The River Severn has been in some great form this season with Roger Carswell being one the latest anglers to reap its rewards with this immense 7lb 8oz Chub.
He told us “This season on the Severn I’ve found that fishing maggot and hemp on scaled down gear has been far more successful than the conventional pellet and boilie approach. I’ve been through the full repertoire of baits trying to fool a few barbel. They’ve not been easy to catch, and I’ve found that, apart from when the river comes up, these traditional baits have produced. Of course, using them means you’ll tempt other species, as I found on my latest outing.
Not only did I land a couple of barbel, but also five chub, topped one that turned out to be the star of the show – a 7lb 8oz fish. I’ve fished the Severn for sixty years and can’t recollect many, if any, chub bigger than this beauty. Fishing a 50g Kamasan Black Cap with an added 20g dead cow, I alternated between hemp and maggot in the feeder. The target area was a clump of far bank willows, and I cast every few minutes to ensure a steady trail of bait downstream.
I used a metre long hooklink and a size 10 Specialist Barbel Hook which I baited with three imitation sinking maggots. Thicker gauge hooks tend to burst maggots, so the rubber ones mean that you’re presenting a visually acceptable bait. The session was developing steadily, a couple of fish had come my way, but then a positive pull on the tip signalled another bite. A good old bend developed in the rod as the fish swirled on the surface and battled to get back under the willows. I applied more pressure and managed to extract it from its intended sanctuary and into open water.
The fish was heavy and lumberingly powerful as I slowly steered it to my side of the river. Now within netting range, I peered into the water for a glimpse as it came to the surface. Was it a carp? No – a huge chub that unbelievably it swam straight into the net. My scales confirmed what I had hoped. It was my biggest ever Severn chub and was fooled by three bits of coloured rubber.
Compared to southern rivers, the Severn tends to trail behind big fish wise as it’s a hostile spate river with wide temperature fluctuations due to snowmelt from the Welsh mountains. I regard this fish as an epic capture, and interestingly it tops a great season for big chub, although the barbel are becoming increasingly elusive. If your local river is suffering a similar fate, why not try my scaled down approach? Get some hemp and maggot and enjoy the other species it has on offer. And if there are barbel in the area, you stand a great chance of catching them too.”
Well done Roger!