A hot summers morning (yes we still get them occasionally) while walking my dog for a walk down the river near my house I happen to take a look over the road bridge not expecting to see much because of all the commotion with holiday makes, kids paddling & canoes all over the place but there they were, a shoal of big chub cruising around below the bridge. Now not one to miss an opportunity I walked down to the small shop at one end of the bridge and purchased a loaf of bread and hurried back to the shoal. Breaking a small piece of bread from the loaf and trickling them in I soon had about 12 big chub fighting for every crust of bread I throw over. With so many tourists around I decide to return later that evening. On my return I peered over the bridge but due to the lower light levels and even with a pair of TFGear Matrix low light yellow polarized glasses on I couldn’t see the shoal had I missed my chance? I flicked a couple of lumps of bread crust over and watched as they drifted down stream for about 20 yards before being engulfed by a pair of huge rubbery lips. A few more lumps of bread are introduced before I make my way from the bridge down to the waters edge to tackle my favourite TFGear All Rounder rod (a great rod for so many situations) up with 6lb line and a size 4 specimen hook and that’s it, simple but effective. A good tip at this point is to spray the reel line with a silicon spray; this keeps the line floating on the surface making it easier to mend any slack line.
Ready to start fishing well not quite, as with surface carping to get the most out of this type of fishing its best to keep the feed going in until you create a competitive feeding situation. By now they have followed the bread trail up to within 5 yards of the area I have waded out to, now is the time to begin. A good lump of crust is impaled onto what may seem a large hook but when put by the side of a chubs mouth it looks tiny, dip the crust into the water to add a bit of casting weight and an under arm cast and within a couple of yards drifting downstream my first fish of the evening slurps my bait down. After a good fight a nice chub of 5lb 4oz slides into the waiting net, it’s always very pleasing when a plan comes together. I let the swim settle and keep feeding bits of bread every few seconds and the shoal starts feeding confidently again. Before the light goes I manage another 4 decent chub nothing quite as big as the first fish but all over 3lb, a great way to spend a summers evening and not another angler in sight and it only cost the price of a loaf of bread, so get down to your nearest river or stream and give it a go.
Ready to start fishing well not quite, as with surface carping to get the most out of this type of fishing its best to keep the feed going in until you create a competitive feeding situation. By now they have followed the bread trail up to within 5 yards of the area I have waded out to, now is the time to begin. A good lump of crust is impaled onto what may seem a large hook but when put by the side of a chubs mouth it looks tiny, dip the crust into the water to add a bit of casting weight and an under arm cast and within a couple of yards drifting downstream my first fish of the evening slurps my bait down. After a good fight a nice chub of 5lb 4oz slides into the waiting net, it’s always very pleasing when a plan comes together. I let the swim settle and keep feeding bits of bread every few seconds and the shoal starts feeding confidently again. Before the light goes I manage another 4 decent chub nothing quite as big as the first fish but all over 3lb, a great way to spend a summers evening and not another angler in sight and it only cost the price of a loaf of bread, so get down to your nearest river or stream and give it a go.
