Autumn the best time for fishing?

The water tables aren't quite topped up so you go expecting a good flow only to find it's still low plus it's gin clear from the cold nights. With this clear water usually comes hordes of minnow smashing anything in sight. Also there's the leaves which impede the cast with your bait almost nailed on to pick out any leaf on the surface, I can imagine they're also a pain to those who fish static baits too hitting the line masking the hook bait etc.

Specimen hunters always go on about it being a good time of year for big fish but is it really? Most of my big roach and barbel have come after the new year when winter is well set in. Tench can switch off completely and still waters can get right temperamental after the first frosts.

So is Autumn really that good, better say than Feb/Mar? I know which I prefer

I usually love fishing my streams and small rivers in Autumn for two main reasons:

The first reason is that most of the fish are busy trying to put on weight to see them through the really cold nights ahead. I've had some of my largest Chub and Barbel in September and October.

The second reason is because all the fine weather anglers have started to thin out and either stayed at home or switched to stillwaters which are often less hassle for them.

Yes I know that there can be occasional exceptions when the water levels have dropped low and the river has run clear due to lack of rainfall but this doesn't usually happen that often in the autumn months; when high water levels carrying a little colour is usually more common.
Debris floating downstream and fouling your line can be reduced substantially if you wait till the water levels start to level and fall after an autumn flood.

Tench and Crucians in stillwaters are another thing completely and I wouldn't expect to start catching them in earnest untill early Spring.

Keith

Autumn is my favourite time of year, I hate hot weather as I do rain and wind combined, I have had some good catches during autumn mostly when there is a bit of colour in the water, it is also easier to get swims that you want as pointed out by Keith there are less anglers about.

This year with the mild Autumn weather we have had the leaves seem to have hung on for longer before dropping leading to an even better display of colours than usual.

theartist said:

The water tables aren't quite topped up so you go expecting a good flow only to find it's still low plus it's gin clear from the cold nights. With this clear water usually comes hordes of minnow smashing anything in sight. Also there's the leaves which impede the cast with your bait almost nailed on to pick out any leaf on the surface, I can imagine they're also a pain to those who fish static baits too hitting the line masking the hook bait etc.

Specimen hunters always go on about it being a good time of year for big fish but is it really? Most of my big roach and barbel have come after the new year when winter is well set in. Tench can switch off completely and still waters can get right temperamental after the first frosts.

So is Autumn really that good, better say than Feb/Mar? I know which I prefer

Click to expand...

Interesting view about still waters switching off. I fish stillwaters in winter nowadays and catch fish, whereas yonks ago I was absolutely convinced that apart from pike they were a complete and utter waste of time.
How wrong I was.

As I've said before I hate autumn.....mainly because of the bloody leaves. I really cannot be doing with them and cannot wait for them to be gone so I can get on with me fishing. Give me winter any day.

I think it's more of a local thing. If you live in an area for long enough you know the places that fish better at certain times of the year.
Not to mention some small rivers which are only accessible after the reeds have died down, like my local moor....

I don't think Autumn is the best although it can be good. The cold nights nearly always hit in September and this can put the fish off for a spell. Once it settles down they can come on again. However, it is a general decline from this point through to my worst month December. Not withstanding the good spells like now. November can be my best month for Big Roach and surprisingly the Rudd can be pretty good in mild spells this month.
My best months are July and June, August can be too hot although that's changing a bit of late and July can be the hottest month. April and May can be anything depending on the temperatures and spawning. Jan , Feb good for chub and the odd roach spell, March for Chub and sometimes Crucians switch on which they do in October as well on occasions. But still July and June the best.
A lot of it depends on many factors but these are my top species month by month
Jan-Roach, Feb-Chub-Mar-Chub, Apr-Rudd, May-Tench, Jun-Rudd, Aug-Bream, Sep-Big Roach, Oct-Crucians, Nov-Roach, Dec-Chub.
July is my best month for Carp but the commercial situation confuses it a bit as they can be caught all year round now, in fact I have had some good carp fishing in December when everything else is dire; but its all commercial fish.


Back to Autumn, great on the right day and you pick your fish but second to Summer fishing. And there's always the leaves but nice for watching migrating birds if you find a good spot to compensate

I always rated autumn as the best time for river fishing. I dont get out as often as i once did (hopefully i will so again) but i still think it holds true - until those first few cold snaps kick in when it can be dire.

The logic as to why it can be very good in autumn is that fish will be feeding up for the impending winter and weed etc will be dying down making swims fishable. The bad news is that temperatures can fall sharply on cold nights (very bad) or the river can become un-fishable after heavy rains (equally bad).

As for stillwater carp/tench obsessed folk.....maybe fishing is not right for you. Maybe take up an alternative hobby?