CSG Autumn Get Together 2014 River Trent

Test title.

This year the autumn gathering of the Chub Study Group was on the river Trent. Some said that heavy leads and powerful rods had no place in chub fishing but as Lee had not one but two 7lb chub from the Trent this year I didn't need asking twice!!

An early start on the Friday morning for the 130 mile journey meant we were at Kelham Hall for 6:30am and as we peered over the bridge the river looked in good form considering the relatively dry weather we'd had.

We'd booked the four popular pegs nearest the road bridge which meant we'd be fairly static so I spent twenty minutes dropping hemp and pellets into a couple of spots before setting up two rods, the first was my usual chub set-up of Trudex centre pin and Hardy Avon which I placed just off the reeds to my left and the second was my Rodrill cane rod and Mitchell 300 cast about a third of the way across.

10am and time for tea and one of Bills famous bacon and sausage butties, quick team photo and back on the rods which so far had remained quite still.

Bill was fishing hemp and caster and had the first of four fish just before lunch a barbel of around 5lb which he played admirably into the net. Bruce was finding the bites hard to come by as was Phil so we went into the afternoon hoping that things would pick-up.

Tiffin was served a little later than usual at 5pm and with Bill still the only one to catch it was all resting on the last hour as we went into darkness.

I sat with Bill for a while and watched his rod tips flicker as the weed ran down the line, of course it wasn't long before he was into another barbel, hemp and caster proving irresistible, so I ghillied for him and guided another fine Trent bertie into the net.

I pulled the second rod in and focussed on the marginal rushes which I'd trickled bait in all day, mashed bread laced with Laguna Blue Cheese SE SAC juice, balled in and flake on the hook popped up about six inches so it wafted in the gentle flow.

As dusk arrived I felt a few plucks but fifteen minutes before our due off time a quick downpour signalled the end and we packed up at a rapid rate looking forward to a few pints and a catchup with fellow chevin chasers.

Back at the digs we were pleased to see our room backed onto the pub and we dumped the bags and went for a much-needed pint or three, dinner was the only fish of the day for me accompanied by chips and mushy peas.

The Chub Study Group members sat and talked about fishing the Trent and we picked our local members brains for stretches likely to hold chub. With the venue agreed we retired to bed for a good nights sleep.

Breakfast was served at 8am and as we headed off to the new venue hopes were high of a better days fishing, on the same stretch the day before a fine 4lber had been caught by Kevin's wife so I knew they were in there.

We arrived to find a lot of cars parked near the upstream section and discovered it was a regular match but we could drop in anywhere beyond mid-point. After walking the stretch we still couldn't decide on what to do, the fact was we wanted to fish into dark in order to give ourselves the best chance of catching but 'Day Ticket' meant exactly that and I don't like looking over my shoulder for a bailiff nor do I like packing up at a set time just because we have to get off the venue.

Kevin and his wife arrived along with Steve, the local member, who'd give us the heads up on chub fishing on the Trent, keep it simple and fish under your feet were his wise words. We chatted about the night-time fishing and concluded it wouldn't be possible without chancing a ticking off from the owner so a few phone calls later and we'd booked onto Smeatons Caravan Park stretch located a few miles away. With seven pegs and the option to fish a day and night ticket it was agreed we'd fish well into dark and if it was good right through till the early hours so half an hour later we arrived and met Rob Hilton who'd kindly popped along from his club stretch to give us some local advice.

We had the first three pegs from the road bridge and as we set up for the long haul ahead I just knew this place would produce the goods, maybe not an abundance of chub but certainly big barbel featured highly on the agenda and as Bill needed to get his first double there was a relaxed feeling of expectation as we, once again, dropped our hemp and caster into the respective swims.

The steep banks were accessed via some cast concrete steps and with the lower river levels they made a great shelf to place a bag or bucket of bait with my chair placed on the ledge of bank at the bottom.

I had a very chubby looking swim with a nice overhanging bush just downstream and plumbing around with a lead I had at least seven-foot under the rod tip, perfect!!

Let battle commence......

As expected Bill was into the fish straight away, a difficult cast under the arch of the bridge was rewarded with a series of barbel, each one beating his PB and creeping ever closer to that elusive first double.

The scales said 4oz much to Bills amusement but it looked much bigger so we reset them and found it to be a good solid 7lber.

Shortly after he was in again, this time a fin perfect 8lber and smiles all round as we realised we'd made the right decision. I took a few photos and returned to my swim and for the first time in a long while thought about my own PB barbel of 10lb 9oz, could this be the day that I break it?

Out came the pellets, a guaranteed barbel magnet but on the off chance a chub came along I used a bait band pulled through the pellet to keep it close to the hook, soaked in Laguna SAC Banana juice it was cast out a couple of rod lengths along a likely looking crease.

The Rodrill cane rod has a similar action to a Richard Walker MKIV carp rod and both my Dane doubles had been landed by it so I knew it was up to the job, the Hardy 10' glass rod and pin were much better suited to marginal work and along with a chunk of meat were duly dispatched close to the downstream bush. I had at least seven feet of water in the margins so using a bait dropper was the only way to keep the free offerings in a tight area, hemp and caster along with some pellets were dropped in at regular intervals.

As evening arrived we knew we were in for a busy night.....

The evening sun flickered under the arches of the bridge as we pondered over our evening meal, the caravan park had given us three menus for local delivery and by unanimous decision chinese was duly voted in and ordered.

The three stooges!!

Shortly after dark Bruce was doing battle with another Trent monster, the scales showed it to be a new PB and went round to 11lb 12oz, a magnificent start to proceedings.

Less than an hour later I was watching the isotopes when the cane rod nodded twice then lunged forward, I lifted in and felt the reassuring thud of a fish, it felt like a small barbel at first and I shouted Bruce to assist but when it topped I could see it was the target species, a chub of 3lb 12oz.

Bruce was next with an 11lb 4oz clonker, two 11lb fish within an hour not a bad result considering it was our first visit.