fishing into the wind

[The Flying Tench]

There's a well known theory that, on lakes, you should fish into the wind, on a warm day at least, as the water will be warmer that side of the lake and also, for surface feeders, food will be blown over there.

 

I accept the second point, but am sceptical on the first for two reasons.

 

a) I once went round a gravel pit on a warm evening in May taking the temperature. At a particular distance out and depth there was no difference in temperature, partly because there was a slight tow, so the warm water blown over was sent back again. However there was a considerable difference in temperature as the water got deeper, ie further out. The shallows were warmer.

 

I may be wrong about this, but I assume that some species have a 'home' in a particular place - by some reeds, under a bush etc - and it seems unlikely that they will scoot around the lake depending on wind direction and how warm the day is.

 

So my assumption is that if you are trying to find a shoal of rudd, or floater fishing for carp, it is indeed wise to go to the lee shore. Otherwise you can fish in comfort with the wind behind you.

 

Do you agree?

[Anderoo]

To a degree, I do agree. I have come round to thinking that a lot of the time fish just are where they are. They probably have good reasons to be there but often in ways that are unknowable to us. I've lost count of the times I've fished a spot that seems perfect and blanked as the fish thought otherwise!

 

However, you have to start somewhere, and unless you can see them you have to assume their movements are to some degree dictated by factors such as food availability, temperature, shade, water movement or flow, cover or structure, human interference, etc.

 

On some waters the influence of the wind in concentrating fish is very evident. Waters with very little else to complicate the effect show it more clearly. Two waters I've fished a fair bit spring to mind, one of Farmoor reservoir for trout and the other is Frensham big pond for tench. Both are large, featureless circular(ish) bowls. In both cases, the windward bank is the place to be as long as the wind is a warm one. For the trout it's pretty safe to assume it's because it concentrates the food. For the tench, as the 'pond' is so big and so shallow, I always had the impression that the shoals of tench literally got blown over to one bank in a strong wind! Releasing them into the windy water, they'd actually struggle to swim off against the tow.

 

Add in complications like nooks, bays, structure, bars, overhanging trees, non-fishing areas and the effect is much less clear to see.

 

All things considered, I'd almost always prefer to be fishing into a wind if it's warm, and on the back of it if it's cold - but there are always exceptions...!

 

I'm less convinced about fish having homes. Some species seem to be more 'stay at home' than others but even so I think they are usually pretty transient to take advantage of localized food, temperature, etc. I can think of a few exceptions, the one that immediately springs to mind was a chub that always lived in a pool under a free at the Windrush. Rich and I nicknamed him 'Percy', every time we fished in that spot we caught him, so after a while we had to stop fishing there out of guilt. Shame, as it was a lovely spot

[Steve Burke]

I think it very much depends on the water and in particular its topography. I suspect that fish will be moved more by wind on a featureless water than a weedy one with numerous bars like Wingham.

 

Additionally the water can be too warm or contain too little dissolved oxygen; so fishing into a warm wind, whilst right more often or not isn't always so. I well remember catching a then PB tench at Wingham on the back of the wind. This was after a heatwave. The new NE wind probably blew the warm water, that the fish weren't comfortable in, down the other end of the lake.

 

I'm also convinced that, at least on waters like Wingham that are full of features, that some of the fish are resident in 1 area, others are nomadic. The latter seem to be bigger too.

 

See this article of mine for more on the subject:http://winghamfisheries.co.uk/articles/big-nomadic-tench-by-steve-burke/.

[Steve Walker]

I think the topography of Wingham is so complicated that you'd need a fluid dynamicist and a supercomputer to work out the effect on water movement of any given wind speed and direction!

[Steve Burke]

Agreed, Steve!

 

There are some clues though. For instance, if the wind changes (or more correctly the undertow, as strangely the too don't always change together) then a different part of a given swim may switch on.

[Steve Walker]

Agreed, there will be patterns. Even if you can't predict the effect of a change in the wind you might find that fish move to where they did last time the conditions were similar. Or not! I'm guessing that the initial conditions might make quite a difference, so perhaps a light wind from the North East might at first create different flows following a strong wind from the South than following a period of still weather. Still, it would be boring if it was easy!

[Phone]

All,

 

All things being equal I always try to fish into the wind. The unscientific explaination - I seem to catch more fish.

 

I suspect this topic has more revelance in the UK than in the US. Really there are few "pond" fishermen that don't know their particular water like the back of their hand.

 

One thing I've noticed that may have an influance is that fish always "hold" facing the wind. I guess that can be good and bad.

 

Phone

[chesters1]

I fish very light so prefer the wind behind and i still attace my floats top and bottom so the line is easily moved by the wind ,gone are the days of youth holding onto my brolley incase it departs into an adventure of its own.

I fish for pleasure now and my pleasure doesnt revolve around the need to catch fish so my perch is the same swim that very rarely faces into the wind the wind generally is either left or right but i have seen the wind go in opposite directs with my swim in dead calm .

I only fish one swim if someone is in it i go home LOL

I have spotted our resident koi in the corners feeding down wind ,makes sense in their case all the food will be in one place but i suspect warm water is a lesser factor in this case

Edited May 24, 2016 by chesters1

[wellyphant]

I have fished on some lakes where it is almost pointless fishing anywhere other than in the teeth of a strong wind, on one lake that comes to mind, you'd be as well going home if you weren't in the spot where the waves from the wind were exactly parallel to the bank, this was the case whichever direction the wind blew.. I've experienced this with both Pike Tench and Carp.

My theories are that the fish feed more confidently as the sound of waves splashing will mask anglers noises and the water is warmer and more oxygenated.

Edited June 7, 2016 by wellyphant

[RUDD]

There's a well known theory that, on lakes, you should fish into the wind, on a warm day at least, as the water will be warmer that side of the lake and also, for surface feeders, food will be blown over there.

 

I accept the second point, but am sceptical on the first for two reasons.

 

a) I once went round a gravel pit on a warm evening in May taking the temperature. At a particular distance out and depth there was no difference in temperature, partly because there was a slight tow, so the warm water blown over was sent back again. However there was a considerable difference in temperature as the water got deeper, ie further out. The shallows were warmer.

 

I may be wrong about this, but I assume that some species have a 'home' in a particular place - by some reeds, under a bush etc - and it seems unlikely that they will scoot around the lake depending on wind direction and how warm the day is.

 

So my assumption is that if you are trying to find a shoal of rudd, or floater fishing for carp, it is indeed wise to go to the lee shore. Otherwise you can fish in comfort with the wind behind you.

 

Do you agree?

 

I think they follow the tow and the tow brings easy pickings in the warmer months.

the tow may not be where you think it is though!