Post by basha(mark). on Sept 2, 2013 15:59:13 GMT
thought ide share my knowledge of winter fishing with you and a few does and donts
I love fishing on rivers during the winter months. For me there is nothing more enjoyable than sending a float down the current, seeing it slide away and then striking into a big roach or a chub.
There is nothing worse though, than wasting a day because of a high coloured or freezing cold river. So, before I set off for my chosen venue I always do a bit of homework in advance to give me the best possible chance of success.
It goes without saying that you dont want to be travelling to a river that is up and coloured, especially if you’re looking to do some float fishing. there are days when coloured water get barbel feeding but generally it’s not a good thing for other species. I use the Environment Agency website and have found it to be really useful as I can gauge exactly what is happening to a river in the days and hours leading up to a session.
Temperature is a key facter in winter fishing. did you know that roach often won’t feed if the temperature drops from say 8c down to 5c. If however the temperature goes up from 2c to 5c over a few days the roach often feed really well.
The key to success in the winter months is getting your feed right. On some days this can mean feeding very little, maybe just a few maggots every run down, so don’t blow your chances by feeding too much too soon. You can always feed more but you cant take it out if it’s a day when the fish aren’t going mad.
I carry loads of floats with me everywhere I go, as I always want to have the flexibility of being able to change things if a particular rig isn’t working. On some days a strung out shotting pattern can work really well while on other days a bulk and dropper is best.
Always experiment with the way that the float is travelling down the swim. Sometimes you can catch by just running it through at the speed of the current while on other days you will need to slow it down by holding back.
If there’s one method that can get you a bite when everything else is failing it a straight lead setup. keep it simple with a free running rig with just enough weight to hold the bottom and the baits range from a single maggot on a tiny size 22 hook right up to a piece of breadflake or lobworm on a size 6.
If you can get regular bites on maggots on the lead but you’re not getting bites on the float its time to try different float rigs, usually bigger and held back.
On many winter days you will find that the majority of fish feed better as the day goes on and Ive had many big bags of roach/chub in the last hour or two of daylight. Never just expect to fill your net in the first couple of hours. Wrap up warm, take a big flask with you and keep persevering as you might be surprised at how well the fish feed later on.you may find that you are leaving just when the fishing picks up