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Chub in the winter

A couple of clonkers that I put up on the H Avon thread a couple of weeks ago and managed to delete by mistake!:rolleyes:

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I usually use dropbox which automatically transfers phone pics to photos then upload to bfw albums,...then copy paste bb code to post Chris.
Managed to get a bug in dropbox due to an upgrade,..now sorted I hope!
You have to be logged onto site to veiw pics though.

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7.07 and 6.14 ,..best of 5 on trotted flake.:)
 
Cheers Dave. Never seen bellies that size, amazing. Hants fish are gorgeous. Not fished it for some years now, used to have regular trips down there and the Stour.
, my fave winter bait, ever.
 
Crackers Dave,Stour and Avon fish are like a different species to normal chub.I remember when i returned to the Stour about 15 years ago.I hooked a chub first trot on the bread,my mate said i will net it for you and i said its only a small one(thinking 3 1/2 lb) so netted it myself .Its depth was immense and an ounce under 6lb. You are blessed down there with you fishing.One of my mates thinks the Stour could do the record this winter.
 
Agree with you about the Stour and Avon chub Mark,... before moving down here my pb,s always came from either river from day or holiday trips.
It wouldn't surprise me to see a river record come from one of the two.
 
Avon Chub seem even squatter than Stour Chub. Despite catching loads during the summer from the Stour including a massive 5lb14oz fish in September. I'd love to catch that one now, be well over 6lb. The temperature drop has killed my efforts off. I've trotted bread flake, feeder fished mince with steak, maggot and hemp and cheese paste without much joy. A few fish in the mid fives in October/November but December has been hard work.

Whilst there is always the chance of a Chub record coming out the Stour or Avon and I know fish to 7 came out in summer and we've had them over 8 in previous seasons. I haven't heard of an 8 this year, let alone a 9 which it would take to take the record. There is however in my opinion the potential for the Stour to produce if not a British record a venue record Barbel, a certain fish that weighed in over 15.7lb in summer could be a serious contender.
 
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Here's a couple of long 7's from both rivers caught in the summertime,...both would do 8 in March I reckon. The Avon fish was caught a couple of years ago, so if still alive would possibly do 8 now.
There has been a confirmed 8 taken off the Stour back in the summer,..its a known fish which has an obvious knack of avoiding predators!
I'm not sure why, but some of the old really long battle scarred fish don't always seem to develop the huge under-slung bellies to the same extent as some younger specimens,...one obvious reason would be that they're males I guess.

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I know of 3 x 8lb plus Chub from the Trent this year alone. 2 this summer too, it must be a mare to target these all have come on Barbel gear. Six years ago I had a record shaker from the Tidal Trent. I don't think it's alive now but a fellow angler had an 8lb 5oz Chub this August.
 
I must confess that a number of my bigger chub have come when after barbel Jon,...usually in the warmer months. Great times for a pb on many rivers as average size continues to rise.
As for a new record,..well the Trent has to be a favourite, or maybe a cray infested Thames tributary, who knows?
Always like to keep one eye on population numbers and year classes, not all rivers seem to be thriving in that respect.
 
Fished Throop (beat 2) for the first time on sunday after moving down to Bournemouth for a new job. The river looked immaculate carrying a touch of colour, conditions were perfect, mild and still. Long and short was a complete blank! Only one fellow I spoke to had caught anything (3lber)...which was surprising considering what I would consider to be ideal chub conditions. I trotted with red and white maggot, 2lb bottom and a sz 20, heavy loosefeeding...any tips?
 
Glad you have sorted the move George, shame about the fishing!
If it's any consolation, I've been out on 3 different Stour venues between Throop and Wimbourne over the past 6 days after chub and have struggled.
Although air temps have risen since the hard frosts, water temps have not recovered and have shown a downward trend which is never ideal.
http://www.knappmill.co.uk/id2.html
Avon readings I know, but is a good indicator of temperature trends.
Maybe it was just my incompetence but I fished swims that have done the business in the past. Trotting red maggot on a 16 to 2.4 and minimal loose feed got me a couple of mid sized fish on Friday, .. roving with crust and cheese on another day resulted in one nice fish of 6.04 , then followed by a blank.
I will feel a bit more confident when water temps level out and stay stable for 5 or 6 days regardless how cold that maybe.
Looking at the forecast I don't think it's going to be this week!:rolleyes:
 
Thanks for that Dave, that's a good link for temp info also (in fact I forgot my thermometer yesterday but a solitary reading wouldn't have done me much good anyway). I wouldn't consider bagging a six a 'struggle' week mind!
I didn't mind the blank too much to be honest as I really just wanted to walk the whole beat as its my first time down there and ascertain snags/depths etc, hence trotting when I would normally favour touch ledgering flake (well don't 'prefer' it but find it more successful for me).
Will keep my eye on that link and time my next session more carefully now that I am a bit more familiar with the stretch.
 
George, how do you feed,those Stour fish are not stupid and you need to get things exactly right if the water is clear.Your loose feed has to go in first and the hookbait has to be in the cloud of freebies all the way down the swim.They can also be very light sensitive in winter and you might have to be in a good swim for the last hour of the day to get fish.
 
George Maltby said:
Fished Throop (beat 2) for the first time on sunday after moving down to Bournemouth for a new job. The river looked immaculate carrying a touch of colour, conditions were perfect, mild and still. Long and short was a complete blank! Only one fellow I spoke to had caught anything (3lber)...which was surprising considering what I would consider to be ideal chub conditions. I trotted with red and white maggot, 2lb bottom and a sz 20, heavy loosefeeding...any tips?
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I was there Saturday morning, same result.
 
Mark Swaby said:
George, how do you feed,those Stour fish are not stupid and you need to get things exactly right if the water is clear.Your loose feed has to go in first and the hookbait has to be in the cloud of freebies all the way down the swim.They can also be very light sensitive in winter and you might have to be in a good swim for the last hour of the day to get fish.
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To be honest Mark I did think I was fishing pretty well, we all have those days where everything we touch turns to muck, but this wasn't one of those. I carefully fed each swim for 10-15 minutes before trotting through and generally had my hook bait either in or on the edge of my loose feed (wherever range dictated that I didn't need the catapult...which makes that very hard). I am inclined to blame the temperature pointed out earlier...although that is also because it makes me feel better!
 
I'm probably there friday.
Minus 1 wind chill. Probably crackers according to reports.
Maggots and bread. Fishing with hope!
 
Graham Elliott said:
I'm probably there friday.
Minus 1 wind chill. Probably crackers according to reports.
Maggots and bread. Fishing with hope!
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Looked at the weather forecast on Monday...discounted anything after Wednesday, you must be mad!...Although it may put the flounder over in Poole on the feed...dammit I've just talked myself into freezing myself half to death Thursday night.
 
You're a martyr to the cause Graham!
I shall pickup some fresh bait when up Ringwood way tomorrow and pop in the chemist for some bravery pills.;)
 
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