Match fishing in winter

[Blackbird]

16 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

So this suggests the shoaling up theory applies to chub, not just roach. In fact, where were the roach? Presumably shoaled up somewhere where no-one had a peg? So I'm not sure what I think. In a case like the one I described in my last post today on the Thames, should I go back with finer tackle to the place where got a couple of bites, or keep searching for the shoal?

Blackbird, I'm interested that you are into cheese paste. A couple of people have recommended this recently. I've got the paste. Feebly I bought it just for the first time and to see the texture. But when I cast into the middle of the river with no feeder I find I can't believe a fish will find it! Maybe I should use a light maggot feeder to give me confidence if nothing else? Do you use link ledger or straight lead?

The cooler the water the better for cheese paste, which is just as well looking at the forecast. The method I use us a link ledger at tech a swivel to the main line attach your feeder if you prefer swan shots or bomb via a quick change swivel thingy. Of course cheese paste works better the older it is and therefore more stinky, when it smells like a pair of old smelly socks you know its time to go fishing...quick way is to leave on a radiator for a few days, just explain to the Christmas guests the importance, I am sure they will understand Just got a new batch of cheese, look for Danish blue if you can, its moist and you don't need to add marg, or Philadelphia. To pop up the paste add carpy pop up powder to the mix, and if you wish add colouring. 

Or you could use sliced processed cheese, but for me that's far too easy..

[The Flying Tench]

I understand pop-up baits, but what is pop-up powder?

The cheese paste I bought from HInders hardly pongs at all.  Quite disappointing! I've now taken the lid off in the hope that will help it mature.

Has anyone used cheese paste on a large river? I can imagine using it on the Kennet where I used to fish, casting all along the far bank under trees etc. But the Thames is quite a large river, and there's so much water to cover. I had a brief go today, but wasn't getting any touches so decided to try maggot with feeder instead. I thought if I could find where any fish were that could give me clues about the chub, though I don't know if that is right. I caught a small roach and a chublet close to the bank, so next mild day will go back and see what else is there.

Edited December 17, 2021 by The Flying Tench

[Whitty]

When you fish a river,say your local river Thames,during the warmer months roach are feeding throughout,during the main part of winter,say from say from the beginning of December until early March you will struggle to catch one,unless the river is coloured,in fact often it is chub or bust,these days it's often bust,most rivers are similar,in the fens in the winter,if flows and colour is low you will often only get bites just before dark,if at all,it isn't always fish being shoaled up,but that they only feed in certain areas...

Edited June 18, 2022 by Whitty

[Whitty]

I fish a stretch of the Gt Ouse in Bedford,I can assure you it is absolutely solid with roach,dace,perch,skimmers,plus bream,but after Christmas(sometimes before)you will struggle for a bite,on anything,pinkie,maggot,worm,bread,but its still solid,think of it like yourself,when you are full,your not going to eat one more 'waffle thin mint',that is just the way of it,fish are cold blooded,their metabolism slows down to the stage that they won't feed,even chub,a friend of mine was telling me about a match he fished on the Ouse where he spotted a good shoal of nice roach to well over a pound he loose fed casters and the roach ignored them totally,letting them slide down their flanks without moving station,also there are other times when fish are feeding on the loose feed and won't take your baited hook,that makes it appear no fish are present think hard and long here,if every fish that was in the river in the summer shoaled into certain pockets,there would be millions of them,you wouldn't be able to trot through without foul hooking them,I'm afraid that is why it's called fishing not catching....

[The Flying Tench]

On 6/18/2022 at 9:34 AM, Whitty said:

I fish a stretch of the Gt Ouse in Bedford,I can assure you it is absolutely solid with roach,dace,perch,skimmers,plus bream,but after Christmas(sometimes before)you will struggle for a bite,on anything,pinkie,maggot,worm,bread,but its still solid,think of it like yourself,when you are full,your not going to eat one more 'waffle thin mint',that is just the way of it,fish are cold blooded,their metabolism slows down to the stage that they won't feed,even chub,a friend of mine was telling me about a match he fished on the Ouse where he spotted a good shoal of nice roach to well over a pound he loose fed casters and the roach ignored them totally,letting them slide down their flanks without moving station,also there are other times when fish are feeding on the loose feed and won't take your baited hook,that makes it appear no fish are present think hard and long here,if every fish that was in the river in the summer shoaled into certain pockets,there would be millions of them,you wouldn't be able to trot through without foul hooking them,I'm afraid that is why it's called fishing not catching....

That makes sense in the majority of cases, but there seem to be exceptions. For example Bayleaf (see his blog this last winter) and I think Peter JG found a swim on the canal  where it seemed you could always get plenty of bites from roach, particularly in winter, though from memory they were all small.

Alan, I'm interested in your mention of the Gt Ouse at Bedford. I'm hoping to visit the Ouse this summer or autumn, maybe with hemp and tares, but was thinking the nearest to me might be Milton Keynes. But Bedford would be closer. Do you know if there is any day ticket fishing at or near Bedford?

[Whitty]

John,it is free fishing in Bedford,due to the Magna Carta,I've fished there since a boy,it is a bite a chuck on tare(once they get going),worth taking some corn too,parking can be an issue,if you go on a Saturday the college car park is two quid a day,paid via card in a machine,there is a free car park further downstream,one bonus is the banks are basically flat,with tarmac footpaths,lots of hard bank(so banksticks,brollies can be a problem in places),must be seventy miles from you surely,this river is fairly wide,slow through Bedford,scullers can be a pain in the rear,especially school kids learning,the Ouse either side of Bedford is a totally different beast,narrower,shallower,with weed and more flow....

[The Flying Tench]

Apologies, Alan, I should have looked at a map!  As you imply, Bedford is further from me than Milton Keynes. I think I meant Buckingham!

[Whitty]

You wont do brilliantly on hemp and tare at MK John,the river doesn't hold the head of roach it used to up there...

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks, Alan

For info last October Terry T Shirt said he was still catching good bags of roach (10 - 15lb) all the way from Buckingham to Bedford, I think, but he , like you, has a lot of experience of the river. The truth is a better roach angler than me would probably equal that on the Thames locally, so that must be my key target. I'm assuming the pipes swim you showed me will be quite clear in summer which might be good for hemp and tares? Bedford may be a bit far, though sounds kinda reliable. Out of interest how big do the roach run to? I've got an A.T. article from last June which claims the roach at Bromham run to 1lb 8 oz, and recommends pellet, though it's apparently quite fast there and might be harder to fish for someone like me with a bad back.

[Whitty]

The Ouse at Bromham has fast shallow water and deep slow stretches,roach are there to the sizes you speak of,but there are hordes of smaller ones,which in summer can be a pest,on tare too,I fished the Lea on Saturday and had around 25 lovely roach,up to maybe just under the pound,smallest 4ozs,but only one that small,the vast majority around 8-10ozs,lost a definite 2lber,on 6mm banded pellet,fished hemp and tare and though they ate it,they seemed very spooky...