River Fishing - For a starter

[hammer_jamie]

Next month when the rivers open back up i'm gonna give the River Roding a go, I litually have no idea where to start though! Never actually fished a river before.

I'm happy to catch anything no matter how small lol

What size hooks?
Should i use a float?
best bait for in the river?


Any help is appreciated

Thanks

 

[barbelboi]

You can never spend too much time on a river - learning the topography when it's low and clear will stand you well when the water is high and carrying colour. And you can learn a lot by reading some of the better books - after all these are very experienced anglers that have put the time in and are sharing their many years of knowledge gathering .

I believe that you’ll find that there are many on the forum that fish rivers and also use many different methods to catch fish – IMO some will always be more appropriate to a given river on a given day. Personally I love trotting, also stret pegging, meat rolling, free lining, ledger/feeder etc., although none will always be the best, or even the most enjoyable, all of the time.

 

[hammer_jamie]

Thanks for your input Barbel.

Need to just try get some help so i can buy few bits ready for June 16th

 

[theartist]

Dont take too much gear mate as mobility will be key on a small river like that, so be prepared to move swims and get a bit of excersise. Also fish it after a bit of rain if we ever get some as small rivers come alive when they get a bit of flow.

 

[hammer_jamie]

I will defo walk down to it light and happy to do a lot walking

Doing bit of research i'm thinking of getting size 16 hook? Would this be suitable, Like i say i'm happy to catch any size fish.

 

[greenie62]

....Need to just try get some help so i can buy few bits ready for June 16th

Hi Jamie,
Welcome to the mad-house!
I last fished the Roding about 30-odd years ago - and remember it as a very varied river where you need to have a good 'scrat-around' to find the fish and get access to the water to be able to fish it well.
The 'roving' approach would probably suit best - so think in terms of staying mobile and not loading yourself down with gear.
Think about a pair of waders - at least wellies to start with - so you can get down the bank and into the water - and trot a stick float under the trees. A folding clip-on net would be useful - as well as a shoulder bag for your tackle and loads of pockets - maybe a waistcoat.

As suggested previously, go and have a good look at the river in preparation, work out where it looks fishy and how you would fish it - with the tackle you've already got - "If I had my 13ft Match rod here - would I be caught in the overhead branches all the time?", "would a 10ft quiver-tip keep me out of the bankside brambles if I tried to ledger under those tree roots?" , etc.
Have a good explore, take a notebook and camera, and plan your campaign from the bank and the river - not the tackle shop! - to save yourself some money!

And don't forget your EA licence! mg:

Enjoy yourself - Tight Lines!

 

[Keith M]

I don't have any experience of fishing the river Roding so can't give you any info about it but I love fishing rivers far more than muddy stillwaters.

The best piece of advice I could give is to occasionally leave your rod in the car and spend time on searching for different features and the fish that inhabit these different areas/features.

A river can change a lot from stretch to stretch and the fish that inhabit it can change too. For example my local river has some excellent Barbel stretches with deep galleys running parallel to the bank under overhanging tree branches and large beds of streamer weed on large beds of gravel, it also has silty and muddier stretches where Barbel are very rarely seen and where Chub & Carp are the mainstay.

There are some large Roach that seem to stick religiously to stretches with certain features like large reed beds with gravelly runs alongside where they can move in and out of the reed beds.

The shoals of quality Dace are usually located in areas with deeper water running over gravels and the Chub can be found all along the river.

As well as the different stretches; each river can be totally different and it's these things that make fishing rivers so absorbing and challenging.

I envy you fishing a new river for the first time and hope you do well.

Keith

 

[hammer_jamie]

Wow amazing reply, Thanks very much Keith.

To be honest with ya i do only own the 1 rod and reel.. But i can see this changing soon! As already i can feel the passion & addiction for it that i used to.

I will defo take your advice and take a walk up the river and check it out closely, I might even go this evening as it's a nice sunny day


If anyone is around this area i am thinking of fishing the Buckhurst Hill part which is close to the Roding Valley Lake. Runs down from Debden near the Higgins Buildng.

 

[greenie62]

As an afterthought to the previous post - get yourself a pair of polaroid-type sunglasses so you can see into the water through the glare - and be able to spot features if not fish!

 

[thecrow]

As an afterthought to the previous post - get yourself a pair of polaroid-type sunglasses so you can see into the water through the glare - and be able to spot features if not fish!

Good advice but spend some time looking into the water, often it takes a while to see any fish that may be there.

 

[retrobob]

I am relatively new to fishing rivers after moving near one in time for last summer. Had some success in a few places, needless to say I am looking forward to the new season!

Initially my tactics were building on what I know from stillwaters, i.e. to use a float. One thing that is always drilled in to fishermen though is to plumb the depth... but on the river I am never confident I am at the right depth because of the flow. The line must bow but then there is also weed etc... annoying. What do you more experienced people do?

 

[greenie62]

.... but on the river I am never confident I am at the right depth because of the flow. The line must bow but then there is also weed etc... annoying. What do you more experienced people do?

Depends on the river, features, bed, flow, target species, etc - but basically - guess!
Trot a stick through - if it catches owt - that'll do! - if it snags - hold back hard so the bait rises then bump it through gently - take a few inches off for the next trot - repeat above as necessary!

 

[hammer_jamie]

Has anyone got a fav type of float to use on rivers?

I will start of with floats and split shot weights i think...

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

I'm a big fan of these:

Running Line Floats | Dave Harrell Angling

Sticks for a decent flow, wagglers if it's really slow, type and, critically, size will depend on the river you're fishing.

 

[denzinho]

Has anyone got a fav type of float to use on rivers?

I will start of with floats and split shot weights i think...

Stick floats are great. The advise I'm going to give you buddy is take a pint of maggots and hook sizes 20/18/16 (Or just 2 of the 3). Feed little and often in a swim your happy with, 6-12 maggots every cast.

Look at "trotting a float" on youtube, I have learnt a lot from some of the Fishing pro's. You can alternatively use a waggler and find a slack in the River ( where the flow pretty much stops) this you will find in some of the margins from my early experience.

Line wise I would say 4-6lb is enough with a hook link between 2-4lb, the lighter line should get you more bites but if a large Barbel decides he's hungry your screwed .

Try and commit to the River your fishing and explore it. The more time you spend on it's bank the more you will learn on how to fish it productively.

Report back with pics if you can so all the guys can see what your up to and maybe offer advise on tactics etc.

Good luck mate :thumbs:

 

[hammer_jamie]

Thanks Denzinho, Really helpful all of that. I have been watching a lot of tip videos the last week at work actually I also like the look of the "drop shot"

I suppose it's just giving it all a try and se what happens. But gonna keep on asking questions and searching around to get all the help and tips I need ready for the 16th June!

 

[hammer_jamie]

Took a walk down to my local river today... There are some deeper parts which you cant see the bottom but i'm not very optimistic about it lol! Saw few minnows that was about it.

Anyway took these photos

 

[rubio]

Looks grand mate.
A small loafer and simple shotting (3/4 depth) and 12inches or so between last shot and hook might do the job, with 4lb line straight thro to the hook, as it looks like chub might drag you into the reeds. Maggots are gonna get you a bite or two for sure but have a try with bread. Many fish can't resist a very visible tasty munch drifting away from them.
Have fun catching one or two from a swim then wandering along (stealthily)to the next likely looking spot. Drop in a crumbled up half slice of bread before you move, then fish the same swims on the way back.

 

[hammer_jamie]

Thanks for that very helpful tip mate

If i can catch that will be a different story, But we will see next month!

 

[steph mckenzie]

A simple feeder set up will do for starting out on a river, just a simple running lead and you can loose feed easily enough if you're not casting to far.
Look for features, be patient and never spend to long in any one area.
Set up way back from the river bank and only approach the edge of the bank when you're ready to fish, move slowly and quietly and keep low if you can.
A small rucksack, a rolled up unhooking mat, a rod with Reel, a bucket for baits, landing net and handle, a rod rest and bank stick and that's pretty much that .......... oh and a Rod License and any other Fishing License that might be required.
Simple enough and will get you started off very quickly.