Missed bites and lost fish on June 16th

[fruitloopy]

After reading some books and articles on quiver tip fishing in rivers I realise I may have missed out on several fish when I went to the River Nene on June the 16th.

 

Like many people I took a couple of days off to head to the river. In my case I was a river virgin, having only got back into fishing from a small 22 year break I was desperate to give the rivers a try and when the 16th came I was on the bank at 5am, earlier than I had ever awoken for many, many years!

 

I had decided to use a swimfeeder filled with maggots, with 3 or 4 maggots on a size 12 hook. With a light quiver on the end I thought I would do well but I had only been used to stillwaters before so couldnt recognise bites so well. Only once did I get what I would have known as a recognisable bite...when the tip bent double and stayed there. I struck but didnt connect. Curses!!

 

However, as I had a slight bend in the tip I did keep seeing the bend go straight as if the line went slack (which it did). I had guessed it was because the swimfeeder had become dislodged from whatever snag it was embedded in and come back towards me. From what I have read this was probably because a fish had picked up the bait and moved towards me or picked up the swimfeeder as well.

 

If only I had struck!! This happened at least ten times!

 

I gave up in the afternoon and tried spinning for the first time. On my third cast I hooked and landed a 3lb pike, also my first...so I cant be unhappy about that.

 

The Nene river isnt fast flowing but there are some weirs on its length close to me so I'll give them a try soon. I am off to Malta next week so the rivers will have to wait. If I catch over there I will let you know.

[terry t shirt]

Hi sounds like a frustrating day. What part of the nene you fishing out of interest? Most of the bits i know have virtually no flow at all apart from a cpl of weirs.BTW chances are the big pull round you had wasnt a bite but bits of debry catching the line if they pull round on a river they usually keep going until your rod dissapears. The drop backs would almost have certainly been bites though.

[lyn]

Well done on catching the pike. I don't know the river but chub just pick at the bait & drop it as soon as they feel any tension, small fish ie minnows or gudgeon or even crayfish will do the same. Keep at it, as they say, practice makes perfect, you will get to understand what is the flow/debris & what is a fish. As Terry has said it could also just be weed etc coming down the river.

 

Have a nice time in Malta.

 

lyn

[Neil G]

Nice one on the pike

 

Could be eels fiddling about with the baits, they can be notoriously bad to hook up with

[fruitloopy]

I caught my first eel last week and I NEVER want another one!

 

In answer to Terry T Shirt I was near Wansford along the A47 very close to the petrol station there. I was told by the tackle shop that an angling club has the rights to that stretch and its a day ticket but no bailiff came round.

[ColinW]

When I use maggot on a feeder I always use a much smaller hook than a 12, an 18 or 16 at most. If I'm likely to get barbel I'll go to a heavy wire pattern like Super Specialist eyed, otherwise the usual B520. I basically fish it as a self hooking rig. A good tip is to sit on your hands, that stops you hitting line bites! If you aren't getting good bites the answer isn't to hit them faster, it's to get them feeding more confidently by more continuous feeding, so a small feeder every two minutes is better than a big one every ten.

If you get a drop back then the fish has moved your feeder, if it's done that without hooking itself then something is wrong!

[Dan Dan]

Colin that was a sound piece of advice, I myself also need to learn to sit on my hands a little longer...the numbr of times ive struck at something too early because i'd got tired of waiting for a proper take. Must be more disciplined! Good tip too about a smaller feeder more often, I'll try that one!

[Anderoo]

You get all kinds of knocks, pulls and drop-backs legering in rivers, caused by changing flows, debris/weed moving the line, the lead/feeder dislodging. If you're fishing maggots, have a look to see whether they've been crushed or damaged - if not, it's unlikely to have been a bite. Differentiating between real bites and other movements can be really hard sometimes, try striking at some and see what happens. It could well just be the feeder moving slightly.