Slack caused by bridge piers

[The Flying Tench 43]

I'd have thought the slack behind bridge piers would be a number one residence for lots of fish, but for some reason I've never caught a fish in these locations. Perhaps I should give it another try? What is others' experience?

[Vagabond 1022]

Try the slack buffer zone just above the bridge piers  - it seems counter-intuitive but there is often a good trout there.

 

A place I have often found disappointing is the fishy-looking pool below a waterfall.   It always looks inviting - sends me the clear message "now here be monsters"   but I can't remember ever catching anything but "run-of-the-mill" fish from  such spots

[The Flying Tench 43]

Interesting re the trout. I suppose the species I particularly expect to see on the downstream side, based on internalised memories of a 'where the fish are' pic in Mr Crabtree from when I was a teenager, is chub. In all fairness I have never given ledgering a proper go there, But lure fishing I always used to cast to such swims expecting chub, perch or pike, but I don't recall ever catching. I mention it because I found a new venue recently on the Thames with quite an inviting bridge.

BTW thank-you for your 'winding down' thread. Encouraging to hear how someone a few yards ahead of me is handling this.

John

[chesters1 1587]

Perhaps the bloke ahead of you caught all the fish in the slacks lol

[Martin56 339]

I've had similar experiences fishing near, past or up to bridge uprights & also caught next to now't in the past.

I got to thinking the Chub/Barbel etc were in fact just "Cleaning Themselves Off" after spawning & had no interest in feeding whatsoever!!

On the other hand, I've heard of Chub gathering in these places waiting for Chips being chucked in by the locals having finished their Fish Supper coming home from the Pub!!

Maybe a Chip or a bit of Pizza could catch?? (Like Ducks - Chub get used to the local Fayre)

One Chub in particular used to stick his head up & say "Got Any Brown Sauce"!!

Edited October 18, 2020 by Martin56

[Bobj 251]

Interesting...not for fish, but sapphire mining. I had a little ‘show’ in the New England Ranges of New South Wales and came across a big granite boulder about a metre down in ‘wash’. The boulder was sat on granite bedrock. As I dug down the downstream side of it, I dug up enough sapphires to buy a new station wagon! Sapphires, being heavy, lost momentum behind the big boulder during floods. In total, I got 85 beautiful blues several small particolours (green/blue) and a pile of corundum.

[Bobj 251]

Forgot to say, the pool was/is a noted duck billed platypus’s swim. 

[chesters1 1587]

Perhaps it was its stash you took?

If i lived in OZ i would be out looking for gold ,unfortunately my temperature upper limit is 20c so unless you do something about that i refuse to come down there ,thank god my parents never went in the 60's ! And boy do you have silly laws are you actually allowed to do anything ?

 

[gozzer 942]

On 10/16/2020 at 8:41 PM, The Flying Tench said:

I'd have thought the slack behind bridge piers would be a number one residence for lots of fish, but for some reason I've never caught a fish in these locations. Perhaps I should give it another try? What is others' experience?

Hi John,

I remember a thread about this some time ago, I think Newt was involved in it. As Vagabond says, I've found the fish tend to be more to the front/side of the obstruction, than in the slack behind it. If you picture the flow hitting the bridge pier, it will hit the front of it, and obviously flow round it. Where this happens, it creates an area of slower water, close to the sides of the structure, causing something similar to the bow wave effect from a boat. Like the water directly behind a moving boat, the area behind the pier will be turbulent to some extent, and less comfortable for the fish to hold there. I've spent many an hour watching, chub in particular, lining up in this slower water, and peeling off to intercept anything resembling food, then re-joining the queue of fish in the slower water. The size of this 'holding zone', varies according to the size, and shape of the structure, and the speed of the current. It also determines the number, and size of fish it can hold, I've counted anything from a single fish, to a dozen or so holding in such places.

 I've found that trotting a float, free lining, or using a rolling leger, cast upstream, and allowed to run to the side of the structure, usually produces, but watch out for 'boils' showing snags that have settled there. 

Hope that helps

John.

[Phone 751]

Gozzer,

What helps is - - - - seeing you post again

Phone