rivers

im just wondering what peoples view on the rivers are at the moment?...having fished the river severn at arley yesterday and between 2 of us only my mate caught- a chub and a minnow...it wasnt the fish-fest we`d envisioned!...we set up on a gravel bar about 30m long that was exposed in the main river jutting out from the bank,we were both fishing 2 rods(1 ledger and 1 float rod),my mate took the chub(about 2.5lb ) on about his second cast of the float on maggot and that got our hopes up!...that was at about 9.30....come 5.00 ...we hadnt had another bite on any of our four rods.the bailiff who came round for his money said that it was low and that this time last year it was up 4ft above the top of the bank...and the bank was 15-20ft high from where we was perched! im just wondering if it was the condition of the river which meant it wasnt fishing very well and is anyone else suffering with the same problem on other rivers?...

Having spent all summer trying to catch fish, any fish by design, from the Bristol Avon and one trip up to the Trent I can only say that you'll find most if not all rivers are decidedly poor. They all need a sizable amount of fresh water running through them to liven them up.
I think that because of the low flows the natural food in the river has flourished and the fish are quite happy eating that. Thus the poor response to our baits.
Type in 'rain' on the search facility and you'll find that a lot of people have been having much the same problem for months. Let's hope the change in weather will bring just enough rain to liven them up but not bring them over the banks.

Its been a drastic season on the middle Thames Neil,my mate and i have been concerned for some time,nothing rolling,very little indication of fish,just total disillusionment.

yeah i know that feeling mate!...i would of thought the big rivers like the thames,the severn and the warwickshire avon(my 2 closest main rivers) would still fish relatively ok in the deeper parts, i mean the stretch of severn i fished was gin clear and the gravel bank i was setup on i assume is probably part of the river bed at average levels!?-bt in the middle there was still 6-8ft of water,which was the deepest part,where you`d expect something to be lurking,but nothing!....on my local small river-the blythe which i fish quite regularly ..apart from 1 flood over the banks in about july which went straight down it has remained low and clear .As i travel around the country a lot at work im always looking out for rivers and i must say some rivers look fine from a distance...the great ouse at huntingdon,the nene just past leicester and the trent where it passes under the m1 all look about normal!?

Ribble's started to fish now it's had a few flushes of water through it over the last 3 weeks. Went yesterday had a chub and lost a barbel at the net Then it came up 2 ft after blowing a B......d all day and the leaves started. We took an early bath!

Went back today after no rain from 6 00pm last night in the area, only to find it 4 ft up and more leaves than water. Must have hammered it down in the Dales overnight.
Anyway pulled into the carpark stood looking at the river for 5 minutes, level was fishable, but counting the leaves that were boiling up, I thought "No," best go home!