Let's talk river tactics.

[dezza]

I don't know how many of you have noticed, but next Saturday is the glorious 16th of June, when we can at last get on a river and do some REAL fishing.

I am lucky in that within close striking distance I have the River Don, The River Dearne, The River Rother and the mighty River Trent, all capable of giving excellent fishing if you know what you are doing.

But this year I'm not after barbel. I'm after roach, dace, chub, perch and bream. I'm also looking forward to trying out a few new techniques, like the Bolo method on certain deep stretches of the Don and Tidal Trent I know well. I'm also looking forward to giving my 17 foot MAP rod an airing, along with my 15 foot Daiwa and my 14 foot Fox.

I only live a few miles from a stretch of the Don I can get on for less than £20 a year. It's heavily match fished at weekends, but I will be fishing midweek, after some rather large roach I have been told about.

So there we are - river fishing is what it's all about. Let's hopefully discuss river tactics and what you are going to do yourselves, and let's have no slagging off - please!

 

[maceo]

You can bet we haven't forgotten that there's less than a week to go until the 16th! I'm just hoping the weather is OK for a first day session.

Sunrise here on the 16th is at 04:46, so I plan to be on the bank by around 04:15 and tackling up.

It'll be straightforward wag and mag for this first session. At least to start with.

See what's happening, whether they're biting and what the depth is like after all this rain.

 

[sam vimes]

The Trent, and petrol prices, have ruined barbel fishing for me. So much so that I haven't renewed my club books for my more local rivers. I will still go for the odd session to either the local rivers or the Trent but intend to concentrate on a gravel pit that happens to be within a few miles of home. It's a challenge, to say the least, and previously I'd rather catch fish than be particularly challenged. However, I've found that I'm rather enjoying myself, even though I'm a million miles from getting the place sussed. I rather suspect that I never will really get to grips with it. I'll be happy enough to catch a few of the incredibly elusive roach, tench, bream, rudd and perch. I hope that the marginally less elusive, and much more obvious carp will keep me going in the mean time.

When I do venture to the rivers my intention will be to fish the float as often as is possible. That may well be with a view to catching barbel, but I'll happily settle for chub, bream, roach and perch. Only if conditions won't allow for float fishing will I resort to rod(s) pointing skyward.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

I already have my gear sorted for next sat!
I putting all my effort in to fishing a little river on the confluence of the Ribble. I will be targeting the Chub mainly on light bomb/link ledger gear
I am leaving Barbel fishing till September when I can get a nice peg on the river

 

[barbelboi]

Although I have access to many good stretches of river I rarely start in earnest until mid/late September. Until then I prefer to to stay among the crucians and tincas with occasional river sessions mixed in. From October I will rarely be off the rivers until the close with most species being targeted with conditions dictating which.
Jerry

 

[Old Nick]

I will be targeting one of the Pevensey drains for roach, tench and carp! I have just acquired a very inexpensive 13/15ft combo perfect for getting over the reeds and managing the deeper glides, plus a cheap 50 year old cpin from the bay because I like to fish with them.

As there is very little flow I think a waggler will be fine, baits will be maggot, sweetcorn, and maybe the odd boilie/pellet just for the hell of it, until I find out what works.

BTW anyone got any advice for dealing with bulls?

 

[carl allman]

Opening day for myself used to be on the Kentish Stour after the beards or in my boat for Bream at Blood Point before i moved to Spain 8 years ago but this year i have taken some time out to enjoy the english "summer" and the opening day on the tiny River Brue in Somerset.
If its up and coloured it will be Chub if its down then i might fish the slower parts for Tench, but to be honest i dont mind what i fish for, it will make a change from Cats and Zander.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I'll be targeting chub and barbel on the Rother

Plenty of chub , not sure as to the stock level for barbel

Also some carp in there

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Sight fishing for barbel will keep me amused for a few weeks. I'm also determined to fish the float more and a double figure barbel on the float would be nice.

I'm still looking for a double figure bream from Yorkshire so I might get a distracted from rivers at some point.

 

[dezza]

I'm still looking for a double figure bream from Yorkshire so I might get a distracted from rivers at some point.
__________________

I'm glad to see you have things in perspective Sean. A Yorkshire double figure bream would probably be more scarce than a 20-pounder in the south of the country.

 

[dangermouse]

Barbel on the Don are the first target and then chub and I wouldn`t object to a nice river carp.

I also intend to try a bit of trotting as it`s a method I`m not that familiar with.

I struggled a bit on the river last year so my main aim is to improve my skills and catch rates.

 

[Berty]

I can only comment on my own rivers, but i leave em alone for a month or so!

 

[balalur]

Big baits for big chub late in to the night for me as last season I mainly fished maggots,red worms and bread flake and only caught a couple of big chub.
Also like Old Nick I bought an old centrepin reel and I will float fish with it at the top of the swim and ledger with big baits at the bottom as I still want to catch the smaller chub,dace and perch while waiting for a big chub to bite.

 

[jasonbean1]

seeing as you lot are mainly northerners on this thread i'll add my bit from sunny oxford....mainly be targeting double figure bream and barbel, 3lb+ perch and 6lb+ chub, that should sort out the first two weeks of the season

 

[maceo]

Whereabouts will you be fishing Jason?

What river?

Let's hope Oxford is sunny for the 16th!

 

[jasonbean1]

top secret!

 

[maceo]

So that'll be the Thames then.....

 

[jasonbean1]

didnt think of that one...will have to add a 30+ river carp to the list that'll be a busy fortnight !

 

[johnnyfby]

Been doing a bit of float fishing on the Don and some stretches have been fantastic, from the Tidal reaches at Barnby Dun to the upper penines above stocksbridge, it is an incredible water.
A few mates match fish at Sprotborough and its probably one of the best match river stretches in England and a winner can come from any peg, to be honest I dont know a bad stretch, the fishing can be so good.
I fished the Tidal trent last year from collingham weir above and below Dunham and apart from the beginning of the season when I caught a couiple of roach and a Chub I didnt catch another fish apart from Barbel on the float, saying that over a dozen doubles to 13lb 5oz isnt too bad, but not another silverfish at all really does worry me.
last season I trotted a float for over 10 hours at Collingham over 40 yds at times and I never caught a silver.
I am going back to the middle Trent this year where I hope I will get a better spread of fish and hopefully hit those roach and chub shoals.
I have never fished the Rother but it looks a great river and I am sure it will throw up another Barbel RR again this year.

Looks like i willneed the big leads this weekend for the Trent and the float gear will stay at home til later.

Jon

 

[chav professor]

Big baits for big chub late in to the night for me as last season I mainly fished maggots,red worms and bread flake and only caught a couple of big chub.
Also like Old Nick I bought an old centrepin reel and I will float fish with it at the top of the swim and ledger with big baits at the bottom as I still want to catch the smaller chub,dace and perch while waiting for a big chub to bite.

That the way I roll!