River fishing and water levels

[tiddlertamer]

This week offers a bit of an Indian summer with temperatures up to 24 degrees in the south.

 

However the days grow shorter and Autumn is well and truly here.

 

Autumn is regarded by many as one of the finest times to fish rivers with higher water levels and a reduction in acquatic vegetation.

 

I have only fished once in the past fortnight and that coincided with a downpour which put a flash flood through the upper reaches of the Lea.

 

Other than that though, we don't appear to have had much rain recently.

 

What are the conditions like on your local river? Low, clear and tough or picking up as Autumn arrives?

Edited September 20, 2010 by tiddlertamer

[Rusty]

What are the conditions like on your local river? Low, clear and tough or picking up as Autumn arrives?

 

The Kennet is low-ish, clear but still very fishable. I've only seen the Lambourn from driving over a bridge and it looked worryingly short of water, wouldn't like the Indian Summer to last too long.

[lutra]

This week offers a bit of an Indian summer with temperatures up to 24 degrees in the south.

 

However the days grow shorter and Autumn is well and truly here.

 

Autumn is regarded by many as one of the finest times to fish rivers with higher water levels and a reduction in acquatic vegetation.

 

I have only fished once in the past fortnight and that coinided with a downpour which put a flash flood through the upper reaches of the Lea.

 

Other than that though, we don't appear to have had much rain recently.

 

What are the conditions like on your local river? Low, clear and tough or picking up as Autumn arrives?

Following a very wet weekend the Ribble has been carrying up to about 4m of chocolate coloured flood water today.

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homea...?stationId=5122

Edited September 20, 2010 by lutra

[Tigger]

There all in spate round here...rippin through and look like hot chocolate !

My local small river is dropping from yesterday though, it's dropped about 2 1/2 to 3ft. It was in the fields yesterday.

If there's no more downpours it should be lookin good for tomorrow or even Wednesday.

[Steve Walker]

I fished my little Bristol Avon tributary for barbel on Sunday - gin clear and hardly any water in it. I had a barbel of about 4lb feeding in front of me for a while, but surrounded by small chub up to about 2lb. Couldn't get a bait to it. I fished blind for a while in another swim where I caught a chub of a pound or so, then gave up and headed back to my first swim. Unfortunately, a couple of lads had turned up and nabbed that swim and the only other one with any depth to it, so I went home.

 

Needs lots of rain.

[Peter M]

River Roding looking low but has a green ting to it river stort slow moving as always but down at the mo. going give this a try this week and leave the Roding until we have had some decent rain.

[Rusty]

Following a very wet weekend the Ribble has been carrying up to about 4m of chocolate coloured flood water today.

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homea...?stationId=5122

 

Interesting that, from eyeballing I would've said that the Kennet is lower than suggested by the EA.

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homea...?stationId=7122

 

Edit: Ah, just re-eyballed the graph and it makes sense.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Rusty

[Anderoo]

They're all still desperately low here still. The only exception is the thames, which is about normal level but as yet, no flow. We need an awful lot of rain to get things moving. It's a shame, what I really fancy now is a day's trotting but I think it'll have to wait a few weeks! Same old story here, feast or famine.

[lutra]

Interesting that, from eyeballing I would've said that the Kennet is lower than suggested by the EA.

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homea...?stationId=7122

 

Edit: Ah, just re-eyballed the graph and it makes sense.

Why is it that a big flood on the Kennet would be 30cm of extra water, but on the Ribble it would be 5m of it?

[Ken L]

Why is it that a big flood on the Kennet would be 30cm of extra water, but on the Ribble it would be 5m of it?

 

Presumably because the Kennet is a chalk stream and levels are usually very stable on spring fed waters.

Just a guess, I've never seen the river.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Ken L