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Chasing chub....

Fingers crossed mate, I also ordered a Trudex but unfortunately Chris rang me and said that the last few bits he had in stock were faulty so he couldnt fulfil it, on the plus side he offered to swap it for a heritage for the same cost, so I cant complain as I wanted one of those anyway. :) I have a little area where I can keep 4 pins on display (all will be used) so I need to pick one older vintage pin and hunt it down to complete the set. Not sure what, because with the Triton, River Specialist and Heritage ive probably covered all of my fishing, maybe a real lightweight trotter for roach.

As a designer type who works exclusively in print, its nice to hear someone who likes unaltered photos, 90% of my work is photoshopping things to 'improve' them.
 
Fingers crossed mate, I also ordered a Trudex but unfortunately Chris rang me and said that the last few bits he had in stock were faulty so he couldnt fulfil it, on the plus side he offered to swap it for a heritage for the same cost, so I cant complain as I wanted one of those anyway. :) I have a little area where I can keep 4 pins on display (all will be used) so I need to pick one older vintage pin and hunt it down to complete the set. Not sure what, because with the Triton, River Specialist and Heritage ive probably covered all of my fishing, maybe a real lightweight trotter for roach.

As a designer type who works exclusively in print, its nice to hear someone who likes unaltered photos, 90% of my work is photoshopping things to 'improve' them.


For your fourth reel you might consider an okuma, they are fantastic reels.
I like the sheffield, aventa pros, raw mkIIs and the Martin Bowler.
The bowler pin is very lightweight and rotates with the very slowest of flows, but then again they all do 😉👍.
 
I fished one of the tidal areas of the river today. The temps were up which is why I made the effort to go, but so was the river making it more alkward to wade. Anyhow, first fish was a small chub of about a pound, followed by a small barbel, then another few small chub of the pound size, followed by another small barbel, followed by some quite decent dace, then to finnish off a decent barbel. I was expecting some decent chub down there but it just didn't happen. I only fished for 1 1/2hrs so I shouldn't complaiin. I would have stayed longer but down there the westerly wind was blasting upstream and even though it was 10 degrees it chilled me quite quickly, especially as I was stood out in the river up to my groins.
Incase anyone is interested in them, I tried one of the recently released drennan titanium trotter floats at first, they weren't really suited to todays fishing in the strong gusts of wind. The prroblem with the float was if the bait caught the deck the float would just bury because the sight tip isn't long enough. I swapped the float to one of Andrew Burts floats which was much better suited!

Anyhow not pic's of chub, but a couple of pic's from the short session....







I won't steel his thunder but I know someone residing "darn sarf" who had a propper chub today 😉.
 
I won't steel his thunder but I know someone residing "darn sarf" who had a propper chub today
😂 I wasn’t going to put it in the thread to be fair as it doesn’t feel right shouting about a chub caught on barbel gear.
I blanked on the barbel front but yes it was a very welcome and pleasant surprise to put the net under a 7lb chub
IMG_7731.jpeg
 
😂 I wasn’t going to put it in the thread to be fair as it doesn’t feel right shouting about a chub caught on barbel gear.
I blanked on the barbel front but yes it was a very welcome and pleasant surprise to put the net under a 7lb chub View attachment 33130


Thats a "big" chub in really nice condition also!
I don't think i'd be too bothered what method i'd used to catch it either.
 
Thats a "big" chub in really nice condition also!
I don't think i'd be too bothered what method i'd used to catch it either.
I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to certain species and chub have been a fish that has fascinated me since I was at primary school.

I have only ever had 1x 7lb fish by design and that particular 1 I was doing somersaults after catching it but I’ve had 2 bigger ones caught on self hooking rigs and toe rope for line which for me waters everything right down and as nice as they are to see, I don’t feel they hold much merit caught in such a way
 
I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to certain species and chub have been a fish that has fascinated me since I was at primary school.

I have only ever had 1x 7lb fish by design and that particular 1 I was doing somersaults after catching it but I’ve had 2 bigger ones caught on self hooking rigs and toe rope for line which for me waters everything right down and as nice as they are to see, I don’t feel they hold much merit caught in such a way
Cracking fish and a welcome interloper I say! IMO Chub are more rig shy than Barbel so shows you got working traps so there’s merit in that
 
I fished one of the tidal areas of the river today. The temps were up which is why I made the effort to go, but so was the river making it more alkward to wade. Anyhow, first fish was a small chub of about a pound, followed by a small barbel, then another few small chub of the pound size, followed by another small barbel, followed by some quite decent dace, then to finnish off a decent barbel. I was expecting some decent chub down there but it just didn't happen. I only fished for 1 1/2hrs so I shouldn't complaiin. I would have stayed longer but down there the westerly wind was blasting upstream and even though it was 10 degrees it chilled me quite quickly, especially as I was stood out in the river up to my groins.
Incase anyone is interested in them, I tried one of the recently released drennan titanium trotter floats at first, they weren't really suited to todays fishing in the strong gusts of wind. The prroblem with the float was if the bait caught the deck the float would just bury because the sight tip isn't long enough. I swapped the float to one of Andrew Burts floats which was much better suited!

Anyhow not pic's of chub, but a couple of pic's from the short session....







I won't steel his thunder but I know someone residing "darn sarf" who had a propper chub today 😉.
Is that one of the new drennan titanium trotters (top pic)? If so how’d you rate them? They look pretty good but not seen any in the ‘flesh’
 
Is that one of the new drennan titanium trotters (top pic)? If so how’d you rate them? They look pretty good but not seen any in the ‘flesh’

Yes Alan, its one of the drennan titanium trotter floats.
The problem I had with the drennan float yesterday was if the bait tripped bottom it would just go straight under, so there was nothing inbetween to allow you to read what was going on which meant I had to strike more than usual.
I swapped it out for one of the Andrew Burts bolo floats and rather than pull straight under when tripping bottom as the drennan float did it would bob down a bit and then instantly pop back up again negating the need to strike at nothing so often....if that makes sense to you.
Don't get me wrong, the drennan float was good, but not as good as a long sigh tipped bolo float in my situation.
Imo, it's a pity drennan didn't make the new titanium trotters with a longer sight tip.
 
Yes Alan, its one of the drennan titanium trotter floats.
The problem I had with the drennan float yesterday was if the bait tripped bottom it would just go straight under, so there was nothing inbetween to allow you to read what was going on which meant I had to strike more than usual.
I swapped it out for one of the Andrew Burts bolo floats and rather than pull straight under when tripping bottom as the drennan float did it would bob down a bit and then instantly pop back up again negating the need to strike at nothing so often....if that makes sense to you.
Don't get me wrong, the drennan float was good, but not as good as a long sigh tipped bolo float in my situation.
Imo, it's a pity drennan didn't make the new titanium trotters with a longer sight tip.
Thanks, yeah the tip is a bit short…but longer than the Korum glide ones which are way too short. Shame but I’ll no doubt get a couple and try when next on the Severn
I’ll have to get my name down for some of @Richard Isaacs I think
 
Thanks, yeah the tip is a bit short…but longer than the Korum glide ones which are way too short. Shame but I’ll no doubt get a couple and try when next on the Severn
I’ll have to get my name down for some of @Richard Isaacs I think

Oh man, those korum floats are total dog doo doo, prolly among the worst floats i've ever used.

Yes, for sure Richards do look very nice!
 
Anyone ever suffer bite offs whilst ledgering for chub? I must have been done, normally on the strike around half a dozen times all either on flake or worm, over the last few years on one particular low stock stretch of river I fish. All going at bottom of hooklengh. Due to these occurrences I’d upped my hooklengh line right upto a low diameter (powerline) 11lb breaking strain. But even that was bitten off the other week.
 
Anyone ever suffer bite offs whilst ledgering for chub? I must have been done, normally on the strike around half a dozen times all either on flake or worm, over the last few years on one particular low stock stretch of river I fish. All going at bottom of hooklengh. Due to these occurrences I’d upped my hooklengh line right upto a low diameter (powerline) 11lb breaking strain. But even that was bitten off the other week.
Jon, Id say shorten your hook length, sounds like they have the bait right down before you are seeing the bite ?
 
Anyone ever suffer bite offs whilst ledgering for chub? I must have been done, normally on the strike around half a dozen times all either on flake or worm, over the last few years on one particular low stock stretch of river I fish. All going at bottom of hooklengh. Due to these occurrences I’d upped my hooklengh line right upto a low diameter (powerline) 11lb breaking strain. But even that was bitten off the other week.

The places I fish haven't got a crayfish problem, but I have heard people who fish waters where crayfish are present often have their bait snipped off. It does sound very feasible if there are crayfish present.
 
Jon, Id say shorten your hook length, sounds like they have the bait right down before you are seeing the bite ?

Sounds like a plan, I will definitely shorten up.

& No crayfish present i don’t believe Ian, and the bites are not like the bites I get from crayfish on other rivers I fish. Im sure chub are the culprits.

Cheers
 
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