Benefits of Winter?

[tipitinmick]

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.

Don’t be put off with flood water Kev. Walk the bank and find a piece of slacker water. You’ll more than likely find a Barbel or three. A big lead on 15lb Sensor with a stinky meaty bait usually finds a fish. Don’t be daunted by a flooded river. Some good fishing to be had pal. You simply need to gear up. ?

 

[rudd]

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

Many anglers I know have a smoke, a few others including me like a beer (one or two) once in a while.
Fur and Feather tot of something warm on the way down at draw.

In Monty python style:

Never had a stella, but have had an estrella, an adams, a fosters a carlsberg to.
Never had a spliff, but regulary get a whiff of smelly special tobacco oh.

Some they like to fish whilst toking on a spliff, others they like to smoke a pipe.
Some they drink a can whilst resting on their hands, waiting for them canny fish to bite.

Some spend the week in tents, on Carp waters down in Kent.
A crate of lager sitting by their side.

Others sup a beer whilst fishing beaches and piers.
Happliy watching life and the seagulls flying by.

Then there are the blokes chucking feathers into brooks.
A tot of whiskey warms their bellies deep inside.

Whilst fishing on the bank, waiting for the fish to yank.
A beverage or a smoke is not a crime.

The one thing that is, that gets anglers in a tiz,
Piles of but ends, cans and discarded line.

 

[Scribe]

Don’t be put off with flood water Kev. Walk the bank and find a piece of slacker water. You’ll more than likely find a Barbel or three. A big lead on 15lb Sensor with a stinky meaty bait usually finds a fish. Don’t be daunted by a flooded river. Some good fishing to be had pal. You simply need to gear up. ?

Thanks for the tips @Flathead & Mick - Fortunately for me the Trent is only a 30 minute drive away, so not such a hardship to get there, and if I can't find some slack water I can move on to another five streches and the Trent Dyke on my club card.

I have a pair of Shimano Vengeance VAX 12-300 - 12 Ft 3 Lbs T/C rods for when it belts through......

 

[rudd]

Now it’s getting cold what do you like about winter fishing or are you a fair weather angler?

1) Not as many people on the banks, can have a whole lake to yourself.
2) Don’t have to get up as early to get a decent peg on the Severn.

Previously it would have been this time of year we started fishing canals every week, less boat traffic, and out comes the bloodworm and joker, something I loved using. I miss fishing Fur and Feather matches although they were usually a difficult match, with more difficult matches on the canal all through January and February.

That being said, I will be ordering a pair of Skee-tex again for this year and do tend to wear a lot of layers to keep toasty on the bank.

Can expect Chub on my weir although I didn’t fish it much last winter due to being in almost permanent flood. Folk law has it that Carp will slow down, but with the advent of commercials I can still catch even on the coldest and shortest of days.

I can fish fine line and small hooks with maggot/pinkie and be happy being plagued by silvers at weekends or days off.
Can go Whiting bashing in evenings as nights draw in. Find beach far nicer than a cold dark bank in winter at night.?

 

[ukzero1]

Benefits of winter? What could be better than coming home from a session on a cold and frosty bank to a nice, hot plate of stew and dumplings and a bottle or 2 to wash it down. Heaven.

 

[BURNING]

piggybacking this thread to ask - good winter fishing gloves?

 

[tipitinmick]

Benefits of winter? What could be better than coming home from a session on a cold and frosty bank to a nice, hot plate of stew and dumplings and a bottle or 2 to wash it down. Heaven.

??. Thought you were going to say a bottle or two of brown sauce then Peter. ??

 

[BURNING]

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

could you elaborate? I failed to catch any tench this summer in my river

 

[ukzero1]

??. Thought you were going to say a bottle or two of brown sauce then Peter. ??

I said a bottle or 2 to wash it down..I didn't say what of.

 

[Zerkalo]

Benefits of winter? What could be better than coming home from a session on a cold and frosty bank to a nice, hot plate of stew and dumplings and a bottle or 2 to wash it down. Heaven.

My sleeping patterns change in winter, probably due to the bottle or two as soon as it gets dark. But I do like it, nice and cosy early nights.

 

[rudd]

piggybacking this thread to ask - good winter fishing gloves?

Chuck away latex ones? I kid you not.
Keep wind / water off hands, can bait up and stops tumeric staining ?

 

[ukzero1]

My sleeping patterns change in winter, probably due to the bottle or two as soon as it gets dark. But I do like it, nice and cosy early nights.

Early nights? What a luxury, alright for some eh? I'm just getting ready to do a pest control session at the clubs lakes.

 

[rudd]

Used to love winter league.
Challenging days fishing, crisp cool air.
Get home, real ale as kit put away.
Shower.
Bottle of red with dinner along with a flushed face ?

 

[Flathead]

could you elaborate? I failed to catch any tench this summer in my river

Tench seem not to show so much on the drains and fenland rivers in the summer....I think they may be disturbed by the skimmers and roach which seem to be everywhere.

In the winter they tend to feed better and you are less disturbed by smaller fish. Best method is to feed with chopped worm and caster in a bit of groundbait and fish worm on the hook......either pole or feeder

The Ely Ouse and Ten mile bank, twenty and forty foot rivers, relief channel and many other drains regularly produce good bags of Tench in colder weather.

There are a few videos on YouTube of winter Tench fishing in the fens.

 

[Flathead]

Thanks for the tips @Flathead & Mick - Fortunately for me the Trent is only a 30 minute drive away, so not such a hardship to get there, and if I can't find some slack water I can move on to another five streches and the Trent Dyke on my club card.

I have a pair of Shimano Vengeance VAX 12-300 - 12 Ft 3 Lbs T/C rods for when it belts through......

We used to catch plenty fishing under the rod tip or a few rod lengths out using the usual summer gear....no need for big weights or heavy rods....Fish the quieter water under the near bank.

 

[Pompous git]

could you elaborate? I failed to catch any tench this summer in my river

Had some cracking tench from the Beult, the flow keeps them awake in the winter. Bit of a drive from you though.

One thing about the winter, if there is a northerly wind I can park right by my clubs main lake. I `aint sitting in the teeth of a
northerly I`m too soft.

 

[smiffy]

could you elaborate? I failed to catch any tench this summer in my river

I think it’s about finding the small areas that the fish congregate in. On my old river you could catch odd Tench right the way through in the summer. Come winter there were just a few pegs that would produce Tench, but they would produce them in numbers. In the right conditions. We even had one match in the middle of winter that was won with over 50lb of Tench with second having over 20lb. Both sat side by side. Slack water in weir pools/mill pools was particularly productive. On a drain I’d be looking for bridges,moored boats,any feature that may hold fish.

 

[BURNING]

I think it’s about finding the small areas that the tench congregate in.

well, that's going to get me busy, it's quite a long river

 

[adriang]

benefits.. nobody will be swimming in my peg..

 

[Scribe]

benefits.. nobody will be swimming in my peg..

Don't count on it mate, if I am around.