Canal Chub

[Zerkalo]

In all my years I had fishing canal matches I never caught a Chub and rarely saw them come out even when we fished stretches supposed to hold them. This wasn't for lack of trying. We always had a worm and caster line on the far bank but rarely did it ever produce.

Fishing last year on the Staffs/Worcs with big maggot for anything that swims I caught my first Canal Chub. My number 4 elastic shot out and I had to walk/run down the bank following it. Got it in and alas it was foul hooked behind the pectoral fin that put a bit of a damper on it. Nevertheless I was pleased and have always wanted to target Canal Chub.

Watching a few videos on it on Youtube and anglers make it seem easy. There's a James Robbins Shakespeare video at Swindon Lock which is near me.

So has anyone had any success with Canal Chub and got any tips to share? I'd imagine location is the main factor.

 

[The Landlord]

None of the stretches up here, hold any to my knowledge. However when I was a member of Cammell Lairds AC, we owned a stretch of the Montgomery Canal down at Abermule. That was very shallow & clear & held some big chub. It was right next to the River Severn so maybe that's how they ended up in the canal. Never caught one but used to get some big roach down there.

 

[Arch]

Far bank snags and lot of Casters - then hold on.

I used to use a dibber shot very lightly, feed lots of freebies into the snags, fish as close as you dare, and hope for the best. They don't seem to be lots of them about nowadays on the canals round here. But there are a few in the right swim.

 

[Flathead]

The Trent and Mersey canal around Derby used to be full of Chub and they reguarly featured in Catches....not sure what it is like now.

 

[Zerkalo]

I reckon I'm in a decent area for them. Staffs/worcs canal around Swindon/Wombourne so I should just get out and try for them though I reckon it will be slower in the cold. That's when we used to fish canals, in winter, and like I say, even on those renowned stretches they never really showed for us.

This guy fishes quite heavy for them and makes it look easy.

 

[The Landlord]

I reckon I'm in a decent area for them. Staffs/worcs canal around Swindon/Wombourne so I should just get out and try for them though I reckon it will be slower in the cold. That's when we used to fish canals, in winter, and like I say, even on those renowned stretches they never really showed for us.

This guy fishes quite heavy for them and makes it look easy.

Cracking looking swim that. Whereabouts is that stretch @Zerkalo ?

 

[Zerkalo]

Cracking looking swim that. Whereabouts is that stretch @Zerkalo ?

Not sure mate but would love to know. I agree it looks like a cracking swim. A lot of the canal near me is covered in shade either by trees or high sandstone banks, so they have features for the Chub to hide in, but I tend to think it needs a bit more sun and Swindon/Wombourne are a bit better for that. I love fishing pegs like that with reeds on the far side. Remember in a few matches I drew opposite boats and fished a Chub line blasting Casters up to the boat.

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

There used to be some great chub swims on the Lee either side of the North Circular Road. Much of the lee is canalised from central London to Broxbourne and beyond.

Tactics, before the days of long poles, was to cast a waggler over, particularly where there were overhanging brambles. Quite a lot of lost floats meant I developed my own home made versions from plastic drinking straws and cocktail sticks. Caster was the bait. I doubt it is fishable now due to overhead power cables and probably moored boats.

There were other parts of the Lee navigation that were chub hotspots, Crown fishery at Broxbourne was one.

 

[rudd]

This bloke knows 0.45 into sketch - Classic Archie (Fast show)

 

[alsur]

Used to fish for Chub a lot on Wey Navigation Canal on many sections you needed them to win, approach was always to feed casters close to far bank cover, leave alone for some time concentrating on Gudgeon and Roach the go over after any fish have had chance to settle. Before long poles we used the straight lead we got pretty good at plopping a link lead into holes in bushes now the Chub have all but disappeared from those sections.

 

[The Runner]

Used to be loads in some of the stretches of the GUC from Hemel down to Uxbridge.
For a few years I lived a short walk from the Denham section where most of the matches were won with chub- waggler or straight lead really tight to the far bank (mostly just too wide for pole) and feed heavily with maggot or caster.
Oddly localised though- as I say , lots at Denham from the lock at the Horse and Barge down to Denham Deep Lock yet never heard of one in the pound above which looked perfect for them.

 

[alsur]

Used to be loads in some of the stretches of the GUC from Hemel down to Uxbridge.
For a few years I lived a short walk from the Denham section where most of the matches were won with chub- waggler or straight lead really tight to the far bank (mostly just too wide for pole) and feed heavily with maggot or caster.
Oddly localised though- as I say , lots at Denham from the lock at the Horse and Barge down to Denham Deep Lock yet never heard of one in the pound above which looked perfect for them.

Lady Capels used to be a good stretch Chub.