What fish do a vanishing act in your area...

[Tigger]

Some reactions to Anderoo's perch season thread made it clear that targeting them does vary from one part of the country to another.

I was wondering if this applies to other species also ?

I'm mainly talking about my local river here but all the different species of fish except from chub literally vanish and no amount bait changing, differing techniques or hours on the bank seem to coaxe or tempt any of the other species to pull my string. I know dace and roach are supposed to feed ok in winter but even they vanish and I do mean completely.

The still waters ( I'm talking about wild waters not commercials) seem to close down altogether also except for a few ponds where the roach and rudd and pike oblige from time to time.

I'm curious what species still oblige the angler in other areas during the hard times ?

[Emma two]

Some reactions to Anderoo's perch season thread made it clear that targeting them does vary from one part of the country to another.

I was wondering if this applies to other species also ?

I'm mainly talking about my local river here but all the different species of fish except from chub literally vanish and no amount bait changing, differing techniques or hours on the bank seem to coaxe or tempt any of the other species to pull my string. I know dace and roach are supposed to feed ok in winter but even they vanish and I do mean completely.

The still waters ( I'm talking about wild waters not commercials) seem to close down altogether also except for a few ponds where the roach and rudd and pike oblige from time to time.

I'm curious what species still oblige the angler in other areas during the hard times ?

 

 

Need I reply? 'all of 'em vanish'. it's as if they evaparate.

 

I'm glad that you made this post Tigger, especially mentioning bait changes, techniques and the hours put in...it's all very familiar and I was starting to think it was just me.

 

I remember Germany, fishin' in very low temperatures, yet still catching lots, especially roach, sometimes it was so cold that the eyes on quivertips (and swingtips we used then) would freeze up, it was 'strike reel' only to find the line frozen, we managed though and it was even worth a match most sundays.

 

If I wanted to be sure of catching fish in winter I would go to a commercial trout fishery, rainbows oblige nicely.

[Leon Roskilly]

If I wanted to be sure of catching fish in winter I would go to a commercial trout fishery, rainbows oblige nicely.

 

 

Didn't work for me last winter.

 

They were all frozen over

 

 

 

 

Crucian carp bury themselves down in the mud when it's cold, and in times of drought!

[Anderoo]

I've always wondered where fish go in the winter. Do they all shoal up at some specific little spot somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or do they simply not feed on anything big enough to get them caught?

 

In the warmer months, the Thames is teeming with all species and sizes of fish. After a couple of frosts, they've gone. You might scratch a few hand-sized roach out if you're lucky, but you're more likely to catch a good chub. Those chub never appear in the summer though...

 

Where do all the thousands of bleak go? They must be somewhere!

 

On the small tributaries you continue to catch the small roach, dace, perch, chublets, etc. all winter long, even with the line freezing in the rings.

 

In that bitter spell before xmas last year when the temperature didn't get above freezing for weeks on end (the coldest recorded temperature here was -18) it was even too cold for the chub. A friend and I had 8 sessions on the trot during that period, and in all that time managed 1 bite between us.

[Emma two]

Our local river is a good one for 'fish spotting/watching', being clear and shallow except after heavy or prolonged rain. (then it floods and we all end up on the telly). there are a few pools of 2 to 4 foot in depth, in one conveniently under a bridge the small trout would shoal up, a pebble throw into the pool would see 'em all scatter and then resume their places. We don't fish for then in winter (out of season, and I mean 'season' in the legal sense), but offerings like bits of worm are pointedly ignored, not feeding. Its possible to see salmon and sea trout kelts meandering downstream.

 

Rainbows shoal up and can be caught. I remember one day, it was the day before Xmas eve 1983 at Crofton trout fishery in Lancashire. Bitterly cold and few fish being caught, around mid afternoon a fellow walked past me on his way home and said 'they are all shoaled up in a deep hole in that corner get yourself down there' (pointing to where he had fished). I did go there and suddenly the day tool on a different perspective, using weighted lures (flies) and a sinking tip line I took a double limit evey one coming on the drop at around 20 feet. That was an ice in the rod rings day too, but I stuck with it until dark.

 

In the depths of winter we can find lots of fish showing on the boat echo/fish finder, often in large concentrations down deep but sometimes at only 50 to 80 feet of water. Of course the 'finder' doesn't determine the species, we have sat right above them, carefully measuring baits and lures to be among them, Sometimes jigging, hoping that they are perch. we havn't caught a single fish that way.

 

The more I write, read and think about winter fishin' I understand why in years past winter meant shooting, rabbiting, hunting and coursing...now thats harmony with the seasons .

Edited September 25, 2011 by Emma two

[Rusty]

I'm curious what species still oblige the angler in other areas during the hard times ?

 

We have access to grayling in my area if it gets really cold, not big but they are reliable. I've no idea where the hoards of small roach go once winter sets in, they vanish every year and if they were surviving you'd expect some decent fish to turn up in following summers but they don't seem to. Maybe there's a roach graveyard somewhere.

[Tigger]

Thew more I write, read and think about winter fishin' I understand why in years past winter meant shooting, rabbiting, hunting and coursing...now thats harmony with the seasons .

 

 

 

I used to be a fair weather fisherman and as soon as September came round my thoughts turned to the dogs, ferrets and irons. Infact hunting was my absolute passion from being a small child on my grandads dairy farm. I kept my own ferrets from the age of 6 and dogs...lurchers, terriers etc have always been members of our household. Even now I don't think you can beat waiting for a rabbit bolting into the net on a frosty mornings ferreting or watching the dogs coursing a hare...bliss.

[JV44]

I used to be a fair weather fisherman and as soon as September came round my thoughts turned to the dogs, ferrets and irons. Infact hunting was my absolute passion from being a small child on my grandads dairy farm. I kept my own ferrets from the age of 6 and dogs...lurchers, terriers etc have always been members of our household. Even now I don't think you can beat waiting for a rabbit bolting into the net on a frosty mornings ferreting or watching the dogs coursing a hare...bliss.

Tigger spent a fair bit of my childhood ferreting and sure it was not the case but main memory was digging the buggers out when one got a rabbit in a dead end....tend to remember worse case scaenario from my yooof though .

Selling acquired Pheasants to a mate from schools old man who was a game dealer ...explaining why your maths book was covered on claret and Pheasant feathers no mortgage ,no worries,Linda Clarke from my class last year of school ............where did it all go wrong Steve.

Edited September 25, 2011 by JV44

[Emma two]

I used to be a fair weather fisherman and as soon as September came round my thoughts turned to the dogs, ferrets and irons. Infact hunting was my absolute passion from being a small child on my grandads dairy farm. I kept my own ferrets from the age of 6 and dogs...lurchers, terriers etc have always been members of our household. Even now I don't think you can beat waiting for a rabbit bolting into the net on a frosty mornings ferreting or watching the dogs coursing a hare...bliss.

 

 

I go along with all of that, and would still be running dogs and working ferrets if I could physically manange it.

[gozzer]

I've always thought of winter as being the time for chub, roach and dace in particular, but have had to scale down hooks and line sizes, and feed a lot less. The time just before dusk has produced some of my best roach catches, especially on the Ure. They start rolling about a half hour before dark, and then start feeding in earnest. Sometimes it lasts for another half hour, sometimes a bit longer, but it stops just as suddenly as it starts.

 

John.