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Martin James award-winning fisherman consultant,broadcaster,writer





  

09/07/2020 - Another Good Session

5 LB 10 ounce chub, note the big tail

 

Today I chose a new venue I hadn’t visited for about 3 years, I arrived to find the river with around 18 inches of extra water with some colour, water visibility was around six inches, I walked about a mile to reach an area I’ve done well in the past, always thought was a good area for chub fishing, a stream flowed in slightly upstream of a few very large Sycamore trees some of the lower branches trailed in the water where I had an average depth of six feet flowing over gravel and small stones with an odd big rock, the whole length of the swim was in my opinion perfect venue for chub. Sitting at the head of the swim I sat and threw in several large chunks of meat, hopefully while I am putting my gear together a fish or two will sample the free offerings.

Tackle Set Up

I chose to use my Chevin rod which has accounted for a tremendous lot chub including fish of 6 lb 15 ounces and 7 lb 10 ounces, most of my 6lb plus chub have been caught on this rod, my friend Bumble is desperate to fish with one, so the next time I see him I will hand over the rod. Then for the rest of my days I will get a lot of pleasure knowing he will be fishing with that Chevin. Today I matched the rod with a Coxon Aerial reel with 10lb bs braid to which I attached a size 4 barbless hook. As In done yesterday I attached a BB shot eighteen inches from the hook I moulded some plasticine around the shot, then made a cast upstream to see how it reacted in the flow, I’d got it spot on though the tackle bumped quite fast along the bottom, with the big bait I was going to start with it will be slowed down as it moved along the bottom. Fishing a big chunk of meat I needed a baiting needle to get the hook through the bait, my needle was a paper clip I’d straightened out then made a small hook on the end. Baiting with a chunk of meat I cast upstream holding the rod high allowing to bait to trundle downstream taking in the slack line as it did so, similar to fishing an upstream nymph.

Hooked Up To A big One

On my fifth cast the bait rolled some ten yards down stream of me, when I got a very strong pull. I set the hook into a very powerful fish being forced to give line, the check on the Coxon really does screech in anger when its being used. After some ten minutes I started slowly working the fish upstream against the fast water, thinking to myself this could be a “Big Five Pounder” Twice I was forced to give some of the hard earnt line, I don’t know how long this contest lasted but eventually I got to draw the fish into the quieter water in the margins making sure the line didn’t get caught on a trailing Sycamore branch, then I got a good look at my prize, it certainly was a special fish I reckon it had to be a big six pounder, perhaps nudging seven pounds. With the net submerged in the water I slowly gained line a few inches at a time, now the fish was in full view flat on the surface some six feet down stream I got it up another foot, suddenly it dived then everything went slack. I was gutted, it wasn’t a break as I suspected, the weight had caught on some snag as the fish went free so the tackle was freed from the snag. I sat there cursing and spitting feathers.

Fifteen minutes later I’m hooked up to another good fish, again I was forced to give line then I’d take some back, this give and take went on for some ten minutes but each time I got a few extra inches back on the spool. Soon I was winning this fight getting more and more line on the reel, I weas time to sink the net in the water then a minute or two later I had the fish at the surface slowing drawing it towards the net when I was a foot off the net I cramped on a bit more power with the fish over the net I lifted then it was engulfed in the net, thinking it’s a good job I changed to a bigger net from yesterday. On the scales it weighed 5 lb 10 ounces I was more than happy. Over the next two hours I hooked and lost what felt like three good fish, then I had two chub of 4 lb 10 ounces another of 4 lb 12 ounces, after a bite less half an hour I ended my ended my session

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best chub of the 4 lb plus fish was 4 lb 12 ounces

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Martin James Fishing
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