Autumn Glory?

[bingo]

I've been struggling these last few weeks. Torrential rain, rivers in flood, cold winds, leaves getting stuck on my hooks and rigs etc etc. The rivers are so high and fast at the moment that they're just not fishable.

 

I've tried fishing on lakes too but it's just been so slow. Started off today with 4 roach and perch on a local lake in the first 15mins (at about 12.00) and then NOTHING. Not a touch for the rest of the day.

 

I'm not blanking but I'm just finding it really hard work.

 

Sorry about the rant! I was just expecting/hoping for a bit more action at this time of year.

[Ian FG]

bingo,

 

Don't know how new you are to fishing but it always slow fishing in winter time.

 

Lure fishing is fun, sometimes you catch, sometimes you don't but the thing is you keep moving, you can walk miles along a river bank casting a lure, more fun than sitting in one spot all day with no bites.

[Stewart_Bloor]

Fishing can be excellent, you just have to give it a bit more thought than summer when the fish are feeding more. Even flooded rivers can produce some brilliant fishing, just target the right species and use the right tackle.

 

Don't give up just yet.

[Gaz51]

Fishing in winter!

 

Each and every fish caught is an achievement sometimes.

 

Stick at it bingo, not long to go until Spring!

[fantasticfisherman]

when a river is in flood isn't there certain conditions where it is better to target barbel and sometimes better to target chub? i read it in a magazine once but can't remember much more than that

[ayjay]

when a river is in flood isn't there certain conditions where it is better to target barbel and sometimes better to target chub? i read it in a magazine once but can't remember much more than that

 

 

Barbel can feed well in highly coloured water, (as long as other factors are favourable) chub much less so, although if you do catch a chub in such conditions it's quite likely to be a biggie.

[bingo]

I normally light leger for chub or use a stick float for anything that fancies one of my worms or maggots!

 

The trouble is that there's been so much rain down here the past few weeks (Devon) that the rivers are seriously high and fast. I can barely find a single slack area (I'm not exagerating!). And the snags/leaves are a nightmare too.

 

On Sunday the water was clearing but the river was still too strong so I went off to a lake.

 

Hopefully by next weekend the water will have gone down more.

 

But I guess that's what it's always like at this time of year. I've just not tried before.

[Newt]

bingo - oddly enough, you can find a nice bit of slack water directly in front of (upstream from) a large obstruction such as a log pile or rock or similar. It can be an excellent spot for preds that hover there waiting for smaller fish to be swept to them.

 

I usually have lots better luck there than in the eddy that forms just below the obstruction. Either tossing lures or letting a float drift so they move into the small slack area. BTW - I speak of US 'floats' here which will be floating a bait up in the water rather than the various US ones where you have your bait on the bottom. That would be a sure way to get snagged pretty quickly I imagine.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I think rivers are at their most productive after a heavy spate so even if conditions aren't favourable right now, they probably be be very productive when the flow and colour has subsided a little.

Don't be scared of using big baits either. Fish know that heavy rain brings all manner of goodies into the water. I tend to use lobworms, bunches of maggots, minnows, sticklebacks, slugs etc. after heavy rain. Baits that normally wouldn't find their way into a river in dry weather can be absolutely deadly after heavy rainfall and the fish 'know' it.

Touch legering, float fishing and freelining are superb ways of presenting baits when there's a heavy flow. Lots of folk opt for heavy leads in spate conditions, thinking they'll need loads of weight to hold the bottom. To me that's the least natural way of way of tempting a fish when theres a good strong current. If the water is belting along at high speed, then so should your bait.