The New River Season

[tincatim]

The new season is nearly upon us, and I don’t know about you but the 16th June seems to have come from nowhere this time. I haven’t really done any prep yet, I’ve barley walked the rivers and still need to stock up on some bits and tie some hook-lengths. That said, I’m really looking forward to being back on running water.

Those of you that read the ‘where you fished today’ section will know that I fished the river Dearne a lot last year, I had some good success with 11 barbel and numerous good chub and bream. I will fish the Dearne again but my main focus will be trying to master the Don this time. The main target being a Don barbel, then if I can achieve that, a Don Double. I’ll not solely fish for barbel though and I plan to have some days going for the bream shoals and silvers. There’s plenty to go at around the Doncaster area and I can’t wait to wet a line and start working it all out.
I’ll not be fishing the 16th due to work but the 18th should be a goer.

How much are you looking forward to the new season? What are your goals this time?

Here’s some fish pics to get you in the mood:

 

[Dogbert]

I'll be stick float fishing on the Trent for roach and dace in short evening sessions through the summer. In the past I have typically caught 30-40 in a 3 hour session. I love the technique, chuck in some grains of hemp then control the float down the swim and try and hit or anticipate the lightning bites. About one third of the fish are caught by me holding back at the end of the trot and then striking after 2 seconds.

I also intend to have a go at the Trent Barbel this year, with some longer sessions at the weekend, although not night fishing.

 

[gingert76]

i will be day dreaming of fishing the river in Shrewsbury................god i miss that! oh and celebrating my birthday

 

[tincatim]

I'll be stick float fishing on the Trent for roach and dace in short evening sessions through the summer. In the past I have typically caught 30-40 in a 3 hour session. I love the technique, chuck in some grains of hemp then control the float down the swim and try and hit or anticipate the lightning bites. About one third of the fish are caught by me holding back at the end of the trot and then striking after 2 seconds.

I also intend to have a go at the Trent Barbel this year, with some longer sessions at the weekend, although not night fishing.

I do love stick float fishing, when you get into the rhythm of it and have them lined up, it's brilliant fun.

Good luck with the barbel. I don't night fish either, you can still catch them in the daylight though in my opinion.

 

[tincatim]

i will be day dreaming of fishing the river in Shrewsbury................god i miss that! oh and celebrating my birthday

I take it you're living in the Philippines now then? Fishing in the UK is the only thing I would miss if I moved abroad.

 

[gingert76]

yes, been here last 4 months and here for good. Miss my fishing and a proper bacon or cheese sarnie lol

 

[Silverfisher]

Absolutely buzzing for it now after my Thames walk yesterday. I could talk river fishing all day everyday

First two weeks are almost always rubbish so I’ll just enjoy being out and try a bit of everything probably just in the Thames.

Then July will mark hemp starting to work be an all out roach on the float month both stick and waggler across 2 or 3 stretches of the Thames. If weather and other commitments allow I’ll fish a session every weekend and take at least a couple days off to fish as well as it really is a prime month for the roach as conditions tend to be good and they’re back in their usual haunts and feeding hard a couple months after spawning. And as hemp will have started working by then you can get to them through the bleak!

Then come august I’ll still be hemp roach float fishing in the most part if conditions allow but the river often gets a bit low at that time of year so if I does I shall venture to other rivers like the Avon or Ouse (maybe on a little holiday on the severn, trent or wye) just right to mix things up along with other stretches of the Thames and really just fish for anything depending on where I end up.

Then come September up to the equinox I’ll be all out Thames hemp roach float fishing again as its probably even better than July then as the fish are just as tuned in on the hemp but more widespread so you can almost pick any stretch but I’ll probably just stick to 2 of 3 again. Will fish the first 3 weekends if weather allows and take a couple week date of to make the list of the time as come the weekend of the month I know I’m not free to fish.

Then October is the transition month but I’ll miss the first half of it thanks initially to social commitments then a bit of rather different fishing in marathon! Second half of the month I’ll be back on the Thames but how it’s fishing then will depend on the weather. Sometimes it’s still hemp roach waggler and stick fishing but usually by then it’s transitioned to catching them on maggots and stick.

Then from November onwards it’s very much dictated by the weather. The Thames roach fishing will end once we’ve had the first frosts and/or floods so from then until the end of the season it’ll be bream on the feeder when the river is fairly high but mild or chub on feeder when the cold and lower with trips to the Avon and maybe Ouse to trot for roach and dace when the conditions are somewhere inbetween. Also plan to get a grayling trip or two in on the Itchen as well and maybe some other places as well.

God I can’t wait!

 

[MarkW]

I'm hoping to fish some different stretches of the Dorset Stour this coming season, perhaps making videos along the way. Some of these stretches I've never fished, others I have only fished a handful of times over several decades, and quite what to expect is an unknown, certainly different from my previous sessions. No great expectations but a challenge none the less. Catching more than two Stour perch a season might be an improvement!

I'm going to make two comments about Silverfish's Thames outlook: 1) most of the biggest catches I've had on the Thames (Oxford area) have been in June - it's taken a gallon of hemp and caster, fishing a stick float, but I've lined up the chub like dace, with 30 to 35 decent chub each time - the where is the challenge, 2) Thames roaching doesn't come to an end in November, and the biggest and best condition fish come out after Christmas if you can master the moving feeder and bread....

 

[Silverfisher]

I'm going to make two comments about Silverfish's Thames outlook: 1) most of the biggest catches I've had on the Thames (Oxford area) have been in June - it's taken a gallon of hemp and caster, fishing a stick float, but I've lined up the chub like dace, with 30 to 35 decent chub each time - the where is the challenge,

Sounds expensive that but one way to feed through the bkeak I guess!

2) Thames roaching doesn't come to an end in November, and the biggest and best condition fish come out after Christmas if you can master the moving feeder and bread....

Yeah I know you can catch the odd big one in the winter but in terms of catching bags of roach November is the last reliable month. Plus roach are a float fish to me isn’t the same targeting them on the feeder.

 

[Zerkalo]

My uncle has bought a BAA card when he said he wouldn't so I'm looking forward to fishing the Severn with him. He's a big lad though and won't be up for the walks required to most pegs let alone any steep banks. It's likely he wouldn't be able to get over the fence and down the bank to the weir on the Stour I fish either, but that will probably be where I concentrate for the first couple of weeks.

Then I'm going to the Charity match on the Trent, then going on a Bream holiday at Chard Res for the last week of June. So it will likely be July before I get on the Severn. I already have visions of me trying more of a 'match' approach this year, with some waggler fishing but also maggot and caster through the feeder, those are accompanied by visions of getting Bleaked Out, but we'll see.

 

[AdamRussell93]

I’m ready for another season or frustration and disappointment, starting next Friday night! Heading to the little weir pool near adwick car park with caster and hemp. See what happens!

 

[tee.bee]

yes looking forward to the new season was on the severn at the weekend swim clearing and created a few new pegs.
not getting to hung up on the barbel this year going to fish the whip more for roach and dace

 

[tincatim]

I’m ready for another season or frustration and disappointment, starting next Friday night! Heading to the little weir pool near adwick car park with caster and hemp. See what happens!

It’s got to be your year for barbel this year Adam, I’m rooting for you mate.

We should have another Dearne thread, I enjoyed that last one.

 

[AdamRussell93]

It’s got to be your year for barbel this year Adam, I’m rooting for you mate.

We should have another Dearne thread, I enjoyed that last one.

I’ll set one up after next Fridays blank

 

[tincatim]

I’ll set one up after next Fridays barbel brace

Good lad

 

[rd115]

More Barbel for sure.

But i'd like to get amongst some big Chub this year and maybe some river Carp.

 

[tincatim]

yes looking forward to the new season was on the severn at the weekend swim clearing and created a few new pegs.
not getting to hung up on the barbel this year going to fish the whip more for roach and dace

I’m looking forward to some whip fishing for silvers too. Might have to buy some longer whips if I get into it, which would be a shame hey

 

[tee.bee]

I’m looking forward to some whip fishing for silvers too. Might have to buy some longer whips if I get into it, which would be a shame hey

ive been whip fishing still waters in the closed season and its been great fun so going to give it a go on the rivers

 

[AdamRussell93]

Good lad

Just noticed you’d edited my comment, thanks for the positivity

 

[Northantslad]

Not sure, might do a bit i suppose