''Wind, is it the anglers friend or foe''.

Derek Gibson · Apr 14, 2016

From the off let me say I'm talking steady constant wind, not howling gales. Over the years I have come to regard wind as an asset to most of my fishing, old angling diaries point to this clearly.

In contrast it's equally just as clear to me that heavy rain can and does put the mockers on the day. And that has little to do with the comfort aspect. I understand that wind can present certain difficulties in some instances. But I feel that if one can adapt and overcome these niddles like me you may come to regard wind as more of an ally than an enemy.

What are your feelings on this?

Peter Jacobs · Apr 14, 2016

I would say it is definitely the angler's friend.

The position and thickness of thermocline, or metalimnion, depends on pressure and wind direction, and fish behavior is very dependent on the thermocline . . . .

A less serious response would be if you are sat downwind of Barney (Gary Knowles) then the wind can a real foe . . . . . . .

sam vimes · Apr 14, 2016

I generally consider wind an ally, unless it gets a bit stronger and I'm float fishing. As the vast majority of my time is spent float fishing, there's some element of double edged sword to wind.

There's little doubt in my mind that a bit of a blow will see more fish feeding than flat calm conditions. The downside, almost regardless of the technique used, is that presentation and bite detection gets that little bit more difficult.

tigger · Apr 14, 2016

Depends on the direction that the winds blowing...especially when trotting.
I prefer a still day on most occassions.

theartist · Apr 14, 2016

Blowing downstream/across or anything northerly - no thanks

Slighty upstream or a warm souwesterly - yes please

rubio · Apr 14, 2016

A bit of a ripple on the surface, or even a chop, is preferential for catching on a stillwater and the sea. On the river I make an effort where feasible to choose a stretch with a favourable upstream breeze.
I agree a strong wind gives up problems for presentation but that's the challenge on the day. There was a thread not so long back about driftbeaters, and how to use them effectively. On a calm day with a glass table top the same set up would be a less likely choice than say a fine tip waggler. I love those early 'tench' mornings when every bubble ripples out across the whole lake but I feel more confident of catching when everything's stirred up and on the move. My dogs always get a little skitchy in a good blow and I think fish do too.
When it's a sustained period of wind from one direction we all guess the fish will follow it, or hide from it. Reading the wind is an intuitive skill like finding the crease on a stream. The only thing to do round here when the easterlies get up tho is hurl 8ozs of lead as far towards belgium as ya can.
"When the winds in the east
the fish bite least" - or should that be an adage?

tigger · Apr 14, 2016

theartist said:
Blowing downstream/across or anything northerly - no thanks

Slighty upstream or a warm souwesterly - yes please

Mmm, now that sounds good, but what if your trotting upstream

binka · Apr 14, 2016

In the warmer months I prefer a good dose of wind regardless of what direction it comes from but I'm more choosier in winter when I only like to get on the end of southerly and westerly winds for obvious reasons.

Either way I always prefer the water to have some ripple on it so definitely "friend" for me

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Apr 14, 2016

The wind can "push" the fish toward one area of a lake as the food has drifted there , so if you can fish there it can be very productive

no-one in particular · Apr 14, 2016

I have noticed my catches are slightly better if there is some wind about over the years. A very tentative theory is the ripple diffuses the light making it harder for sight predators to see their prey and miss them therefore the fish are more confident moving about. Feel free to consider that a load of jollops as it probably is, I just have to have a reason for everything and that's the best one I could come up with.
I tell myself I shouldn't seek out the calm stretches out of the wind on a river but, I still head for them and it makes me giddy after a while anyway, staring at those ripples. So nicely tucked away out of the wind for me even it is less fish; personal comfort being a priority; its not like we live forever.
Sea fishing is definitely better with some wind on the beach, the rollers disturb food and bring fish in.

tigger · Apr 14, 2016

markg said:
I have noticed my catches are slightly better if there is some wind about over the years. A very tentative theory is the ripple diffuses the light making it harder for sight predators to see their prey and miss them therefore the fish are more confident moving about. Feel free to consider that a load of jollops as it probably is, I just have to have a reason for everything and that's the best one I could come up with.
I tell myself I shouldn't seek out the calm stretches out of the wind on a river but, I still head for them and it makes me giddy after a while anyway, staring at those ripples. So nicely tucked away out of the wind for me even it is less fish; personal comfort being a priority; its not like we live forever.
Sea fishing is definitely better with some wind on the beach, the rollers disturb food and bring fish in.

I used to do a lot of beach casting for bass and without a doubt the next three months when the sun is shining and there's a really strong southerly wind pushing the tide in the bass will be on the much?

Keith M · Apr 14, 2016

A wind coming from the west, southwest or even a south is usually good for me on most stillwaters that I fish; however in the depths of winter when it's very cold I often look for a sheltered bay surrounded by trees no matter where the prevailing wind is coming from and the fish seem to do the same on the shallowish stillwaters that I fish.

On a couple of stillwater venues that I fish you can usually tell where the fish are likely to be on a windy day; which is usually at the downwind end of the lake, mainly because of where the food in the upper layers and on the surface is being blown.

I don't fish any really deep open waters so any thermocline tilt in a wind doesn't affect my fishing very much; if at all.

If I'm trotting on a river or stream then I much prefer either a calm day or an upstream wind although a home made ducker can often improve things a little for me if it's blowing downstream. Lol.

Keith

jimbob27 · Apr 14, 2016

For float fishing the wind is a complete pain. You can't cast properly, there is a large amount of tow on the water and worst of all, its bleedin cold

Jimbob

wanderer · Apr 14, 2016

Always find the bank the prevailing South Westerly hits, the most likely place to regularly find fish, water temp, oxygenation, food particles, undertows, just a few effects of wind, also the opposite effect, when the winds in the East the fish bite least, pressure usually high under these conditions and the fishing is poor.

robtherake · Apr 14, 2016

A good chop is your ally, especially in the middle of the day, and can mean the difference between scratching for bites and bagging-up on some lakes - usually on waters with good clarity.

daniel121 · Apr 14, 2016

My view

It's a little of both, a warm west wind is fantastic, blows the bait into a breams mouth. Could quote the old wind blows East the fish bite least rhyme. However I'll spare you that.

However a Gale helps noone, a cold East of North wind does not do wonders either but flat calm days are not ideal either so baced on this I think the wind is both your friend and your foe

john step · Apr 14, 2016

There have been several references to East winds so far. That's absolutely true here in Lincs. When the cold wind blows off the North Sea it knocks the b*ll*cks off it.

flightliner · Apr 14, 2016

If I'm float fishing for Barbel on the Trent up to late autumn a gentle northerly blows upstream giving me perfect presentation allowing me to run at them with little effort (the Trent tends to run north for a lot of its travels), if its a howler in the same direction I'll give the Barbel a miss and go for the roach midriver with the waggler.
Back in my carp fishing days it was always the norm to fish in the teeth of a big wind on a stillwater most times out but one notts pit would sometimes fish well on the back of the wind---- always a gamble that water.

binka · Apr 14, 2016

tigger said:
I used to do a lot of beach casting for bass

I bet you didn't use a CL for that

tigger · Apr 14, 2016

binka said:
I bet you didn't use a CL for that

Lol Steve, you bet right bud, I used multiplers

.

''Wind, is it the anglers friend or foe''.

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