Roving for Chub- freelined lob worms and a pair of polaroids...

Over the past few evenings I have been roving a short stretch of waterway, specifically trying to locate some decent chub. Having found 4 holding under some dense cover on the far bank I flicked pieces of compressed crust under the raft of weed and debris but the stubborn dark shadows refused to take interest in my free offerings. Moving further downstream I located more chub who also let the crust and disks of compress bread flow past with no interest.

Undeterred I returned the following evening with a new approach. Racking my brains I decided to re-spool with 8lb Drennan Supplex (to give me the safety to play the fish hard from under the debris). I also made a trip to the local tackle shop and purchased my first pair of polaroids and a tub of lob worms. 

Peering into the water shielding the sun with my hands like blinkers I was amazed at how many more fish I could see. With this in mind I decided to  head straight to the swim where the 4 chub had previously evaded me. Hooking up a large lob on the thicker band section of its body and hooking the end of the longest section back onto the hook I cast up stream and let the worm roll through the swim, it didnt take long for one of the chub to glide out into the flow and mouth the bait. In my haste and now being able to see every move my target fish made through my polaroids I stuck too early pulling the worm clean out of the chubs mouth. However this seemed to work in my favour as on the second cast all 4 chub made a move for the worm, competing with each other. As a cavity of a mouth picked the worm off the streamer weed, I waited a split second longer before setting the hook and all then hell broke loose! She charged around the swim, in and out of streamer weed and made very attempt possible to get back under the raft of weed and debris on the far bank. Finally netting the fish I was nettled from head to toe but it was well worth it. A few quick photographs and she was returned to the net where she was well rested before powering off back into dense cover.

Having noted the number of fish I had previously not seen further up stream, I broke my net and rod down and wandered along the bank scanning the near middle and far bank for fish holding up. It didn't take long for me to start noticing orange fins and black backs lurking in and out from under dense streamer weed. These would have been swims I would have disregarded without my polaroids, as they seemed too choked up with weed to hold fish, though they were clearly making the most of the cover. With around 8ft of water to play with, I had to consider how to present the bait without spooking them and giving myself away, crouching behind a bank of vegetation I set up my net and rod again, mounted a worm and slowly raised my body to flick a worm into the swim. Seeing the worm through the vegetation flutter through the swim and down to the level where the chub were taking cover under the streamer weed, one angle its body to glide into the flow and fall for my presentation. Setting the hooks, I managed to guide the fish out of the weed and into the deep landing net where she rest whilst I set the camera up. A few quick photographs and this old warrior was back in the small waterway lurking under the vivid green streamer weed again. 

Another positive outcome on the new water and my approach is adapting session by session to cope with the varying challenges of different swims. I am now going to give these swims a rest as to not put too much pressure on the fish after fishing for them on and off  last week. There is still plenty more waterway to rove and I am sure bigger chub lurk further down stream.