WEIR FISHING

[Janet]

Hi guys,

 

I've only recently started fishing, and have been sticking to the canal where I can make my mistakes without anyone watching (I'm learning by trial and error as I have nobody to teach me - learnt most of it off this site!) Due to work I can only get there once a week, but as I've well land truly been bitten with the fishing bug, I want to get out more.

 

Just ten minutes walk from my home is the River Calder, with a small weir. It's not very deep, but I know it holds lots of brown trout, and I've also been told of chub, roach and perch. I'm looking for some advice as to how I should go about fishing here.

 

Should I try the slower water above the weir, or go for the tempting looking white water below? I really don't care what I catch, but I could do with a few pointers as to what method to use, and where to try.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Janet

[Dick Dastardly]

Go below the weir Janet and try trotting a float down.Its a great way to fish.Plenty of articles/posts on here about trotting.

 

Also well worth a go is a larger bait ledgered in any slack areas of the pool.Often home to the bigger fish.

 

I love weirpool fishing! even just the smell they have excites me!

[Janet]

Would you recommend any particular bait?

 

Janet

 

PS. I know what you mean about the smell of the weir, and the fantastic sound too.

 

I've sat daydreaming in this spot for the past few years. Lovely!

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

I would try to get the depths around the whole pool. If you use the right equipment you'll find out where all the snags are, and any other interesting features. When you know all that, make your choice of what to go after, based on where those fish tend to inhabit around such areas.

[Dick Dastardly]

I would keep it simple Janet and just start off with a couple of pints of maggots or casters.This will give you an idea of how the pool fishs and what it contains for sure.You can try targetting individual species or specimens at a later date.

[Lid]

If it was me, I'd link ledger a lob worm on a size 6 all round the weir pool. For this you'd need to be using line of about 5lbs breaking strain. If a link ledger means nothing to you, please say and I'll post some more details.

 

Is there no-one at all you know who fishes who could accompany you? Maybe some-one on here could volunteer.

[Janet]

Thanks for that, both of you. I will stick with the maggots & worms for the time being then. It's daunting enough without complicating things for myself. I think my son will be glad when I switch to something else, as he keeps finding them in the fridge. Comes home from the pub late at night looking for bacon and finds my maggots!

 

Unfortunately I don't know anyone else who fishes, but I'm not doing too badly at the moment. Learning a lot from this site, and then going out and trying to put it into practice. It seems quite simple on the canal, and I'm catching quite well, but the river is a different kettle of fish.

 

Still, I've got nothing to lose, so I'm heading off down there after work tomorrow and see how I get on.

 

Janet

[Janet]

Hi guys,

 

Well, I had planned to go down to the river tonight armed with the information I got yesterday, but I noticed this morning that it's about a foot over it's usual level, and very muddy looking after all yesterday's rain.

 

My question is, is it still worth trying with these conditions? I've never fished a river before.

 

Thanks!

 

Janet

 

Janet

[kempo]

Hi guys,

 

Well, I had planned to go down to the river tonight armed with the information I got yesterday, but I noticed this morning that it's about a foot over it's usual level, and very muddy looking after all yesterday's rain.

 

My question is, is it still worth trying with these conditions? I've never fished a river before.

 

Thanks!

 

Janet

 

Janet

 

yes it is, fish a whole lob-worm on a big hook size 10 and look for slack water just on the edge of the flow, and fish it with a ledger rod and a ledger weight on the line just enough to hold the bottom

[Andrew Boyd]

Don't forget to try the white water too, but . . it can be snaggy so take care.