Any tips for this season,

Right well ive decided at every oppurtunity i will be fishing the Medway this year. So far ive had a brilliant start catching my best ever chub and my first barbel in just 3 sessions. Although i still know theres things i could be doing differently/better.

This question has probably been asked before, but i still feel i need to ask it. At what times should i choose to stay stationary in one swim with two rods and at what time should i rove with one rod? Having had one barbel so far i would love to catch a few more.

Also are there times when i should fish Maggots and Casters instead of Meat or Boilies? If so when and how should i go about baiting with them. Should i lay a big bed of them down?

On Sunday i fished my first session on the actual River (yes i finally ventured away from the weir) but despite everything ive read i still felt like i didnt have a clue which swim to pick. Every swim looked so picturesque and as if it could hold barbel i didnt know which one to pick. In the end i settled on one which had a few branches overhanging the water and a few logs and snags in a little pile next to the tree in the water. (ive found out i can fish below the weir so ive been fishing downstream.)

Sorry for all the questions but they really do help my fishing a great deal. I suspect they help other novices like me aswell. I would be partically interested in any replys from anyone who fishes the Medway as i think there are a few on here who do. Anyway all replys greatfully recieved!

Cheers,

Christian

Get searching the river now. Looking for deep holes, slack areas etc while we are in summer conditions.
Make notes of any likely looking swims you find for the Winter.

Also, take a compass and map the stretch - or use google earth- so you can figure out which swims will have the sun in your eyes at whatever time of day, and where any given wind can be used, rather than fought against.
One of those mini tape-recorder "dictaphone" thingies is useful.

If you can't bring yourself to leave your rod at home, combine mapping/note-taking with a "follow the bread" session, starting at the top of the fishery, feeding mashed bread and a few bits of crust in each swim, and fishing where and if there's a response. Plumb swims as you leave them, for future reference.By the time you reach the bottom, the fish should be well on the look-out for bread! (Chub and roach in particular). It may help to have an avon float cast and a separate, plain hooklength to attach loop-to-loop, so you can switch from trotting to freelining easily.

I'm hardly one to advise on barbel, but I think most will still be just below weirs, rapids, riffles - anywhere that the water gets aerated. But in any deep swim, keep an eye open for a long, brassy flash, cos that's a feeding barbel.

Cheers guys, so really just find where there going to be later in the year rather then worry about catching now.
I think i might get one of those waterproof note pads from the gun shop and draw up swims and details etc.

Hi Christian,

My advice would be to stick to one rod for your first couple of seasons.

This way you will stay mobile and be able to react to changes on the river. You will also have the time to learn your swims and how different rigs, set-ups and baiting stategies work, and which is best for a particular situation/ species. eg hair rig for barbel, straight hooked for chub etc.

On small rivers pods, alarms and baitrunners should probably (others may disagree) stay at home. I only use two rod set ups on big waterways like the lower Severn and Trent

Keep your rigs and bait simple and cheap.

Take a decent avon or feeder rod and learn your river. Most of the good fish are nowhere near where the 'masses' are fishing...

Good luck

Hi Christian. What an easy question to answer (not)!

I think the first thing to do is decide whether you are going for a generalist approach or just going for Barbel. This sorts out the bait question. For a generalist approach then casters is probably your best option. Bulk them up with some micro pellets about 50-50. If you want to concentrate on just Barbel then a pellet approach is probably best (or at least the cheapest).

I'd then adopt a roving approach with a single rod. Start at one end of the length and explore a swim. mark down any surface indications of features and use a lead on braided line to plumb the depth and get an idea of the bottom contours. Decide where you are going to fish in the swim and put a few droppers of bait in.

Then move on to a few more swims and map them out as you did the first. On your way back to the first swim decide where you are going to fish next and bait this swim up. Give the first swim an hour then move to your next swim. Before you fish this swim bait the swim you are going to fish next. Continue like this down the length. Even if you catch in a swim it will pay to move as this will allow you to build up more knowledge of the length.

You are fishing a river with a low density of Barbel so you won't catch in every swim. Don't just concentrate on obvious feature swims try fishing down the side near rush beds, steep banks, etc. If you are adopting a generalist approach use a quiver tip rod with 8lb or 10lb reel line and use a micro braid hook link. This is OK for Chub and allows you to land almost any Barbel you hook.

If you can get a hold of the Barbel Catchers book Barbel Rivers and Captures it has a chapter on the Medway.

Good luck!

Cheers for the in depth awnsers, asual. Much appreciated and will be taken on board. My barbel fishing is going well at the moment so i think il get one !
Thanks,
Christian