Roving technique, River Dane (Warrington AA)

[mr tickle]

Hi,
Im new to the fishing Magic Forum and this is my first post.

A bit about my fishing history. I have fished for over 20 years mainly still waters but the last 5 have only fished the River Dane. I was a member of Bay Malton for 2 years and Middlewich Joint Anglers for 3. I am nearly two years into my PAAS waiting list. I have now joined Warrington Anglers to fish the Holmes Chapel stretch of the Dane.
I have had decent success using a static style of fishing moving only once or twice in a session but I want to improve my roving/stalking technique for chub. The reason I joined the WAA is because from what I have read it lends itself to this style of fishing.

So if anyone can give me any tips or point me in the right direction for stalking chub using large single baits it would be much appreciated. I am more than happy to meet anyone who can show down on the banks too!

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Bluenose]

Welcome to the site mate.

For mobile fishing, you don't want a brolly or a rod holdall, unless it will definitely get used, leave it at home! Rod/reel, rod rest, landing net, shoulder bag, swan shots, maybe some swivels, leads or feeders and a bucket with mashed bread, hemp and whatever you use on the hook. A lightweight chair I reckon is essential too.

If it's not too busy, a handful of mashed bread or hemp in a few swims and cast a piece of crust, worm, corn, paste or whatever over the top, give it 15 minutes then move to re-visit the swim again later, maybe top it up with a bit of feed a few times before you go back later on.

Nice stretch that, one thing though, check the club rules before mentioning specific stretches on an open forum, some clubs have a strict no publicity rule.

 

[mr tickle]

Cheers Bluenose (good choice of club too!)

I have got my roving kit down to a T now but I have only really caught one fish a session when roving (a few blanks too!) so I was guessing that the one fish out of 10 or so swims is a ‘lucky’ fish. Not sure if its my swim selection, whether or not upstream/downstream casting is needed if I pre bait or not to pre bait etc.

Noted about mentioning stretches too and cheers for the reply.

Mark

 

[Bluenose]

It's probably 12 years since I fished that stretch mate but all told, the general gist probably won't be too different today. I preferred it as an autumn/winter venue midweek as often it was relatively quiet. I think most of my sessions were relatively small numbers of fish, I can remember one day where I caught quite a few from the same swim, but that was the exception. Typically I'd have been looking at 1-3 fish i think, with the odd better day and the odd blank. I did hear about some very big catches in winter when they were tightly shoaled but never witnessed it first hand.

I had blanks like anyone else, but generally a bucket of mashed bread and hemp, with crust or flake under a 2 swan link leger on a size 8 or 10 hook would usually get me a few chub. If it was quiet I'd plop a bit of mash in 3 or 4 swims then give each 20 minutes, then repeat this as you go downstream. I'd keep topping one swim up without actually fishing it and settle on this one for the last hour or so. You do end up doing a lot of walking as back then there was a fair distance between swims.

Lots of my fish came literally 2metres from the bank or less, in tiny little slacks which are barely noticeable, other than that the usual near/far bank trees and bushes and various crease swims on bends, and those swims where there was a steep slope into deeper water, I remember there was a lot of variety on that stretch.

Last winter was difficult with the rapidly changing conditions I reckon, my local river peaked 8 different times in a 3 week spell, up and down constantly so if you struggled you weren't the only one!

 

[mr tickle]

Cheers for the replies.

Got a plan of how im going to approach roving the Dane on my new stretch, just have to put it into practice, usually harder said than done though! I think its just a case of me fine tuning a few things that I do prior to me putting my hookbait in that may make the difference of a few more chub.

I will post back how I went on.

Good luck for everyone on the 16th heading to a river near you!

Mark

 

[chav professor]

I do a air bit of stalking... feel free to read...http://www.fishingmagic.com/fm-feat...ecimen_fishing/15333-summer-chub-fishing.html
Christain Barker goes stalking chub with natural baits- Lee Swords Fishing - Lee Swords Fishing -

 

[mr tickle]

Do the same big baits to target 'a fish per swim' techniques still work in the colder months or would I have to change my approach? Reading Tony Miles book search for big chub it only refers to stalking as a summer technique........ plus I had two blanks when I tried in March!

 

[Bluenose]

Do the same big baits to target 'a fish per swim' techniques still work in the colder months or would I have to change my approach? Reading Tony Miles book search for big chub it only refers to stalking as a summer technique........ plus I had two blanks when I tried in March!

The approach I've mentioned above is what I used to do on that length over winter and I wouldn't vary from it! A large piece of bread or paste will get bites if the chub are there! If they aren't then move. One or two swims will always be a decent bet for more than one fish though, but you'll only find that out by putting the hours in and trying mate.

If you're confidence is a bit low you could choose to move a little less and maybe give each swim a little longer and try to build a swim by drawing the fish in. This way you would probably catch a few more initially but you'd only be fishing the absolute banker swims so the occasion/s when you arrive late and they're full, you're then forced to fish swims which appear at least to be less favourable.

I tend to drop a bait in wherever I can, even if it looks a rubbish swim. You never know unless you try, but one in four/five/six times you get a surprise and catch. There are always swims that have fish in that no one bothers with and the beauty about this is that when the bankers get full, you'll have another half dozen or so areas that have produced for you in the past and you'll approach these spots, which are less favourable to others, with a lot more confidence.

 

[keora]

Try using floating crust. Throw a few pieces into the middle of the river, if you see a fish rise cast to them with crust on the hook.

My preferred hook size is 10 to 6. Reel line is usually about 6lb. I use a 13 ft rod in order to pick up line easily as often the crust may drift 30 yds downstream before you get a take. Cheap sliced bread can be used, but I find more expensive crusty bread - a baton or a baguette, stays on the hook better. You may need to grease the last few yards of line nearest the hook so that it doesn't sink.

I usually slide a carp controller on the reel line to give me more casting weight, held in position with a leger stop about 6ft from the hook.

Best places in summer are shallow fast swims with a bit of a chop or turbulence on the surface.

Using floating crust last week I had two chub around 4lb last week from a local river.

 

[mr tickle]

cheers again guys, bluenose I am thinking it is a bit a confidence issue with my roving. More time on the bank doing it will sort it. On a plus I did get two decent chub on the opening day.

 

[Bluenose]

cheers again guys, bluenose I am thinking it is a bit a confidence issue with my roving. More time on the bank doing it will sort it. On a plus I did get two decent chub on the opening day.

I know exactly what you mean mate, it was no different for me going back 20 odd years. But by trudging up and down the motorway and putting a bit of time in, eventually the tip started going round a bit more often and over the space of a few winters I could usually guarantee a few bites at least. It takes time but it's a lovely stretch of river.