So, What is it About Rivers?

[FishingMagic]

This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: So, What is it About Rivers?

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Got to agree with what Neil says there . . . . . . Proper Fishing indeed

 

[chav professor]

We can argue the toss about rivers being 'natural'.... but there is something soothing about a ribbon of water cutting its way through the country side. My heart continues to skip a beat when I approach my local river - a place I devoted so much of my childhood.

Lakes can be beautiful, but they lack a sense of the unexplored..... I can wander the banks of my river in the knowledge that I may have been the only footfall the banks have seen for weeks with rod in hand.

I have never met Neil, but I sense through his passion for running water, we share a strong bond......

Like Neil, much of my 'to do list' remains undiscovered on my own doorstep..... The close season has served its purpose... I long to be reunited... I know I will feel a certain sense that I am intruding when I finally take a rod in hand once again. I can never say that of visiting a still water.

 

[Paul Boote]

Rivers, always been rivers; lakes have never really done it for me.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Hi Neil.

Yes. Its gets into the blood. The ever changing flow and challenges of the seasons.

Didn't know you dabbled on the Loddon.
If you fancy a day or so together let me know.
All the best
Graham

 

[frothy]

I often return from river fishing feeling blessed with finding such an wonderful connection with nature and being able to gain so much pleasure from it this article brings that home.
River fishing stirs an emotion deep within me that I first had as a school boy watching the clock and waiting for the bell to ring so I could race home grab my gear and head of to the river...cruel or kind I never fail to enjoy time spent on the river bank.

 

[barbelboi]

Yep, rivers have always been the big buzz, but I also enjoy my pit/pond fishing especially for tench, carp and crucians during the close/warmer months. Then from mid/late September it's on the Loddon, Kennet and Colne.
Jerry

 

[Neil Maidment]

Hi Neil.

Yes. Its gets into the blood. The ever changing flow and challenges of the seasons.

Didn't know you dabbled on the Loddon.
If you fancy a day or so together let me know.
All the best
Graham

"Discovered" the Loddon last season Graham, late as ever, but one of the club stretches treated me very kindly. Reminded me of how the D. Stour of 40 years ago looked but somewhat smaller. Further downstream is a lot more challenging with far fewer Barbel but some specials ones well worth the effort.

---------- Post added at 20:07 ---------- Previous post was at 20:04 ----------

Yep, rivers have always been the big buzz, but I also enjoy my pit/pond fishing especially for tench, carp and crucians during the close/warmer months. Then from mid/late September it's on the Loddon, Kennet and Colne.
Jerry

Ah! I forgot the Crucians - unforgivable

 

[Steve King]

I agree, rivers have are unknown quantity - an urban canalised river can throw up many a surprise!

Even really grotty looking stretches of the Wandle that I was helping pull shopping trolleys et al out of when I lived in London had produced some excellent barbel!

For me fishing wild stretches of river is unpredictable and exciting! Commercials often come with a stock list and whilst they provide a good day's fishing the mystery and magic is lacking!

 

[bezzer]

I'm lucky enough to have the upper reaches of the Warwickshire Avon 100 yards from my front door here in NE Warwickshire.

In the summer I can be on the bank at 5am and spend a couple of hours wandering the couple of miles of untrodden bank, watching the flash of a Kingfisher while trotting for unmarked Chub, Roach, Dace and the occasional Perch. In the winter I can flick a spinner out and take pike or freeline a lobworm under a bank and catch beautiful chub.

It's the tranquility, sometimes the unexpected but most of all it's proper fishing

 

[Paul Morley]

Running water has that quality in nature which speaks to man most clearly - renewal. It's discussed in loads of belief systems and as you sit there each drop of water is flowing past being renewed by another. Stillwater, tho atmospheric and historic, cannot offer this feeling. It's a connection not everyone is open to these days but I believe it's deep seated. Not helped by some gas bag bellowing about pellets ten yards away but it can be found...!

 

[bigfish74]

so what is it about rivers simples

carp buckets are far to predictable you know what your gonna catch and it aint hard on the other hand rivers are magical places filled with unknown specimens that aint the easiest to fool

andy

 

[flightliner]

so what is it about rivers simples

carp buckets are far to predictable you know what your gonna catch and it aint hard on the other hand rivers are magical places filled with unknown specimens that aint the easiest to fool

andy

And, on some of the bigger rivers you may need maybe a fly rod at one end and in extremis a sea rod at the other.

 

[bigfish74]

And, on some of the bigger rivers you may need maybe a fly rod at one end and in extremis a sea rod at the other.

something i keep saying is i will take the fly gear with me when wandering the river but never have done yet
i will defo do this season

andy

 

[Paul Boote]

Yes. There was a bit of the middle Kennet years ago, club coarse water that held some whacking great wild browns that pretty well nobody even noticed were present. I never failed to pack a fly rod at this time, season's start, as the Mayfly is still very much about on the Kennet in mid June and big trout doing their one and only surface feeding of the year (except for the odd night-time mouse). I had some beauties.

 

[barbelboi]

The Loddon, Kennet and Colne - three very different rivers and I love 'em all, If I had to pick one it would be the Loddon...................probably.
Jerry

 

[maceo]

The thing with rivers is that it's running, moving water. It's in action. I particularly like fishing the float on rivers because you're doing something all the time - especially with the stick. I barely get a chance to drink any coffee because I'm too busy casting, reeling in, fine tuning the set up (or undoing enormous tangles of course!). It takes up all your concentration and keeps you on your feet most of the time.

Lakes are still. Listless. A bit rank. They have floating green gunk that forms under overhanging trees. They're silent and unmoving. Sitting there watching a motionless float or quiver tip, with nothing happening means that all the coffee gets quickly drunk and the mind starts to wander onto other things.....

 

[flightliner]

The thing with rivers is that it's running, moving water. It's in action. I particularly like fishing the float on rivers because you're doing something all the time - especially with the stick. I barely get a chance to drink any coffee because I'm too busy casting, reeling in, fine tuning the set up (or undoing enormous tangles of course!). It takes up all your concentration and keeps you on your feet most of the time.

Lakes are still. Listless. A bit rank. They have floating green gunk that forms under overhanging trees. They're silent and unmoving. Sitting there watching a motionless float or quiver tip, with nothing happening means that all the coffee gets quickly drunk and the mind starts to wander onto other things.....
Share
Share this post on Twitter
Share on Facebook
| Like

Yeah, bang on ,tho I,m ashamed to say I,m on a stillwater at the mo--- swans n weed did for me yesterday and tho I will enjoy every minute of my "stillwater time" I will fish my favourite river for all fish with the float-- it tells you so much more than any other method and as you say, soooooo absorbing!