When anglers think of traditional chub fishing, it often brings to mind images of trotting a stick float along the river or lowering a lump of cheese paste under a snag using a link leger setup. However, as with most things in fishing, trying something completely different can sometimes fool the larger fish that have become accustomed to the usual tactics.
Cameron Sutcliffe found himself in this very situation after spending a couple of nights at a day ticket carp fishery. With little success, he had spent much of his time feeding some of the big chub he had spotted patrolling the weed beds of the adjacent River Ouse.
Armed only with his carp gear, Cameron decided to dedicate his final night to the river, aiming to catch one of the specimen chub he had seen earlier, and when his hopes of landing a carp had all but faded, he saw an opportunity which paid off in superb fashion.
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"I have recently just found a day ticket fishery close to home in Bedfordshire that holds some really fantastic carp," Cameron told us.
"The River Ouse actually flows into the lake and depending on the conditions of the river, it can make the carp fishing quite challenging, often changing the temperature or colour of the lake in a matter of hours."
"I have been doing a lot more river fishing recently and after the carp didn't seem to be interested, I decided to try for the chub I knew were in the river."
After finding a clear gravel run in-between two large weedbeds, Cameron lowered his rig into the spot with a small PVA bag of pellets and began baiting lightly over the top with particles and boilies before he sat back to watch the sunset.
"I was fishing somewhat unconventionally, with a B.A Baits White Pop-Up on a ronnie rig on a stiff boom, the rigs I use for my carp fishing."
"I hadn't had so much as a liner when at around 3am my alarm just burst into life, the take was so savage I thought it might have even been a carp," he recalled.
"When I turned on my headtorch I couldn't believe the size of the chub that was staring back, with the scales confirming its colossal size at 7lb 6oz."
"I'll be spending a bit more time on the river now I think, it was such a great feeling to catch a fish of this size, hopefully there are more to come," He said.
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