Sandbagged!

Sandbagged!
Photograph by Steve Barnett

Saturday 23 April 2011

Snags, structure, hidy holes...

... call them what you will, but pay attention to these bountiful places.  They are too good to miss!

Those of you British anglers, who may have spent some happy times coarse fishing before now, will probably be very familiar with the chub.  A beautiful creature, with a big, all enveloping mouth, that bites boldly but lives timidly.  Chub like to hide in snags.  Tree roots, tangled, flood-borne, woody debris, weedrafts snagged on bridge supports are all excellent places to find chub.  Show yourself to a chub though and he will just melt before your eyes.

Chub are not alone in liking their living quarters to be surrounded with snaggy branches and tree roots.  Carp too can be found near to, or within, the most tangled of hidy holes.

I understand that, in the USA, bass enjoy lurking in similar places.  The expert bass angler makes it a special skill to identify "structure", knowing that here is a place where bass can usually be found.

Wild trout, both wild brown trout and wild rainbow trout, like these snaggy places too.

  
Here is a little spot from yesterday's visit to the Derbyshire Wye and below is the delightful wild rainbow trout who lives there.


When catching a fish in such places, the technique can best be described as "hook and hold", with no line being given unless absolutely forced so to do. Those first thrashings can decide all. Hold on enough to guide the fish out of its fortress and you then have a fair chance of winning the argument.



Regular Rod

4 comments:

  1. I mentioned on my blog this week of a chub I spotted whilst fishing.

    I've taken chub to just over 6lb, but this was much bigger, maybe 7lb huge, just huge. If I catch it in season, I will post a photo.

    Best Wishes

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  2. I never pass up an undercut bank. There are to many wonderful surprises that will dart out from them. You'll probably loose a few more flies in those spots, but it's worth it.

    A good post Rod.

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  3. I know all to well how the trout can quickly take you into these trees,roots,branches and quickly get rid of the hook in its mouth. Even knowing this I still can't resist casting right for the underwater structure..even if it means losing a fish or a few fly's. OR BOTH at the same time:)

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  4. Great post! The trout that hide in these spots are usually worth the lost fly or two.

    ReplyDelete