Gravel pits - fish the margins?

[The Flying Tench]

I've just returned from hospital from a small op so I'm not able to fish for a couple of weeks and am sitting dreaming about what I will do later in the month. One of my plans, in autumn or winter, is to try and get some decent roach from a gravel pit. Now my instinct on such occasions is normally to fish the margins - partly because you can feed so much more accurately, partly because there seems more there to attract fish, not least the bait anglers throw in at the end of sessions.

 

But in autumn there's the issue of rotting dead leaves. At my local pits there are trees or bushes most of the way round apart from where the swims are - and I rather assume the leaves will get spread across by drift, or at least the noxious gas will waft across.

 

So i'm wondering, in Oct-Nov is it best to cast further out? I realise it may vary from pit to pit, but any experience on the matter will be welcome.

[Dick Dastardly]

I cant really add anything constructive on this one John as most of the species I target in the margins I also fish for in the summer months only.Sorry mate.Be just as interested as you in any informed replies.

[Stretpegger]

I've just returned from hospital from a small op so I'm not able to fish for a couple of weeks and am sitting dreaming about what I will do later in the month. One of my plans, in autumn or winter, is to try and get some decent roach from a gravel pit. Now my instinct on such occasions is normally to fish the margins - partly because you can feed so much more accurately, partly because there seems more there to attract fish, not least the bait anglers throw in at the end of sessions.

 

But in autumn there's the issue of rotting dead leaves. At my local pits there are trees or bushes most of the way round apart from where the swims are - and I rather assume the leaves will get spread across by drift, or at least the noxious gas will waft across.

 

So i'm wondering, in Oct-Nov is it best to cast further out? I realise it may vary from pit to pit, but any experience on the matter will be welcome.

 

I have often wondered if the this issue of rotting leaves in the water during autumn putting the fish off the feed is something akin to an angling"urban myth"

 

I stand to be corrected on this but speaking for myself i have experienced no noticeable drop off in sport at this time of the year.

 

Indeed on some lakes sport picks up noticeably at this time, but again this is my own experience others may think differently.

[ayjay]

So i'm wondering, in Oct-Nov is it best to cast further out? I realise it may vary from pit to pit, but any experience on the matter will be welcome.

 

It's not something I do myself but a friend of mine often fishes for Roach in pits in wintertime. he's always found that the roach will prefer to be where there is some flow, if you can find somewhere in the pit where you can trot a float on the flow (not the wind) that's where the Roach are likely to be.

 

He knows his pit's fairly well by now but initially spent a lot of time experimenting with the wind in different directions to ascertain how it affected the movement of water in the pit.

[Anderoo]

It's not something I do myself but a friend of mine often fishes for Roach in pits in wintertime. he's always found that the roach will prefer to be where there is some flow, if you can find somewhere in the pit where you can trot a float on the flow (not the wind) that's where the Roach are likely to be.

 

He knows his pit's fairly well by now but initially spent a lot of time experimenting with the wind in different directions to ascertain how it affected the movement of water in the pit.

 

Interesting reply. I was reading John Bailey's Gentle Giants book yesterday, and there's a chapter by Tony Miles which says exactly the same thing (he was talking about reservoirs, but it applies equally to any stillwater). Find the undertow and you'll find the roach.

 

No-one can properly explain undertow - there could be large areas of no tow, then a bit of lake where it's racing though, then it might change direction, all in the same conditions. It's really fascinating. Tony Miles suggests casting about with an empty feeder to locate the tow, and then fishing there.

[The Flying Tench]

Undertow. So we're not talking about the kind of tow where the water circulates round the lake, presumably as a result of the wind, which you could pick up most obviously through casting a float. This is something primarily under the surface?

 

I don't quite understand how you'd find it with an empty feeder unless it's that it's so pronounced that when you cast in the line bows in the same way it does on a river?

[Guest Rabbit]

Hi John

Hope all went well, and you are on the mend. Don't know about the margins in winter gravel pits. but margins / undercuts in the rivers are doing well for me. Two weeks ago I had a huge 7lb chub from close in on the Teme and today another pb but a barbel at a fraction over 12 from Nafford (remember?)

Again really close in and a heart stopping snaggy fight.

Gravel pits in the winter are hard as far as I know, and to be honest I would be putting out a maggot feeder in the deeper areas if I were you.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Rabbit

[Newt]

It would seem that an easily moved float and a rig with lots of surface area and just enough weight to get it down would be idea for locating the sort of water movement they are talking about.

 

Might need to try various depths too.

[bluerinse]

I used to fish a lake that had a road through the middle with a bidge over, in the winter the fish were always in the flow caused by the narrow gap between the bridge piles.

It was good for roach, perch bream and preds, you could trot it like a river. other parts of the lake would be hard fishing but in the flow fish were always willing t take a bait.

 

I agree find the flow.

[The Flying Tench]

Hi John

Hope all went well, and you are on the mend. Don't know about the margins in winter gravel pits. but margins / undercuts in the rivers are doing well for me. Two weeks ago I had a huge 7lb chub from close in on the Teme and today another pb but a barbel at a fraction over 12 from Nafford (remember?)

Again really close in and a heart stopping snaggy fight.

Gravel pits in the winter are hard as far as I know, and to be honest I would be putting out a maggot feeder in the deeper areas if I were you.

 

Neil, congratulations on two great pbs in a couple of weeks!

 

Yes, thanks, the op went fine, but for some reason it takes me a while to get back to strength - a nuisance it was in such a good fishing month!