Reading River Conditions in Autumn

[Graham Marsden (ACA)]

When the 'washing line' syndrome isn't too bad I can keep my bait in place for a while longer by fishing a softer rod. Same when fishing a flooded river.

Best to fish with a mate too in both cases, your mate can remove the debris rom the tip ring as you play a fish and he's there as an added safety factor when the river is in a dangerous condition.

What do you do? Stay at home, fish a stillwater, or defy the conditions in some way?

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Depending on the river, I would be looking to fish the near bankfrom an upstream position to minimise the amount and angle of line in the water.

I would try fishing in slacker areas protected from the full force of the flow and therefore liable to have less debris in them

 

[Fred Bonney]

Good to read something from Phil, again.

I don't give up in those conditions,mostly because I don't let it worry too much.It's a bit of a pain, but it beats tele!

A lighter rod,originaly more by luck, than by design,is my main tool.

Generally though, Iusually fish the inside of a bend, off the main flow,or make use of any bankside obstruction,which helps filter at least someof the washing.

 

[Rickrod]

i put a ledger stop about six foot up the line it stops alot of rubbish going down to the hook

 

[Graham Marsden (ACA)]

Rickrod, I use a couple of tight silicon float stops rather than a leger stop.

 

[Rickrod]

good idea graham they will be kinder on the line rather than the ledger stops,thanks

 

[john conway CSG]

Like Phil I tend to avoided the first big Autumn floods on the Ribble but occasionally I get caught out by more water coming down one of the tributaries than I’d planned for. I live at the head of the Ribble and quite a few times the Ribble in the Dales has been OK but the Calder has been bank high. In these conditions I’m looking to fish eddies and slack water tight into the bank side. However, for Chub the river has to be dropping but the Barbel are far more tolerant to a river that is rising. Just to give you an example of what Phil was saying about a spate river. A couple of years ago the Ribble rose form 1 metre up to over 4 metres and back down to 1 metre above normal summer level in 24 hrs. Next time you are sitting in your swim just think about the river being 3 metres above your head? Awesome.

Nice to see you in print again Phil I’m looking forward to part two. Our Lass is going into hospital shortly so I’ll probably miss most of the big Autumn floods, I’ll just have to read all about your experiences Phil.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Hope all goes well with your wife John.

Fred, why do you find a lighter rod helps?

 

[Fred Bonney]

Perhaps softer is the better word,Nigel,it just gives that bit more than the stiffer rod, and as a result, doesn't get dragged off the rest so easily, when pressure builds.

 

[john conway CSG]

Thanks re our lass Nigel. Re the softer rod, I think it’s to do with the rate of deflection between a stiff rod and a soft rod. On a rod with all the action in the tip, flood conditions take up most of the deflection leaving the rod a bit stiff on detection, were as with a softer rod there is still some movement left in the tip after the flood conditions have had their way.

 

[Fred Bonney]

That too!

 

[Gary Knowles]

Nice stuff Phil - dont you just hate it when the rod folds over slowly but constantly on your first cast and you know you're knackered for the day...

Truth is when its anything like you describe I just dont bother, I've never done particuallry well on the ribble when its been up.

John / Phil - have you heard of anything decent coming out this year? (obviously generally speaking, no names or stretches req'd). I have hardly fished it this year as I'm still convinced those seals did some serious damage. The people I'm speaking to who still fish regulalry are telling me they are getting plenty of fish but very few of the bigger specimens, either barbel or chub.

 

[Robert Woods (ACA)]

I fished with heavy backleads whilst carping on Trent and Mersey "boat graveyard" wides near Northwich. This helped boats from dragging in rods but when I reeled in I had bits of black plactic bags as my washing.

 

[john conway CSG]

For me only one double fig Barbel and a few near doubles. No chub over 5lb yet but plenty between 3lbs and 4lbs. Never caught a Ribble carp up to this year, then 3 fish at 6lb, 13lb and one just under 19lb and all well up the river in chub swims.

I’ve talked to Phil about the Chub situation, I’ve a feeling that the Chub may have spawned twice this year, I’ve been picking up a lot of empty looking Chub. The other interesting thing Gary is my records from 2002 are showing a rise in the average river temperature and this has just been backed up by EA data.

I’m halfway into a condition of the Ribble report for Graham where I will publish some of my graphs.

In general Gary I’mhearing very much the same reports as you, plentyof fish but not manybig ones. Although even in bad times there will always be the odd very big fish coming out but not very often, lets hope it picks up towards the end of the season.

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Oddly enough John, have a look at the LEGENDS thread.

 

[john conway CSG]

If only just Baz/forum/smilies/embarassed_smiley.gif?

 

[Phil Hackett The common Boastful Expert :-)]

Thank for the comments so far guysand big thanks to Graham for the editing....cheers mate!

Regarding my infrequent articles; its like this, I'll only write one and/or a series when I think I have something new or different to say about the type of fishing I do. Not for me just knocking them out for the sake of it. To those who do, fair play, but I find it boring and tedious. The story and when I write, I'm telling myself the story, because other than may be one or two ideas I don't know what the next line I write will be.So it's as new and interesting to me as it is to you when you read it!

Garry I’ve heard of few doubles (barbel) off the river this year, most coming in the last month or so. My best is 9.9 and I’ had it twice within 8 days Chub wise much as John says, fish around the 3-4 mark. No 5s as yet for me or Ian my mate.

Whilst the seal(s) did undoubtedly do some serious damage to the stocks, I also think the weird summer we had has also had something to do with it. As John says I’m of the opinion that the chub have spawned twice this year. Thee weeks ago I noticed on one of the lengths I fish, thousands of pinhead fry less than centimetre in length. Had they been usual fry spawned at the normal time they would by this time be 3-5 centimetres long.

 

[Gary Knowles]

I hope you're both right, but I fear the bigger fish (chub and barbel) were the easy targets...

I've decided not to bother with the ribble barbel anyway this year, but I'll be chubbing after christmas so I'll just have to see how it goesI suppose.

If the chubbing is poor i'll probably leave the river alone for a couple of seasons and try elsewhere...

 

[Bully]

Gary, do you really mean seasons, or sessions!!

Apologies as I have not read all the above posts so I am just responding to Graham's first post.

Given I have to pick my time carefully (i.e. home stuff, work etc). I normally give these conditions a miss. The main reason being that I personally find it the most frustrating of fishing conditions.

I did fish last year at a time when there was loads of crap floating down, and in the end I just resorted to touch ledgering with the tip under the water. Probably a silly idea but I did winkle out a few nice chub (top end of the Medway).

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

I fish in these conditions myself, would rather i did'nt have to, but wheni have been looking forward to a session i will fish in any conditions.

i have found the best float stops are the predator ones for brad, work great on mono and no damage.