No Finer Bait Than Bread For A Big Chub Like This...

Liquidise it in a tweaked feeder and you’ll outfish many more modern baits.

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WHY does an ordinary sliced white loaf continue to stand its ground in the bait stakes when up against a host of modern creations – including boilies – that could baffe a scientist?

Fortunately fish do not follow fads and fashion, and from Christmas to the end of the coarse fishing season on rivers there’s no finer bait than bread for a big roach or chub – especially if there happens to be a tinge of colour to the water.

A pinch of flake under a float is indeed a deadly technique, but let’s explore bread’s potential when presented on the bottom, and see how I used it this way on a recent session.

Air and water temperatures were low, but on the plus side they had remained stable for a couple of days. A lack of rain had seen the river’s pace slow, and while a little colour remained, it was no longer opaque – a perfect day to fish the quivertip.

Balanced tackle is essential to get the best from this tactic, and when targeting big fish I prefer to use a glass tip. This slows the bite down and, importantly, reduces resistance to a taking fish.

It only works with a tip of 2oz or less, however. Past that point a chub or roach will feel something is wrong and drop the bait before you are aware of its presence.

What was I to do, then, when the flow seemed far too powerful for a light tip to be practical?