesterday however.

The river was up a little from the heights of summer and there were lots of sticks and leaves etc floating down. The flow was still pretty slow though.

Started off with a stick float having read up about using one correctly. I found it quite difficult because of the gusty wind and I'm not convinced there's quite enough flow for it to be effective yet. Still, caught a couple of Dace using it.

Switched to a waggler after a couple of hours and started using luncheon meat on the hook, switching between that and corn. Had a roach of around 1lb and more little roach and a few dace. I'd used a 'meaty' groundbait mixed with crumb. Kept hemp and a few maggots going in as loosefeed.

Hooked into this chub around 1:30pm (with corn on the hook) and really thought I'd hooked the bottom at first until I felt the delicious first wriggle a moment later. It came in fairly easily - the new Maver rod worked excellently for a £20 piece of kit. This was its first serious test and it was well up to it. Highly recommended.

It made a dash for some reeds which were alongside me on the near bank, but I managed to hold it out and get the landing net under it. Wow that's a difficult thing to do with your left hand when the banks are high and you're nervous! Couldn't believe the size of it once it was out. This not only beats my PB for Chub by about 4.5lbs, but it is also more than twice the size of the biggest fish I've ever caught.

I weighed it at 5lb 1oz and tried to take a photo but thought the camera's batteries had run out. When I got home I was really pleased to find that they hadn't and a couple of snaps had come out OK. As soon as I can this bloody USB lead for it, I'll put them up here of course.

Took it down to the water in the landing net head and left it in the shallows to recover. It lay on its side in the net for about 5 minutes completely knackered (enough time for me to sit there and smoke a fag watching it). When I moved the net out from under it, it gave a massive flap of its tail and shot off. Very impressive.

I was so delighted to have caught this fish. I really feel that I'm fishing so much better these days thanks to the advice I've received and reading up from several books. I've received plenty of advice on here - so thanks gentlemen. I reckon part of that fish was yours!

The three main things I was doing wrong previously:-

1. Rubbish random shotting pattern. I just treated shot as a way to sink or cock the float to the way I liked it and didn't consider the way it made the bait fall through the water. The revelation that you shouldn't use larger shot under smaller ones was a major step forward, as was the concept of using lots of small shot rather than one or two large ones!

2. Overfeeding and irregular feeding I used to just chuck in a big handful of maggots or loose feed round the float whenever I remembered. I now only chuck in 5 or 6 maggots at a time or a couple of pieces of corn and keep it going in every other cast. I'm absolutely convinced this is the biggest step forward I've taken and is very effective. The 'little and often' rule is definitely the right one.

3. Feeding before a cast rather than after it As mentioned, my old tactic was the rather tactless lob of a handful of loosefeed around the float every so often. Now I chuck in a little loosefeed and try and land my cast on top of it a few moments later so it sinks alongside it.

Well, that's it for now. Sorry about the long post, but I HAD to tell some people who would understand about catching this fish. Told the wife and kids but it meant nothing to them particularly. If I told them I'd caught a 200lb whale in the Thames they'd say 'oh yeah? Very nice'. You know how it is.

[SIMPLE MAN]

Well done on a new pb

[Bluesbro]

Well done mate and cheers for thre tips, I am a newbie to all this freshwater fishing and have been doing all 3 of the methods you have mentioned!!! Large shot, overfeed and feeding after I cast out!! Now I shall take on board what you have said and will try your suggested methods!!! Congratulations on the chub as well, I have never caught 1 but its on the "to catch" list. Look forward to the pics, Did you catch it under a tree overhang or just out in the open mate?

Joe

[Maceo]

It was in a section of the river which is narrower than all around it and made narrow still by a big overhanging tree on the far bank. However I caught the chub right in the mid-stream.

I do try and get as close under the tree as I can on some casts, but it's pretty difficult and the branches have already claimed a couple of over cast rigs!

I can't find this USB cable for the camera anywhere - I wish they'd make those things standard. We've got about half a dozen various cables but none of them fit. I've just ordered a memory card reader off e-bay, so I'll get the photos off that way when it arrives in a couple of days. I'm really pleased the photos came out - I was cursing when I thought the batteries had gone.

[chris.oldgit]

terrific result maceo, keep up the good practice and more will surely follow, well done on your pb.

[Maddison_Twatter]

Very well done m8, a 5lb chub is a great achievment.
Thats what I like about this forum too, someone to share your catch with, because as you say the family dont get it, all I get askied is if I ate it aferwards.

[chazyboi]

brilliant catch mate well done

[Dadwood]

Originally Posted by Maddison_Twatter

Very well done m8, a 5lb chub is a great achievment.
Thats what I like about this forum too, someone to share your catch with, because as you say the family dont get it, all I get askied is if I ate it aferwards.

That's an interesting point you make Maddison. Whenever I go fishing I get told that I must be mad, spending so much time alone and wasting away my life! Mad? Wasting time? Bah, it makes me so that these non fishing people can be so thick and ignorant! (rant over). Kind regards to all.

[chazyboi]

man has been fishing since we have been on this planet ,,man against the animal is a built in instinct that laziness and commercialized food has destroyed ,, fishermen have less stress problems unless you fish for mullet even heard doctors prescribing it for heart attack and stress cases as my friend was after 3 heart attacks hes still going strong and the exercise walking to marks and back is good for you and fish is a healthy food ,,,better than sitting playing mindless pc games and hitting a ball down a hole or looting and its the biggest partisipating sport in the world and cheaper than wayne roony and the other overpaid bladder kickers

[BoldBear]

Congrats on your PB Chub Maceo. a 5lb chub is a really excellent fish, well done.

nb. Hope your USB cable turns up

Keith (BoldBear)