How to approach a new river

[Ken L]

THREE rods Ken

Surely just one feeder rod ringing the changes with corn worm and maggots would be the best approach. That way you could look for all the knocks and rattles and build a picture as to what is going on.

 

Yes, the stated aim was to find out what's there and the description is of a mid sized slow river where tackle control wouldn't be a major issue and one where there may be a relatively low stocking density due to the extraction of fish for food.

A small freshwater deadbait fished directly across on the far bank shelf for the predators and a large meaty bait aiming to intercept any carp, barbel etc in the middle wouldn't be expected to get that much intense action and could happily be sat on a pod with alarms whist tipping with a feeder fished downstream on the inside line.

The number of rods can easily be reduced if the fish are on the chew but it's hard to stave off terminal boredom if fishing a single rod when nothings happening.

 

Probably not an approach that I'd adopt once I knew what was there but the question wasn't "What is the most sporting approach for a river like this ?"

Edited July 7, 2011 by Ken L

[MiddleEastland]

What part of the country are you?

 

The missus is from Rennes, so I do know the area further west better where all her family live. I have been to Ambrieres-les-Vallees

 

I have a job where my employer moves me to different countries every 2/3/4 years.

Currently working in Bordeaux, living in Libourne 33500, so I fish the L'Isle (2 min walk) and Dordogne (2 min drive) mainly. Standard tactics are, fill the biggest feeder you can find, with as much groundbait as you can, and launch it as far as you can, usually around bridges or weirs. Sweetcorn on the hook. Carp, breme, barbel, PCs, and ablettes (I think that's roach).

I use a Drennan S7 Carp Feeder rod, with 10lb line, landed cxarpe to 38lb, but been snapped off loads of time. My mate Ronan, who fishes anglais style, but doesn't speak a word of english, reckons there are cats in the rivers over 125Kg. Ugly, horrid things. Glad they take the hooklength, not interested in landing one.

 

I'm being moved to the Uk at the end of the summer . Hopefully will cheer the missus up. She hates France, and everything French, with the exception of her family. I find it bizarre listening to someone talking like a character from Allo Allo, moaning about her own country non-stop

[Ken L]

I find it bizarre listening to someone talking like a character from Allo Allo, moaning about her own country non-stop

 

Oh I don't know, there's plenty of Brits who moan about how carp things are over here - I'm one on occasion.

[fishtec1312]

The problem is finding the hemp and tares. I can get lots of animal style feedstuffs including wheat and dari but I haven't seen any hemp, let alone tares.

Maize is cheap and easy to find so I tend to use that mixed with wheat as a basic particle groundbait but I am a bit worried about over feeding.

I do have one old tin of Frenzied Hemp that I can use as feed and will try sweetcorn on the hook.

I would prefer using the float so will try that first and have the feeder as a fall back if all else fails.

I will probably invest in a couple of tubs of maggots and some dendros as well.

There is one swim that has some lilies over on the far bank so that will be my first choice.

These fish don't get fished for much so it will be interesting to see what is around.

Cheers

Dave

give a feeder ago with chopped worm, with a lobworm tail hookbaitl.theres not many things that swim,shouldnt refuse that.and you can allways take some of there spicey meat as a sleeper rod,if you can get some sort of honey nut ceriel and make a groundbait ,but make it the night before,so it really absorbs the water,so really pound it up as fine as you can.and if it dosent work ,you got your breaky,only joking it worked for me on the danube and in bulgaria and other little tributeries

Edited July 8, 2011 by fishtec1312