Mysterious bubbles

[chevin]

If they are very fine bubbles they are almost certainly caused by tench. They have been recognised as a clear indication of tench as long as I can remember.

[3DoorsDown]

Unfortunately the wind had turned round this morning and seemed to kill off most of the activity, even Elton didn't manage to bag up !

 

However, next time I see him blowing bubbles I'll aim the spear .......

[Jim Murray]

Have been fooled before by masses of tiny bubbles fizzing away merrily. Eels were the culprits ...hth,

 

Jim.

[chevin]

Jim Murray:

Have been fooled before by masses of tiny bubbles fizzing away merrily. Eels were the culprits ...hth,

 

Jim.

I would say that it is more likely that an eel or two were feeding in the vicinity of a shoal of tench. In my experience eels are not shoal fish and in the main they feed individually - especially once past boot lace size. Tench however, are very much a shoal fish and also feed in shoals. There isn't any doubt at all that they are responsible for patches of very small bubbles showing on the surface - the size of the patch depending, of course, on the size of the shoal. As long as I can remember, and certainly before I was born, anglers have been looking for these patches of bubbles during their quest for tench. The bubbles do show that the tench are feeding but it doesn't mean that they will take a bait. All too often they are preoccupied with whatever they are digging out of the lake bed and at such times I would think that tubifex would be a good bait to try - if you can find a way of presenting them!

[ginger]

I reckon that, by the time you have cast to the bubbles, the fish have moved much further than you would think. Try dragging your ledger slowly along the bottom if silty and then count the seconds until the bubbles appear, around a foot a second or just over to rise seems about the rate to me and in 8-10 feet of water that would mean a fish has moved on several feet. Casting to bubbles came up in a thread a few weeks ago and the concensus seemed to be that it was largely pointles and didn't yield a bite too often, mind you, it offers a great sense of excitement and anticipation and I have actually caught before when trying it although it was probably another fish rather than the original creator of the bubbles.

[3DoorsDown]

Good point Ginger, I'd overlooked that the fish has moved on long before I see the bubble trail, I'll give up on trying to brain the fish by landing a 2oz lead on its nut !

 

You're right about the anticipation, I'll just keep trying different baits until the bubbles trails stop and the bite alarm screams.

[Jim Gibbinson]

My brother, Martin, and I watched a trail of bubbles moving steadily from left to right, eventually disappearing into a reed bed. We followed the progress of the bubbles for about four metres. But here's the interesting bit: due to our vantage point (a platform above the water) and the clarity of the water, we could see the bottom clearly, and there was no fish in sight! We concluded that the most likely cause was an eel moving through the sandy-mud bottom, just beneath the sand/mud surface (a bit like that movie where the giant worms burrow through the desert sand!)

 

Had we been unable to see the bottom, we would have been convinced we were watching the progress of a feeding carp, tench or bream.

 

[ 26. July 2005, 07:58 AM: Message edited by: Jim Gibbinson ]

[Vagabond]

chevin:

I would say that it is more likely that an eel or two were feeding in the vicinity of a shoal of tench.  

Yes - some tench venues are more prone to showing bubbles than others - one lake that is well-known for the ENO's Fruit Salt effect produces some wacking tench when you fish lobs into the fizzy bits.

 

I usually chuck in a few chopped lobs as well to keep them going - it is not unknown to pick up a decent eel or two as well as the tench.

[Kappa]

Not many people stalk tench but it is very worthwhile! Get some big lobworms and inject air into the tail then either free line it or use a sinle small shot (bb or AAA). Put you rodtip about 2 foot from the waters surface in a rest and gently tighten up until there is a nice bow in the line just watch where the line enters the water you'll be surprised how positive the bites are. Thie method is very sensitive and has the the advantage that the line is lying along the bottom so it won't spook the tench.