Fishing tidal rivers

[john frum]

I do most of my fishing on tidal rivers here in sussex. Although the sections I fish are well upstream of the estuaries they vary greatly in level. The exact level and the timing of the tides is pretty complicated as it changes depending on the size of the tide. Also the speed of flow changes a hell ofa lot - the bigger tides move a great deal of water up and down. I'm not sure how far upstream the saltwater actually gets, and what effect on fish it has (bad I imagine) but I expect it also depends on tide sizes. It's all very interesting and at times drives me completely nuts.

 

The species here are the usual suspects, with Bream predominating. I have never caught a decent sized Roach in the last two seasons although there are lots of small examples. I have had Bream up to about 6lb, Carp up to low doubles etc. Relatively few Perch, which is surprising as the upper non tidal secions are full of small Perch. Haven't had a decent sized Pike yet as I had little opportunity to fish last winter. I had a few nice Tench, but these came out of the non tidal sections above the weirs.

 

I wonder how territorial most species are under these conditions? The Bream obviously move up and down although I've been unable to see any obvious correlation with the tides. I've been assured that fairly heavy groundbaiting on a falling tide is the way to bag up Bream, but it hasn't worked for me.

 

I usually fish one feeder and one float rod to keep me busy. This isn't always good idea (missed bites on one or the other...) I prefer to settle down in one spot (getting old!) with the brolly and chair etc - I never really enjoy "stalking"...I've taken fish on most of the usual baits. Maggots are the most reliable but inevitably mean lots of small stuff.

 

Does anyone have a strong opinion about the effect of tides? The general received wisdom is that these rivers always fish best running out. That may be so, but I'm only half convinced. Interestingly I've noticed that during the 40 mins or so at the top of (usually biggish) tides in summer the place nearly always goes crazy with massive sprays of fry jumping out in panic and bow waves of biggish fish near the surface. As soon as it starts to run out this activity stops - at least visibly. Last year I also saw a lot of Sea Trout jumping almost vertically, often at the top of the tide too.

 

So far I've been unable to come to any conclusions about the best time to fish as the results are so unpredictable - and often very unproductive. There are times fishing these places that I feel like just giving up, catching nothing decent for session after session. Then I have a day (infrequently) on a stocked lake and remember why I like fishing rivers.

 

One of the two rivers here is lot bigger than the other and I have really only tried it a few times, all the problems are magnified with really turbulent water up to 20 ft deep on a big tide. Even a large Avon float was being sucked down by whirlpools last time I tried it. How do you float fish water like this? I gave up! Anyway, I've put a lot of time in particularly this year with pretty poor results. I'm going to have a bash at Piking this winter. Something tells me that sitting in one spot isn't going to be the answer.

[Andrew Boyd]

Interestingly I've noticed that during the 40 mins or so at the top of (usually biggish) tides in summer the place nearly always goes crazy with massive sprays of fry jumping out in panic and bow waves of biggish fish near the surface.

 

This can often be School Bass who will run a suprisingly long way into fresh water at times.

 

Ever thought of trying for the Mullet? You have some excellent fishing on your doorstep.

[corydoras]

Ever thought of trying for the Mullet?

All the time.

[Newt]

Not about your area in particular John but some articles that may offer good information for you.

 

http://saltfishing.about.com/od/tidesweath...a/aa050317c.htm

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/science/ross_current.aspx

[luckyjim]

One of the two rivers here is lot bigger than the other and I have really only tried it a few times, all the problems are magnified with really turbulent water up to 20 ft deep on a big tide. Even a large Avon float was being sucked down by whirlpools last time I tried it. How do you float fish water like this? I gave up! Anyway, I've put a lot of time in particularly this year with pretty poor results. I'm going to have a bash at Piking this winter. Something tells me that sitting in one spot isn't going to be the answer.

 

Hi John,

 

I've only been fishing proper for a couple of years, but the majority of this has been predator fishing on the tidal Thames, particularly Teddington Weirpool. Obviously an extreme example of a tidal river in terms of size but nevertheless instructive.

 

Tides are absolutely crucial, in my opinion. In fact, I rarely if ever bother fishing at low tide (particularly low slack tide). Although I haven't exhaustively fished this stage the times I have its been pretty futile, unless in absolute hotspots (for instance for territorial big Perch). Indeed I think this is the stage of the tide when the fish are most territorial and inactive - they find themselves a deep of sheltered spot, perhaps in order of hierachy, and sit there. They tend not to move around much and barely feed - this in my opinion for the same reason as in the sea: little available food.

 

When the tide turns is when it kicks off. The baitfish shoal around areas just covered by the tide, especially the shallows, or overhanging vegetation, and the predators follow them up, or move out of their hiding places and lurk at the bottom, making occasional strikes. When the tides really rolling in is when food, silt, organic material etc is being flushed around and therefore triggers the feeding. The best stages for me have been the 15-20 minutes before high water, and the 10 minutes - 1 and a half hours after (and to a slightly lesser extent high water itself).

 

The main problem is the strength of the tide, in that (at least in the Thames) the period which is most likely to produce fish you'd need a 3oz grip lead to hold bottom, and thats no fun. Thats why I usually use a boat and freeline or use a light bobbin float, if going for predators, or as light a float as possible, deep fished, on the occassions I'm after bream, carp, eels.

 

If you found some way of fishing the bottom during the tide run using fairly sensitive gear then I'm sure you'd clean up! The only way I've managed to is using a heavy swimfeeder and high density groundbait. Problem is you only get a window of a few minutes either side of the tide to fish and even then 3 casts out of four you'll end up in a snag!

 

If you're swimfeeding by the way I'd recommend lobs as bait (and chopped in the groundbait) as the have a much better scent trail, and if you hook them once through the head look much more attractive in tidal flows. Also you can get away with a longish trace for better movement, as the groundbait is getting washed in the direction of the tide (and thus past your hookbait) pretty quickly.

 

Can be very fruastrating, but nothing beats the anticipation of that brief window of oppurtunity coming up and the rewards can be great - try fighting a double figure river pike in the midst of a tidal surge!:

 

[luckyjim]

By the way a good tide prediction service for rivers:

 

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/

[Waveney One]

I fish the tidal River Yare in Norflok in the summer and the fishing can be brilliant. The greatest affect on the fishing is the colour of the water. The greater the colour the more the bream feed. Having said that the period up to and just after high tide seem to me to be the best for the bream when there is strong tide pulling. When there is no or little colour in the water the roach feed. The roach on the Yare run big though and a number of 2lb fish have been caught in matches this year.

 

One thing about the high salt tides on the Yare is that the fish migrate up the river. Although there are a few resident fish all year through the majority of the shoals move upstream well away from the influence of the salt water. This usually happens last week or this week so there is very little fishing to be had by mid October. the fish move up to 20 miles upstream into the centre of Norwich.

[Cyranne12]

I guess it's the Arun or the Adur that you are fishing ---- if you use a pole have you thought about a big Lollipop float at around 12 metres?

[Leon Roskilly]

One thing to remember is that saltwater is denser than fresh, so it tends to be saltier at the bottom.

 

Coarse fish at the top, and saltwater species down deeper.

 

Well that's the theory, depends on how much the water is 'boiling'.

 

I've found that when the water is very coloured, pike feed at the top.

 

I've had pike, obviously caught the scent of the deadbait, searching for floating dead fish around my float.

 

Obvious really, they can't see a thing, the water is far too turbid for a decent scent trail, and most dead fish float on the surface.

[john frum]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far!

 

I've been preoccupied with other stuff - including bashing these rivers, the Arun and Adur, as correctly surmised above, with mixed results. I've had some nice fish out recently, including a Tench of about 7+ but on the non-tidal stretches.

 

The Arun is a real challenge - like an express train on big tides. Someone from EA told me that it's being considered as the fastest river in the UK these days. Very strange bottom in some of the fast shallow stretches too with mountainous anthill-like piles of mud in some places. I can't get at them to check what the consistency is but I can't imagine how they aren't washed away very fast. Someone told me that stretches of the river were dredged for road-building gravel (when?), which might account for some of this odd topography. It's distinctly spooky though!

 

I haven't had a chance to do any Pike fishing since one (blank) session last winter, but I'm about to start again shortly.

 

I'll add a bit of a report to this post when I get a few minutes again.