TRAVEL LIGHT FOR BIG CHUB AND MORE
Rove with paste and worms or build a feeder swim
IF YOU’RE an angler looking for an intimate river venue with the potential for a catch of huge chub, bream and perch, the Great Ouse at Wolverton will be right up your street.
Comprising roughly two miles of easily-accessible waterway, the Ouse here is a true delight, with plenty of intricate swims that are laden with features.
There are areas with fast water that are suitable for the float, whereas feeder anglers will find themselves at home thanks to the number of deeper holes dotted across the entire length.
The sheer number of natural features, however – which include fallen trees, reedbeds and overhanging bushes – make this stretch a suitable place for the roving angler.
GO LIGHT
Because the stretch is relatively long it pays to take as little gear as possible – a chair, rucksack, net, bankstick and a quivertip rod should suffice.
There’s a gravel track that hugs the bank along the whole stretch which meanders through three fishable areas at Wolverton known as The Galleon, Whitings and Stone Park.
The path gives great access to most swims, but some of the better ones can be found off the beaten track, so carrying minimal gear allows you to be as quiet as possible when pushing through bankside vegetation to get to your swim.
GIVE CHEESEPASTE A TRY
It’s the perfect time of year to try cheesepaste for chub, and Wolverton is certainly a superb place to put this bait to the test.
There’s a fantastic head of chub in the 4lb-5lb class, but sixes and sevens have been caught from here in the past – so a true bonus fish is always on the cards.
By introducing a few lumps of paste into three or four swims then fishing them back in turn, you give yourself the best possible chance of having a real red letter session.
A CHUB A CHUCK
Angling Times joined Carpfeed magazine editor Stephen Stones at the Whitings section to put the ‘roving with cheesepaste’ method to the test. After walking the bank and locating a few
likely swims, he introduced a few pinches of paste to a number of rafts and near-bank trees that simply screamed chub.
Seven specimen-sized fish to a best of 5lb 14oz found their way into his net, and each of his swims produced the goods.
Interesting to note was that the bites came just a short time after casting out – which proves just how effective prebaiting can be on these intimate rivers.
Why not give Wolverton a go this weekend? You might be pleasantly surprised! LOCATION: Great Ouse, Wolverton, Milton Keynes
CONTACT: Milton Keynes Angling AA, email info@mkaa.co.uk or visit www.mkaa.co.uk
LOCATION: Nearest postcode MK12 5NL (visit website for parking details)
PRICES: £45 a year adults or £8 on the bank, Milton Keynes AA