Fishing weather

[Guest Steve Burke]

The moon may or may not affect coarse fishing but the weather certainly does.

 

Obviously rainfall can have a marked effect on rivers. Carp follow a new wind. Perch and roach feed best in low light and so on.

 

My own feeling is that the link between weather and success or otherwise is indirect. In other words it's not the weather itself but the effect it has on the fish.

 

Weather of course affects us human too. I suffer during humid weather. Typically the fishing is usually good then!

 

Between us we must have a lot of accumulated experience and this Forum is the perfect place to share it. So over to you lot.

[Guest GlennB]

Does heavy rain in summer liven up the fish? Maybe to do with oxygenation? I went out yesterday to a good local lake. It rained all day and was quite cool and still, and the fish were going mad. Best days fishing I've had all year.

[Guest Steve Randles]

Steve,as your probably aware a sudden glimpse of sunshine on an overcast day will often bring predators on to the feed, similarly, a clouding over on a very bright day can also bring fish on the feed, a sudden warm spell in winter,heavy overnight downpours on rivers.....is it not then a "change" in the weather that heralds these feeding spells. Because cows sit down, we know that rain is reasonably imminent so can fish sense this also.Of course weather does affect us too, and so do a million and one other things,pollution,damp etc. Just as we feel good on warm sunny days (sorry about that one steve) and awful in the coldest part of winter, then it only follows that all or most beasts should feel it too...the end for now!

Regards & tight Lines

Stephen Randles

[Guest Adrian]

Steve.

 

I agree, the weather does have a marked effect on the fishing.

 

I know of a couple of old boys who fish the lower Dorset Stour for bream, they told me they never bothered going out unless the air pressure was falling.

 

The most notable example I have experienced was on a gravel pit near Heathrow Airport. An early start and a few tench gave way to a sunny morning with a light breeze, the fish went off the feed. I was considering going home when storm clouds gathered, being a long way from the car I decided to sit it out rather than get soaked. The wind dropped and I could feel the change in the air...it was the typical 'calm before the storm'. The water surface suddenly came alive with bubbles, as it had been just after dawn. In about 45 mins I had tench to 6lb and crucians to 3lb. It rained and cleared, the sun came out and the fish went off again. All part of the magic.

 

Adrian

[Guest TIM]

The saying (when the wind blows east the fish bite least, when the wind blows west the fish bite best)I find it to be true.

iI live on lots of hills when it rains (every day) the ponds floods and the fish don't feed. I blanked for the first time in ten years last mounth when ti was raining have not lived here very long stalybridge and its raind just about every day.

[Guest lyn]

Can someone please tell the barbel at the 'Royalties' that yesterday was perfect conditions & what the hell were they doing! I'm really going off that place! no I don't think I could ever do that. It's a shame you have to leave so early, just as the fish start to feed.

 

Just a note for anyone thinking of going down there, the weed is horrendous on the wier. It was a lovly evening though & gave me chance to unwind after my conference & before returning to reality!

 

Lyn

[Guest Steve Burke]

Is it just me and a few friends or have others found pike don't tend to feed nearly so well when it's raining heavily? I'm not talking about drizzle here, but rain of the cats and dogs variety. It's most marked in shallow waters, but these get affected more by the weather anyway. It's not just a local phenomenon - some of these friends are up north and fish different sorts of water to me.

 

Could it be that heavy rain affects the ability of pike to hunt efficiently more than it affects the prey's ability to avoid capture? In that case should we fish deeper in these conditions? Or fish a slowly moving bait so that it passes by a lot more pike and is easily caught? Would smelly deadbaits be best in these circumstances? Why doesn't heavy rain affect perch in the same way? Indeed many of my best perch catches have come in really mucky weather.

 

Lots of questions - has anyone got any answers?

[Guest BUDGIE]

As I Pike fish only from October to end of March I can only comment on this period.I have always found Pike to feed best during periods of high atmospheric pressure or to be more precise as the pressure is rising.Normally rainy conditions go hand in hand with low atmospheric pressure.In general I would have to say that I haven't found Pike to feed particularly well in the rain.As always in angling there are exceptions.One day I recall in particular was on the Rother.The rain was coming down so hard and being driven along the river by the wind that me and my mate were really just going through the motions.In all truth we were just waiting for it to ease off eneough to do the off!Whilst waiting I had 5 fish.I wouldnt have thought we would have any chance at all.But as always we must look at the rule rather than allow these exceptions to cloud our judgement.

Please note that I haven't said Pike dont feed in the rain simpley that they feed much,much better in other conditions.

[Guest BUDGIE]

Sorry, Just remembered Steve Randles comment on cows/fish detecting iminent changes in pressure.I am totally sold on this one.Several times I have had an unexplained good catch when the conditions have not fitted into my definition of good only to get back in to the workshop and find that the pressure has rissen dramaticly.

 

[This message has been edited by BUDGIE (edited 09 July 2000).]

[Guest chris lyons]

AS I recall mentioning numerous times,as regards weather and fishing,one can do very little about it! neither can one do a thing about barometric pressure as the changes are not registered on the barometer untill approx 6 hours after the event.one can only take a chance and fish in the general trends,which as i have stated previously always contradict themselves.anglers can keep chewing the fat over these contradictions untill the cows come home the fact IS that fish can,are and always will be active when least expected in ALL CONDITIONS! The only thing which IS the reel triggering factor IS the POSITION and PHASE of the MOON.And there sure are a lot of people with vested interests trying to go against me and making themselves look fools in the process!!!!I HAVE sold just under 400 charts in 2 weeks all these anglers will see a trend by march 2001!Iam in conctact with over 100 anglers on a regular basis and I monitor and document their catch results.ALL which are bang on to key lunar peaks which I have meticulously worked out for nearly 8 years. I have amassed a stack of data which backs my research, and have documented times and dates of anglers big fish catches some recent records from the angling press, unknown to several of thier captors, these fish are also bang on key days and times!! I DO NOT NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING,THE INFORMATION that i have passed on to anglers IS being put to good use, by those who choose to use it. Those who sometimes sit "on fish" biteless in favourable conditions racking their brains as to why,and do not want to know why,carry on it is no skin of my nose!