Not Where but When to Fish?

Nice one Paul, very informative. I have to say, on my local bit of the thames I'm amazed at the number of people out often on a saturday through the middle of the day, not doing so well and then packing up JUST when it starts to get good!

On this subject, what's the weather going to be like thursday? I'm hoping for the mild overcast day described as I've got a precious day's fishing planned!

(ok, so you're not a weather man.... however, they don't seem to have much idea so any opinion would be welcome)

This is becoming a more interesting and important type of thread.

I would guess that not too many people understand or can take the time to try and understand what are supposed to be the best conditions to fish in.

As for atmospheric pressure, I look for anything below 1000 m.

Today in the Northwest it is dull and overcast. We have a temperature of 48f, and air pressure of 96m. So all in all, this should be a good day for fishing.

What I look for the most is three consecutave days of fairly even temperature and conditions.

Like Paul said a lot of people dont have a choice of when to go and they are governed by a whole series of things. I think the trick is to fit in what time you have got to suit the right weather conditions for maximum benefit, also keeping an eye on the weather and barometric pressures is one thing but its knowing what are the right pressures and conditions to go in.

dont ya just love fishing./forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

"What I look for the most is three consecutave days of fairly even temperature and conditions"

That bit from Baz I reckon is the most important thing of all; settled weather, whatever it is, is always best, and then pick your species according to what that settled weather is.

Very cold and settled, go for pike, chub or grayling.

Hot and settled go for tench or carp.

For example.

Some good pointed added to my article - I hoped this would be the case - I'm far from the expert and to get others views is welcome.

What would be nice for us occasional leisure anglers is some way of checking previous weather conditions. Let me explain. You suddenly find you have the day free, you know today’s temps and pressures, but have no idea whether that is warmer or cooler than yesterday, or higher or lower pressure than yesterday. Without the bigger picture you can’t really know what today's weather means fishing wise. Does anyone know where previous weather conditions are published?

My limited understanding so far is steady weather for a few days (as long a water temps suit chosen species), or improving conditions (temps rising, pressure increasing). Sunny OK for poor eyesight species (Pike), and therefore poor for prey fish, overcast best for those with great eyesight (Perch, Zander) unless they are in the murky depths. Surface ripple or rain always good.

A few weather sites that I use

National Pollen site at Worcester - historical conditions http://www.pollenuk.co.uk/weatherupload/Weather_Summary.htm

Weather Underground Mash up with Googlemaps - this one is for detailed historical weather info for a site near Burton (Trent/Dove)

http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=IDERBYSH10

This next one is on the same site but shows a bundle of different weather stations - just move around the map until you find one near where you are fishing. Some also show forecasts. These are mainly individuals who have their own weather recording systems that gets posted onto the web site

http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?

Metcheck is the main site I use for forecasts as it has air pressure information

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/HOME/

An interesting study would be to plot fish catches against all the various data - some have suggested that for Barbel the best air pressure conditions is low but rising.

Hope these help.

Jim you mention your local stretch of thames,I fished a match at dorchester berks yesterday and it is pushing hard.Just wondered where you are thinking of going thursday,after the rain last night, and today its hammering it down,the thames maybe challenging by thursday.

Remember at this time of year when the rivers have a drop of water on them and a bit of a blow, as we've had the last few days, there are hundreds of tons of leaves going in the river. All intent on catching on anything that's stretched out across the river......like your line! /forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif

Mine and mymate's catches over the weekend were 6 chub between us on Saturday (river a couple of inches up on NSL) Sunday.75 of a metre up and rising plastic bags, rappers, paper, twigs, grass and 2lbs of leaves every 5 minutes.

At 6 pm we called time for an early bath - Hopeless! Nothing to chose between thetwo days air temperature other than the rain on Sunday. /forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif

It's washing line time /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

rappers ! its amazing what gets washed into the rivers nowadays /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif What next, people will throw away perfectly good singers soon.

Could you not use a back lead to keep the line down on the deck ? therefore collecting less rubbish and leaves

Could you not use a back lead to keep the line down on the deck ? therefore collecting less rubbish and leaves

/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gifNot on the Ribble mate. Too snaggy.

Who says rappers are good singers? The buggers I pulled out yesterday couldn't sing a bloody note. They all had pants falling off their arses, bandannas under baseball caps.....Why? and a jackets that were 10 sizes to big for them, well attired in bling........I kept the bling btw. Jeweler says it's sh1te when I went to have it valued this morning.

One of them was still just about alive when I pulled him out, so I stuck a bread wrapper over his head, tied it tight with some bailing twin I fished out at one point and threw the bugger back in the river.

It was on the radio this morning that a famous wrapper Dizzi Warburton was found dead in Preston Dock early this morning, apparentlyhe'd been doing a gig in Clitheroe Civic Hall and was chased and set upon by Steeleye Span fanschanting "All Around My Hat"

Police are looking for four people described as hippyish looking, with afghan coats, wearing Jesus sandals, carrying a various assortments of musical instruments. Mandolin, acoustic guitar French horn and a triangle.

Backleading on the Ribble you having a laugh arn't you!

errrm ok then if not back leads how about a nice long length of leadcore. Not the Carp anglers stuff, but the new river version in leaf and bread wrapper colours so it blends in with the snags.

You know its not the day to go fishing when you don't get a rap after 6 hours. You know its the right day when you can't go because the missus wants to go shopping. Better than any forecast that is./forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Missus.....shopping........ what's all this nonsense? /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

If after 25 years she doesn't know where the supermarket (never met a women yet who doesn't)is, andhow to get home from it, then I sure as hell ain't going to teach her now.

Week one of a relationship, showthem how easy it is to carry shopping home from the supermarket. Week two, bugger off fishing for the weekend. weel 10,000 make sure you are still going fishing for the weekend.

I's all about trainnig, which where shopping and womenare concerned it really is simple. Purse, hat and coat, door, shops that way->Byeeeeeee!

I also think this a really worthwhile thread but ask:

Baz of the North(and GM!!)

'whatI look for is 3 consecutive days of fairly even temperature'etc etc.......

Now I'm not contesting what you are saying for one minute BUT are we talking about conditions that we like to fish in or conditions that the fish might respond to??

Yes, I suggest we all(or those of us who want to have every chance of catching fish)recognise the best conditions(outlined by GM)but,for example,is it not possible to have'3'settled days(that might give the best chance)but that the days or week prior might just have rendered the'3'days next to useless because the water temperature(rather than the ambient temperature)had dropped significantly?We go because it looks good from the window but the fish might be recovering from(say) a cold water flush caused by snow falling upstream)and just will not respond no matter what we try!!

I fish(say)at Henley on Thames in'good' conditions butdid snow fall heavily way above Oxford some time before causing thewater in front of me to colour/become colder etc?

I suppose what I'm trying to say is-do we need to take a look at the weather over a longer period to make a more considered judgement?I realise most of us are limited with time and when we decide to go its because we've found the odd free day and are probably just glad to be out!

I'm not being confrontational with this but seek other opinions that might just help me catch during the winter period.For the record I am fortunate to be able to choose my day or even several days and always go when everything seems'perfect'but I'm not sure it puts more fish on the bank!!!Sometimes I think it might just be better to go whenever and fish in what faces me-just as matchmen generally do.....

Any comments welcome!

Barometric pressure affects the weather, and thus the angler rather than the fish.

Air pressure variations that we are liable to get are not detectable in water -no matter how sensitive yer lateral line!

ps.

despite the stuff written about barometric pressure, this is relevant:The difficulty with this theory, is that water is 900 times more dense than air, and generates signicantly more pressure than air. In fact,a 3 foot wave will produce a variation of pressure more significant than can be expected from a change in atmospheric pressure through a dramatic change, and the wave effect is happening every few seconds, rather than the hours or days that the atmospheric changes takes to occur.

In the article I was trying to get across the need for the angling press to highlight which weather give the average pleasure angler the best chance. What I think is "Would I be better fishing today or tomorrow give the forecast" - which I know changes for hour to hour - But by knowing when the fish are more likely to feed then you can fit your home life around your fishing.