ADTV - Winter Chub Fishing Tips and Tactics

This entry was posted on 2nd March, 2018

Winter Chub Fishing Tips and Tactics

With smooth, brisk water and scenic backdrops, ADTV heads out on the River Waveney with Phil Spinks for some winter chub fishing.

We catch up with Phil after he’s had a bit of a break from chub fishing, pursuing perch and roach instead.  Having enjoyed this change up of sport, Phil decided to head up into his loft and dust off his chub rods, and we’re very happy that he let us go out with him to see just how he does it.

Location, Location, Location

Every angler knows that location is the key part of a successful angling session, but we were surprised by Phil’s take on where to fish. Bringing a unique thought process to picking the right spot, Phil’s unconventional approach has paid off, seeing him catch several chub in the recent past at over 6lb.

Rather than casting straight out to the nearest overhanging tree, as most anglers would probably do, and we’re happy to admit we certainly would, Phil’s advice is not to ignore the long, broad straight stretches of the river; while there are typically fewer fish to be found here, they tend to be bigger than the average catch in more ‘obvious’ swims.



How and When

For winter fishing, Phil likes to wait until after the first decent flood of the season, which can usually be relied upon to clear out the weed, and bring a little bit of colour into the water, which makes the fish feel a bit more confident

Travelling light, Phil typically spends about 20-25minutes in most swims before moving on, although on deep bends and large stretches, where there are likely to be a small number of larger chub, he’ll give it a little longer, sometimes up to an hour; if you want those big fish to bite, you need to be patient, but, equally, there’s little point in sitting in the same spot all day when nothing’s happening.

With What?

Phil likes fishing with bread flake in a cage feeder, and that reliable winter classic, cheese paste – which he mixes up with pop up base mix for a more buoyant bait. You’ll need to experiment with the base mix quantity you need for your own cheese paste mix – no one likes floating cheese, not even the glorious chub that lurk along the Waveney!  In the right amount, however, the pop up mix gives you a light cheese paste with the wafting buoyancy of bread flake, which is likely to be taken further back in the mouth, ensuring a good, solid hook.



As Phil explains, cheese paste is a good winter bait option, especially for night fishing, or when there’s a lot of colour in the water, as it has a very strong smell, which draws the fish to it.

Rig-wise, Phil talks us through his simple Paternoster set up, which he uses with a quick change swivel, allowing him to change up in under thirty seconds, and get straight back in the swim.



Perfect Pair…

Watching this video, you’ll see that, for Phil at least, chub are a little like buses, as he finishes with a beautiful brace of stunning, sleek fish; as he was resting his first catch in the water, waiting until the action in the swim had died down, so that he didn’t end up scaring the chub off by releasing the fish in front of them, he got the second bite.  Looking at the two fish as they rest in the net, you couldn’t wish for calmer, more relaxed chub. Both were nice, big fish, with plenty of depth to their tone, and a stunning example of just what rivers like the Waveney have to offer.

See More…

If you’d like to get a glimpse of winter chub fishing on the River Waveney, and get the full story on Phil Spinks, his rigs, bait, and fishing, then head on over to ADTV on YouTube, and watch our Winter Chub Fishing Tips and Tactics video.  All products featured in any of our ADTV videos can be found on our website, so whoever you are, wherever you live, and whatever you fish, there’s no reason not to get out, and give chub a try.