Want to catch a really big chub? Then perhaps it’s time to abandon some of your preconceptions about bait, tackle and even tactics. Stef Horak illustrates his own highly successful approach

IN RECENT years for whatever reason, most of our coarse fish have got bigger; there has certainly never been a better time to be a specialist angler. Take the barbel for instance, just a few short years ago a double-figure fish was something very special indeed. However, nowadays if you are prepared to get off you backside and travel a few extra miles, a double-figure barbel can be almost guaranteed within a day of two.

On numerous occasions I have caught four doubles in an afternoon, and in one mind-blowing session I landed seven barbel over nine and a half pounds in just five hours. So there really is no excuse. I will explain the methods I use to catch those big barbel in another article, but this month we are going to concentrate on chub.

Many years ago when I was single and a fresh-faced youth my whole life was focused on trying to catch what was then the somewhat elusive 5lb chub. Every waking moment when I was not at work found me trudging the banks of the delightful River Welland around Stamford. Most weekends, summer or winter, snow or heat waves my mates and me would be on one stretch or another desperately trying to catch a ‘five’.

Finally, after about six years hard slog it happened! I cast into a swim which I had fished a thousand times before, my quivertip settled, then invitingly pulled round ever so slowly, a solid strike set the bread-baited hook. The result was a superb looking 5lb 3oz chub. I felt I really deserved that fish. It’s funny though; even now looking back after all these years I can remember how catching that chub completely took the edge of my fishing. Although it was a great catch, for months afterwards I just lost my motivation, whilst that of my mates got even more intense. There was even a short spell when I wished I had not caught the damned thing! So just a word of warning, no matter how hard your fishing gets sometimes the journey is better than the arrival!

All the chub we caught in the old days were taken on what you might call the standard chub baits; bread, cheese, worms etc. It seems silly to me now but maggots were never even considered as a viable chub bait. However, things have changed so much that in recent years maggots or caster are the only bait I ever use.

Most of my fishing is now done on the Dorset Stour or the Hampshire Avon – once or twice a month I try and get a weekend down south on these venues. Just to give you some idea of the effectiveness of maggots, the season before last whilst part-time chub fishing I still managed to catch fifty-six chub over 5lb-plus, quite a few big sixes as well! The method for catching these fish was simplicity itself.

Tackle-wise, all we need is a quivertip rod – the longer the better. The length is important as it helps to prevent hooked chub diving into the weeds at your feet. Two rod rests are essential as, for reasons I will explain later, there will be no holding the rod. You will also need a selection of block feeders and hooks to nylon size 18 and 20 are also required. Bait consists of four pints of hemp, plus the same quantity of maggots or casters – I prefer red ones but any colour tends to catch.

After choosing a swim that you know or suspect might hold chub, fill a large block feeder with hemp and maggots and cast out to your desired spot – no bait is put in the hook at this point. Put your rod tip as close to the water as you possibly can – forget all this crap about your rods being high in the air – it makes you look a right wally anyway! The reason for keeping your rod low is so that when any weed comes floating down you just put your rod tip under the surface and inch or two and the rubbish drifts harmlessly by.

After the first cast put you rod into two rod rests and watch your quivertip, after five minutes reel in a re-fill the feeder and recast, making sure it lands in the same spot as before – once again watch your quivertip. I guarantee that if any chub are present they will soon start to hit your feeder, which in turn gives you lovely indication on your quivertip. No matter how quickly these indications occur don’t be tempted to put a bait on, just relax and have half a dozen more casts. By this time the rod top will be going frantic – honest! The chub grow bolder and bolder as they push each other out of the way to swallow every escaping grub from the feeder. I usually try to leave it for an hour before casting in, a single maggot is then impaled on a size 18 hook which is tied to 2lb line – if you want to fish heavier that is up to you but don’t complain when you only catch one or two chub from the shoal!

My usual procedure is to catch two or three fish on the size 18 and then drop down to a size 20 when the chub start to get clever and wise up. I might lose perhaps one fish in thirty; it’s just a matter of having confidence in your tackle. I have landed barbel over 13lb and carp to nearly twenty on such gear, so I have no qualms about playing chub to 6lb-plus on light tackle – the trick is not to rush!

Anyway, back to the feeding chub. Now here is the clever bit, the hook length must be no longer than three inches and the chub will hook itself within seconds of casting in – this is where the two rods rests come into play. You must never strike because the light line will break, and if you were holding the rod it would be impossible not to! Never be in any rush. I usually catch a couple of chub then take my bait off, although I will still carry on casting the feeder in. In a while the chub will have got their confidence back, then I will catch a couple more. Fishing this way you can catch them on and off all day. On many occasions a dozen or so chub have been caught with over half of them being on the right side of 5lb.

Sometimes on cold days the chub can be very difficult to catch indeed – even on a size 20. It is on days such as this that something extra clever needs to be tried. A cork plug is wedged into one of the feeder holes (see diagram) the cork has a split but into it, this is to enable to hook link to be fixed along it. Along with the maggot a tiny piece of rig foam is also put on the hook, this makes the bait pop up just above the block feeder, so when the chub arrives that’s the first bait they will come across – bingo! The hooked chub pulls the line out of the slit and the feeder runs up the line as normal.

So if you have been struggling to catch big chub give this method a whirl. I can assure you it’s not just chuck and chance it. My mates and I have been fishing this method for over four years and it has never let us down – it also works on all the other rivers I have ever fished. So if you give it a try let me know.

This article was first published in Coarse Angling Today September 2001