Slugs....

[BoltonBullfinch]

Trust a yorkie to think like that....

Thanks
BB

[Old Man River]

Trust a yorkie to think like that....

Thanks
BB

David

[Tengisgol]

Charlie Landells used to breed them in an aquarium - the slug-chub expert. A sad loss to chub fishing when he passed.

Me and Charlie Landells at a club prize-giving in about 1980

[Mark]

Charlie Landells used to breed them in an aquarium - the slug-chub expert. A sad loss to chub fishing when he passed.

Me and Charlie Landells at a club prize-giving in about 1980

For those of you who remember the TV fishing program from the 80's called Screaming Reels here you can find Charlie Landells talking about slugs and you see him catch a good chub on a slug. You have a minute of adverts to sit though and then skip to the 15 minute section to see him but its worth watching all 24 minutes.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/scr ... /21040-008

[BoltonBullfinch]

This cheeky character fell to a freelined slug on Sunday on the river ribble, it was not quite the intended quarry.

[Old Man River]

Keep on like this and you will surely one day tempt a Chub Paul.

Mind you, I was on the Wharfe a few weeks ago using Spam , thinking a Chub could not resist it, when a small pike took a liking to it .

David

[BoltonBullfinch]

After a two year break from my slug attempts on the river ribble, I got the itch again some months ago. Finding suitable slugs around here was not easy so thoughts were made in a alternative direction. A microwave was scrounge from a friend to live in the garage, suitable chemistry was purchased from the correct suppliers, and a start was made to develop my own strain of slugs. Modelling clay was moulded by hand to resemble a real slug complete with the various textures that a real slug has. Once three clay slugs were sculpted and left to harden, a mould was cast and more chemistry was purchased and the magic commenced.
About 20 soft plastic slugs were cast from the slug mould, some black, some brown, but the brown ones look green to me, but I am colour blind with greens and browns so the are probably brown. A couple of packets of jig head unweighted hook were gathered into the mix and we ended up with a few soft plastic slugs complete with hooks attached just waiting for a visit to the River ribble.
So the alarm was set for 5.30am this morning, and i was setting up on the river Bank by 7am. Rod of choice was a Harvey Torbett fitted with a Mitchell 308 loaded with 6lb line, and a black 4 inch soft plastic slug.

Believe me when I say I was not at all confident than any fish action was going to be forthcoming, but, I had to try as it had been a bit of a process and I thought it deserved a try at least.
I had several casts and slowly turned the mitchells handle as the river took the slug down stream and back across to my bank. I had been watching to slugs action as i reeled in and basically it was just spinning.
And then it happened, a ferocious bite and the Harvey Torbett was bent right over with a very angry chub trying to escape the plastic slug and the 1/0 hook. After a very good fight my OMR medium net was slid under a scale perfect chub of about 4lb to 5lb, I didn't bring any weighing stuff as I didn't think I would catch anything. After the fish was photographed and rested it was slipped back and I moved downriver about 30 yard.
Pretty much the same thing happened again but this time I guess that the fish was probably nearer to the 4lb mark than the 5lb mark.
Both fish were in wonderful condition and were carrying plenty of flesh, and neither looked like they had been caught before, although this was just a guess as the mouths showed no old hook marks.
I tried a few more pegs downstream but had no interest at all but I was as chuffed as you can be with the fish these prototypes had tempted.
I'm in the process of making another couple of clay masters hoping to cut down on the spinning action.

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Thanks
BB

[Old Man River]

That is a great result Paul

I would not have thought about slug lookalikes , although yours seem to be spot on for people like me who detest the real things .
I have seen Chub take lures , but they were always on commercially made ones ,actually making your own slug lures and having success with them must be very satisfying .

I have just remembered, I do a bit of lure fishing for Bass , using what are called “ soft plastics” not traditional at all , some of them are called “ Slug Go “ lures , I will have to look and see what I have in my lure box .

David

[BoltonBullfinch]

As requested, some pictures....

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The white slugs are the clay masters, the black slugs are the soft plastics.

The pink box is the mould to pour the soft plastic into after it has been heated and coloured.

The pair of white slugs on their own are the mk2s, but I'm not sure about them.
The mk1s spin in the water, so i'm thinking that a swivel would stop the line twist as a natural slug would probable do all kinds of different movements in a fast flowing river such as the Ribble.

Thanks
BB

[Dave Burr]

Interesting, can I ask what is their texture, hard plastic or soft gel?