Dammed Fish !!!

[Nige]

Picture this, a gorgeous sunny day, not a breath of wind, you're in a wooded valley on the inside of a sweeping bend of a river. From the top of the bank you can see that the river is STUFFED full of chub and barbel as the water is only 3 feet deep.

I'M IN HEAVEN I hear you cry ! the only thing missing from the picture is your stick float gently working its way through the swim.

30 mins later you've set up, introduced a few handfulls of hemp and corn and your mate is telling you that the fish are feeding over your baited area, OH JOY !!

Right then, here goes. A small handful of maggots hits the water, you've got your polarised sunglasses on and you see fish going crazy to get to them first.
A shaking hand releases your stick float and it glides out and lands on the water in a perfect line, another pinch of maggots lands around the float as it makes its way downstream, THANK YOU LORD you want to shout, but you can't, your mouth is dry, the tension is unbearable as the float moves into the "danger zone" and then......

you watch as the fish part like the Red sea did for Moses and let your float through the swim TOTALLY IGNORING your hookbait.

Over the next 6 hours I tried EVERYTHING I could think of including..
crystal floats
12oz hooklegnths (crazy I know!)
24 hooks
ledger
freelined baits
feeding more
not feeding anything
Talk about fed up!!! I was pulling, what little hair I have left, out by the end of the day. Apart from dynamite, any suggestions ??

Nige, Wishin I was Fishin

 

[esox.20]

Probably explained it all in your description. Clear water sunny day. Fish saw you and or your mate so were wary. Float and line casting shadow on the bottom. Clarity of water made hook bait stand out to clearly. Any or all these will do. I would prefer to have baited then left it alone for at least an hour before fishing and probably have fished it as its going dark.

chill out go fishing

 

[Gray Catchpole]

had the very same situation on the rumney last thursday, i ended up using a light crystal wagler, feeeding maggot, lots of times, and ajusting the shot to where the fish where picking up the bait, ie. giving the float was 4" below the surface, and the fish where feeding a good few inches below this, i droped a few inches with the shot, this didnt seem to work to well, though it should have, the flow was to fast and the bait was carried up in the water to fast, in the end i fished the main shot over depth, and had a hooklenth of around 2f, this worked wonders , giving the bait bounce, lots of grayling and trout where taken, mess around a bit and you will catch when others dont, clear water or not.

Gray

 

[Dave]

Nige,

On similar lines to Gray's but using a stumpy bodied waggler that can take around 3-4AA depending on the flow,

Set your hook to float around 2foot over depth and put a couple of BB's 12-15inches from the hook. The rest of the shot goes around the float.
Depending on the river alter the length to allow for the current, alter the shot under the float to allow for drag and above all try and fish upstream if possible, if not hold your rod to keep as much line off the water in faster currents as possible.

Bites will either take the float under as the bait stops and the current drags the float or if you are using the drag to set the float you will find that the float lifts, even lays in the water.

If the bottom is pebbly use a string of 4's or even 6's instead of the BB's to minimize false bites by snagging.

Have fun, Dave

 

[scouse]

hi nige
did you ever think of using the swimfeeder
it worked for me on the dane i hate ledger fishing'
but think like a fish maybe they did not what to chase after a bait
after spawning and they wanted it nailed on the bottom
try it next time you might be surprised

dave

scouse

 

[scouse]

hi nige
it should have read
they did not want to chase afterthe bait

dave

scouse

 

[Nige]

Thanks for the replies, tried the feeder, 30ft bank behind us and we always wear camoflage (spelling!) trous & jackets.
left the swim alone for a good hour at one point, just kept the feed going in.
Didnt try the overdepth suggestions and thats favorite for next time.

Thank again.

Nige, Wishin I was Fishin