Ribble Venue Reports

Like or hate it the Ribble venue report has just past 1000 postings. For me the information posted by the Ribble FM team is extremely useful for my records, which maybe some day I'll get around to analysing?
I've also made some good friends, corresponded with loads of other FM members who in return have past on useful information regarding other venues. The venue reports also spawned the now famous Ribble Winter Chub Fish-in (coming up for its 7th event this coming winter). The Fish-in again lead to me into meeting even more FM members and attending other FM fish-ins. BTW Lee I'm looking foreword to your Trent Fish-in report, and job wise permitting I'll be on the next one.
I'm not really into all this modern team hugging etc but hell lads I'm sure glade I've meet you all.

Why would anyone hate it John? Even if you are an FM member not fishing the Ribble the fact that so many people are putting so much up to date info out for all to see surely helps anyone's fishing on a vaguely similar venue.

Because it is said that it encourages undesirable elements in angling, namely too many coarse anglers, according to the Salmon lads. At the last PAAS open day a very well known angler insinuated such and suggested that the internet, namely FishingMagic and the like, are the reasons why Balderstones was lost. I've had one or two local anglers complain to me about too much publicity. I've had anglers suggesting that this publicity will lead to landowners raising the price of fishing right leases etc etc. All of which in my opinion is complete nonsense.

Sounds to me like somebody didn't get their favourite peg one day and needed someone to blame. I suppose it saved the weeklies from copping it that week.

You?d be surprised Graham just how many anglers do get hung up about their favourite peg.
All in all Graham there are a good set of lads on the Ribble and I?ve no complaints about any of the major clubs who control the fishing rights.
Anyhow, I?m looking forward to the next 1000 postings and getting to know a few new faces.

I wouldn't be surprised John. On the Trent last week I think I was in somebody's favourite peg for when he turned up and found me in it he said:

"I know you, and I've caught a bigger barbel than you have on the Dove but I haven't told anybody and it wasn't caught from where you caught yours, in fact I might not even have caught it if anybody asks me. Know what I mean?" Said with a tap-tap on the side of the nose.

He was an adult too. Me and my three mates who were listening didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I was speechless for a minute and then told him I was very pleased for him.

John, interesting point about landowners putting their prices up if good catches are reported from their venues.I manage to fish the Ribble 3 or 4 weeks a season,a pal of mine is a member of Ribchester and gets me guest tickets whenever i travel up.He tells me that on one stretch ( Boot Farm i believe )the farmer now requests that all anglers book in when they arrive and also report all fish caught before leaving.Make`s you wonder why ? To much publicity isn`t always a good thing and it`s understandable why some anglers on this site get so worked up about it.

The main reason for elevating the cost of fishing on the Ribble would come form the game anglers. They alone are willing to pay far more for their fishing than the coarse angler. As far as I?m aware most of the big angling associations require the game angler to put in fish returns for Salmon, Sea Trout and Brownies, not to do so could loose you your licence. This information is then published in the clubs annual report and I?m sure that this would be available to or can be acquired by the relevant landowner. What?s this if it?s not publicity actually provided by the club?
Re Boot Farm, yes you have to sign in and fill in a catch return the results of which are then displayed for all anglers to see, but this may be the landowner just offering a service to the lads who fish that water.
If any landowner, wants to find the value of their fishery then all the have to do is offer the lease to the highest bidder when the lease runs out. I?m sure that its not just money the landowner is concerned about but also the conduct of the anglers and is the club or syndicate capable of policing the behaviour of its members.
Out of the 1000 plus posting on the Ribble I can but think of only half a dozen where the angler has named the actual club water. The accepted location is above Preston or Ribchester. I suppose you could say lower, mid or upper Ribble?

The problem with the Ribble is that at the moment it is getting just a bit too popular primarily due to the barbel. This is understandable as barbel have in the last few years become the cult fish. When I first joined Ribchester many years ago I felt that it had been busy on the river if I saw half a dozen people on the river during the season! Now it is starting to get a bit chaotic with the popular swims being blocked for long periods not on the Ribchester stretches but in other areas folk are bivvying up for long sessions.
The concept of moderation seems to be getting forgotten by some sadly.

There have indeed been a couple of instances where waters have in one case changed hands when Clitheroe picked up the Warrington anglers stretch but the story behind this was complicated.

The other occasion was a bit of outright bad behaviour when another club tried to take over one of Ribchester's stretches via the back door and in order to retain the stretch Ribchester members took a fair hike in their subs.

This kind of appalling behaviour tends to happen when a product is popular and in short supply and it leads to a great deal of ill feeling all round.

John you are wrong when you say that it is the game anglers that push up the price of the lower river lets. The lower river is of little interest to most game anglers. Yes there are game fish caught on the lower river but the bulk of the game fishing water is above Clitheroe.

The price of the water and memberships can get eye-watering. Your first year in my main club will set you back about a grand!
But despite the club having a huge financial clout it is not interested in the lower river and doubtless the same applies to the other major players in the game areas, eg, Lancashire Fly or yorkshire Fly.
All these game angling clubs have a considerable amount of top game water in their portfolios and are very choosy where they spend their money!

What I would like to see is more effort being put into restoring the roach shoals that the Ribble was once noted for and also the dace shoals, though these are making a bit of a comeback.

What would also be nice to see would be anglers making a bit more effort to use different methods of catching fish instead of all blindly following the standard method of hair rig and bolt rig with pellets or boilies as I feel that to concentrate on such a narrow range does nothing to further the development of the angler and will eventually bcome boring!

The Ribble is a wonderful river with so many moods and variations and a big range of fish to go at so why not try something different for once?

Alan although you are correct in saying that game angling is in the main above Clitheroe, Balderstones has just been taken over by a game only club and this is well down the river. I?ve also seen large numbers of Salmon lads fishing the Dewhurst House day ticket water and the PAAS stretch above Ribchester. RADAC may also have lost a stretch which I believe may be coming on the market? But I don?t want to go into further detail re Club waters of which I?m a member.
It would certainly be nice to see the roach making a come back, however, the Ribble can only support a certain number of fish relative to it?s overall bio-mass. So far as the roach coming back in the numbers of later years, then some other species is going to have to reduce. What is of more concern, than the predominance of Barbel is the carp, which are now being caught just bellow or maybe above Ribchester?
I would also like to see more lads in the winter pike fishing on the lower stretches. However, I have a feeling that the anglers who would come to the Ribble for the roach and pike would be in addition to those who are already here fishing for the Barbel.
It?s quite selfish of me but I?d like to see some very cold winters. a) because that in it?s self would reduce the number of anglers on the bank and b) also the lack of Barbel when the water temp drops below 6C would make the river even quieter. The forecast however, is for a wet warm winter once again?

Alan, some people have their own agenda and no amount of head banging against the wall will change their minds regarding catch reports. You?re urinating up a rope mate... Just give it a bit longer and you should get a few of the Ribble apologists along to tell us it's all in our heads and that it's just the way angling and in particular Barbel angling on the Ribble is going.

Has for the one method angler, every man to their own if you ask me and if that?s what floats their boat fair enough. It?s the litter and poaching chavs that concerns me not some guy sat behind two bolt rigged rods that has a club book and rod license.

Although I am a member of two of the controlling clubs on the Ribble I still like to fish a few of the day ticket stretches and I spend a good deal of my time on them so I get to talk with some of the people fishing there and more often than not the reason they are there is because they have read about good Barbel and or Chub catches on sites on the Internet. Not all of them are chavs but some are and the devastation they leave has to be seen to be believed.

If you don't like what I have to say then don't read it.

Eric, how do we know if we don't like what you say if we don't read it?

What also floats people?s boats is competitiveness, not just in fishing but in all sports and with that comes publicity. Some anglers want to catch the biggest fish and maybe a British or particular River Record for that species. Just as supporting the top football team is more expensive than supporting Accrington Stanley so fishing rivers that produce quality fish will cost more, as does exclusivity.
The dilemma we face as anglers is; if we want to encourage more young lads and lasses to fish, then we are not going to do this without publicity. We can?t moan on about the young only fishing carp puddles and at the same time moan on about them when they come onto the rivers. Yes we have to educate them, and it?s always going to be an ongoing battle re leaving rubbish behind etc, but most of the crap that comes down the Ribble comes from landowners and industry. My main worry on the Ribble in the future is water abstraction, silage and fertiliser run off.
I can?t see the day when I wont be able to find a peg on the Ribble, but if water abstraction, silage and fertiliser run off gets worse then I can see the day when it wont be worth going to the Ribble.
Sorry about drifting off the point a wee bit lads, but I do worry about the quality of our rivers now that accountants and the bottom line run our water authorities.
Right I?ll get my hat and coat!!!!!!

Exactly, you don't know until you've read it

Point taken about encouraging the young and all that.

There are laws in place to deal with pollution.

It's not about finding pegs it?s about the UD's and chavs finding the best places to fish. The Trent is a very popular river so why don't we see 1000+ posts on the Trent venue report?

I'm not going to stop getting on my soapbox every now and again. I can't do much about silage and fertiliser run off but I can bang on about litter and louts, it's my right. I?m now into my 40's and I've got a touch of GOMS.

It's to hot for a hat and coat John, I'll get my thong!!!

>>The Trent is a very popular river so why don't we see 1000+ posts on the Trent venue report?<<

Well its obviously not FM Venue publicity that?s contributed to the Trent's popularity? So maybe the FM Ribble Venue Reports don't contribute to the Ribble's popularity?

Eric, I'll take you up on that thong!! I'm sure one of my daughters will have a spare one; I'll bring it along to the next Trent Fish-in for you. I'm sure Lee will be able to swing it with his God to arrange for another hot weekend? Meen while I think I'll stick with my hat and coat? Or maybe a collar and tie, Sean looked quite fetching in his Trent turn out!

lol, it's got to be a blokes thong. I've tryed the wifes but my junk just keeps falling out of one side.

John the outfit that took over the Warrington stretch is not in fact a club it is a limited company.
My information is that they are liable to be offering a number of winter barbel tickets...at a price.
The stretch that RADAC gave up was as explained at the agm as a direct result of the appalling behaviour of the farmer with members cars being damaged and other problems.
I can only hope that the next club that comes along is made aware of the very real risks that come with renting this stretch..!


My comments about the standard method was designed to try to make people think about the other possible ways of catching fish that might also be fun...for a change.

Abstraction and pollution have long been issues with both the Ribble and the Hodder the situation has improved a little in recent years but not a lot and these will remain long term political battles.

As goes encouraging the young in order to do that we need angling to remain affordable however if we all don't make every effort to stop this recent trend of certain groups trying to gazump sitting clubs water leases we are going to all suffer as the Ribble gets priced out of the market the only beneficiaries of this are greedy landlords and greedy land agents.
Thankfully this isn't an issue with my game fishing club as they have always had a policy of buying rather than renting.

Any spare thongs anyone?????

Alan talking of alternative methods; Barbel on the fly, viable? I guess I really mean heavily weighted nymphs...

Ric
Yes its a very viable method I have done it with some success but there are one or two others that are curreently doing it with a great deal more success.

Cheers Alan I guess the crucial thing is to get the fly tripping bottom.

I'm going to give it a go in the week. Fast shallow water I think...

The trick is to get into the tail of a pot where the water is just starting to shallow up cast upstream with a heavily weighted bug pattern and work upstream. dont worry about making many casts if the fis are there they will eventually respond.