Benefits of Winter?

[Zerkalo]

March and Ely are beautiful places. I had a few jobs there. Sat nav used to say 3 or so hours, that's before you get stuck behind a HGV on one of those flat Fens roads, but I didn't used to mind because it was a pleasant drive and at the time I was getting paid mileage and hours too. Never fished there though maybe a potential holiday destination.

Thinking back to bait trays. When we fished canals, Autumn could be a lot more complicated than winter as it consisted of squats, pinkies, casters (although probably only half a pint of each) as well as groundbait, worms, bread and liquidised bread for several different lines. In winter it was just B&J some groundbait and leam.

 

[Pompous git]

And Chub Perch and Grayling...?

The last grayling I caught was from the river Nadder on the outskirts of Salisbury, it will probably be the last full stop.

Unfortunately my chub venues have been ruined or I no longer have access.

Perch on my local club`s main lake have reached a good size, caught a few biggies by accident so perhaps deliberately targeting them
with a prawn might be worth a try.

 

[smiffy]

It’s the best time for rivers. Fish have to feed because of the energy they use in the flow. They are all shoaled up together in their winter haunts. All the bits will be in different winter quarters so you won’t get pestered by pairs of eyes. All the weed has gone. Perfect.
You do need to pick your days but any low pressure from the SW is great news. Bit of colour, fining down, sack up time. I really look forward to winter.

 

[Zerkalo]

Here's hoping the weir near me on the Worcs Stour still holds silvers instead of just the big Chub over winter, as in summer they can come and go depending on water clarity (I'm sure they just back off to an area not fishable by float when it's clear), as that will be a spot I fish a lot if so.

 

[Pompous git]

It’s the best time for rivers. Fish have to feed because of the energy they use in the flow. They are all shoaled up together in their winter haunts. All the bits will be in different winter quarters so you won’t get pestered by pairs of eyes. All the weed has gone. Perfect.
You do need to pick your days but any low pressure from the SW is great news. Bit of colour, fining down, sack up time. I really look forward to winter.

Like this post, optimism

 

[Silverfisher]

Think geography plays a part as well. The Thames around here is definitely a summer and autumn river as the match and pleasure catches tend to fall off a cliff come December save for some stretches and even they are Peggy. By contrast the slightly smaller rivers like the Ouse and avon seem a bit more consistent, they’re definitely still easier in the warmer months but not so hit and miss when it’s cold as the Thames which becomes a lottery.

 

[kniteforce]

the best time of the year, the clown element that plagues the banks during the warmer months slowly start crawling back under their rocks about now

 

[tipitinmick]

Roach on punch. Bring it on. Beautiful bars of silver sparkling in the bright winter sunlight. A great time to be on the bank. ?

 

[Silverfisher]

Roach on punch. Bring it on. Beautiful bars of silver sparkling in the bright winter sunlight. A great time to be on the bank. ?

Roach on hemp in summer and autumn sunlight amongst the greenery is more like it for me ?

There is something about a chub on a frosty day though for some reason

 

[feldri]

the best time of the year, the clown element that plagues the banks during the warmer months slowly start crawling back under their rocks about now

Being as I don't go fishing during the coldest months I take exception to being called a clown and I don't live under a rock. Putting a smiley at the end of a derogatory post does not make it funny. There are plenty of anglers like me who can't or don't fish in the cold because of medical reasons.

 

[Silverfisher]

Being as I don't go fishing during the coldest months I take exception to being called a clown and I don't live under a rock. Putting a smiley at the end of a derogatory post does not make it funny. There are plenty of anglers like me who can't or don't fish in the cold because of medical reasons.

I'm not sure where all these clowns are supposed to be in the summer either. Obviously it's busier in the summer but most anglers on the venues I fish seem quite competent, no more or less so than those out in the winter anyway.

 

[Zerkalo]

To be fair I look like a bit of a clown fishing a cage feeder in the depths of winter on small commercial venues, underarm chucks when I could float fish it, but I usually catch well and like fishing like that.

 

[tipitinmick]

Roach on hemp in summer and autumn sunlight amongst the greenery is more like it for me ?

There is something about a chub on a frosty day though for some reason

On bread flake watching a pair of white rubber lips gulp it down as your chubbier float makes that lovely blurp sound as you strike into a fish that heads straight towards the nearest snag. ?

 

[Scribe]

This Winter I am aiming to get on the Trent / canal instead of taking the easy option 10 minute drive to either Lakeview / Eye Kettleby or my club complex with 6 lakes.

Hopefully there will be some mild overcast days that will give me a chance to kickstart my search for another barbel. On day's that Barbel aren't on the cards L am going to adopt a roving chub quest. It will serve two purposes (1) I have never caught a chub from a river and (2) where there are are chub there is a strong likliehood of barbel, so will give me some useful information on which pegs to target on milder days for barbel.

If there Trent ends up flooding all over Winter, like last year then it's off to the canal for a spot of whip fishing for me.

 

[NoCarpPlease]

I love the variety and changes of all the seasons ... albeit that right now is probably my favourite time of year.

winter fishing for me is after the clocks go back at the end of October and generally is epitomised by
a) Roach and dace migrating to their winter quarters on rivers and drains
b) Chub feeding in earnest

so mainly it means some changes of venues or approach for me, for example
Gt Ouse at Olney rather than Kempston or Sherington
Severn at Shrewbury rather than Bewdley
going to the Wye at Hereford or Old Nene at March, rather than the trent
changing from a dace focus on the warks Avon to a chub focus.

 

[kniteforce]

Being as I don't go fishing during the coldest months I take exception to being called a clown and I don't live under a rock. Putting a smiley at the end of a derogatory post does not make it funny. There are plenty of anglers like me who can't or don't fish in the cold because of medical reasons.

I mean the stella and a spliff crowd ,not those you've mentioned , i should have made that clearer so sorry for any offence

 

[Zerkalo]

I mean the stella and a spliff crowd ,not those you've mentioned , i should have made that clearer so sorry for any offence

You get a lot of those at venues round here, not going to be to everyones taste. I have recounted the story of being given a spliff in return for some tobacco at a venue last winter and was rightly warned about it. But just saying they are there in winter too haha just less of them.

I do however feel for those who can't fish in winter due to health.

 

[Silver fan 82]

Looking forward to the winter. Going after quality silvers for me. Let's just hope that this winter isn't quite the wash out that last winter was.

 

[Flathead]

This Winter I am aiming to get on the Trent / canal instead of taking the easy option 10 minute drive to either Lakeview / Eye Kettleby or my club complex with 6 lakes.

Hopefully there will be some mild overcast days that will give me a chance to kickstart my search for another barbel. On day's that Barbel aren't on the cards L am going to adopt a roving chub quest. It will serve two purposes (1) I have never caught a chub from a river and (2) where there are are chub there is a strong likliehood of barbel, so will give me some useful information on which pegs to target on milder days for barbel.

If there Trent ends up flooding all over Winter, like last year then it's off to the canal for a spot of whip fishing for me.

When I fished the upper Trent regularly (I lived a couple of miles away) the best time to fish for Barbel was in the winter, at night and especially if there was a flood.....those are ideal conditions for Barbel.

Don’t be put off by floods....they bring the Barbel on to the feed, especially if the temperature is rising....just make sure you stay safe.

It can also be surprisingly warm at night, at times, in winter and this usually coincides with rain and floods.

In those days there were probably more Barbel around but it would still be your best time to catch one.

 

[rudd]

Believe it or not.....winter is the time to target Tench on the fenland drains and rivers.

Also huge bags of roach to be caught in the well known winter hotspots....for some reason Roach tend to congregate in the same areas each winter, such as March or Ely town centres but also many others

Also the time for bread punch

Towns hold hest - heat transfers to water.