River fishing help please

[fishplate42]

Although I have been fishing for nearly four years now, most of it has been on commercial stillwaters. Where I live, here in London, we have several small rivers that have a small head of fish in them. We often walk along the rivers (for exercise) and have spent a fair bit of time looking for fish, mostly without much luck. Recently, however, we have spotted several reasonably sized chublet and a fair few perch. Yesterday we found a whole lot of fish in one pool that were taking maggots and bread that we had taken along to see if we could encourage them to feed, and feed they did. See HERE.

That was yesterday morning. It was raining as we stood and watched the fish take the feed. It then continued to rain all afternoon and, on and off through the night. Today when we went back to have a go at catching a fish, the water was slightly higher, only by a few inches, and it had coloured up slightly. I could still make out the bottom in places, but the weeds and some deeper parts were now out of sight.

We tried feeding some maggots but there was no interest. it seemed like all the fish had gone. We walked down stream for a couple of miles and did not see a fish anywhere. We even stopped at our favoured fishing spot to dangle a line into the opaque water for a while, only to fine that the maggot had not even been sucked by the small roach.

My question is, what happened to all the fish? Have they just gone to ground or do they not feed after a few hours of not particularly heavy rain? Not only did we not catch any, we did not see a single fish or even the sign of a fish all morning.

Ralph.

 

[Keith M]

They might still be there and resting in places away from the increased current (caused by the extra water from the rainfall overnight) usually along the edge or behind obstructions or in slightly deeper eddies, and out of sight.

You could try fishing for them a little later in the evening when you may be a little less liable to spook them, or try looking for any features where they might be resting away from the main current; picking off food as it washes past.

The worst case may be that the rain has washed oil and rubber (off of tires) and all the other rubbish off of the roads and into the stream and caused the fish to move off, or they may be spending their time dodging debris being washed downstream, which sometimes happens after the water has been low for a while and started to colour up.

Anyway your stream sounds and looks very promising.

tight lines

Keith

 

[S-Kippy]

If its coloured up and risen they might have moved or they might still be there only you're not able to see them anymore.

Another possibility is that with all the dry weather we've had any water that gets into the river is going to be full of "road wash" ie petrol,oil,rubber and general tom tit. That's enough to put any fish off untill it flushes through.

All the rivers dahn sarf need a damned good flush through after this hot spell.

 

[no-one in particular]

I reckon the drop in water temperature the rain would be would have put them down for a bit until they acclimatize again. It only takes a couple of degrees for them to do that, seen it in tank fish when you change the water, just go off feeding for a spell, cold blooded animals are very sensitive to temperature change. Whats it been in London 80-90 degrees water temperature and the rain flushing through 60-70, that's quite a drop for cold blooded fish; quite a shock to there system I would imagine. Give them a few days and they will be feeding again.

 

[sam vimes]

An influx of water can, at times, put the fish off feeding. At others it will encourage them to feed. Much depends on the atmospheric conditions and changes in water temperature. Extra water can also change the locations that fish might prefer to congregate. However, just because you can't see any fish, does not always mean that they aren't there. Fish can easily disappear with just a tiny bit of turbidity, even when the water is shallow.

The place I fished last night showed no sign of fish (other than minnows) for a good couple of hours. Only careful feeding, and a fair dollop of faith in my swim selection, made me persist. When the fish did turn up, it was with a vengeance. It takes a bit of time to gain the experience required to select the right swims, baits and faith enough to persist, in the different conditions you might encounter. Even when you think you know a fair bit, you can get it very wrong quite easily. Every time you fish, successfully or not, you can learn from it. It's all part of the fun of fishing natural venues where the fish have no real reliance on anglers bait for survival.

One of the best lessons I ever learned was on a tiny stream. It gave me the perfect demonstration of why little and often feeding can bring a much better feeding response than larger amounts of bait. On the beck in question, there's a footbridge. Fish are often to be seen in the tiny pool below it. On the day in question, there was not a fish to be seen. A pinch of maggots soon saw the odd fish appear from nowhere. It wasn't until I reduced the pinch to two maggots every 20 to 30 seconds that the fish suddenly seemed to multiply and start to actively compete. If I increased the amount of feed, many of the fish would vanish. Those that stuck around just lazily took the odd maggot. Rest it a while, then go back to the two maggot feed routine, then the fish would reappear in numbers and start competing. This is the kind of thing that many anglers fishing commies are unlikely to learn. It's very often the case that dumping fair quantities of bait in a swim can be rather successful. When that so often seems the case, the vagaries of feeding (quantity and frequency) can seem to have little relevance. On a more natural water it's generally much more important.

 

[103841]

Your blog is popular with a number of followers Ralph, pinpointing exact locations with photos and announcing an increasing population of larger fish is quite likely to trigger interest to some anglers that may have overlooked this little hidden away gem.

More anglers, greater footfall will have the fish finding cover, same story along the Canterbury Stour.

 

[fishplate42]

Thank you all for your help. I think the point about water temperature is a good point I had not thought of. I also like the idea of light feeding. we have already noticed that light finding seems to keep the fish interested. Yesterday if we throw in a couple of dozen maggots we got an initial reaction but then the fish calmed down as it appears there was enough feed to go around. When we only fed two or three maggots the fish were fare more competitive.

We can't get back to the river until Sunday, but we will give it another go then.

Your blog is popular with a number of followers Ralph, pinpointing exact locations with photos and announcing an increasing population of larger fish is quite likely to trigger interest to some anglers that may have overlooked this little hidden away gem.

More anglers, greater footfall will have the fish finding cover, same story along the Canterbury Stour.

I do know what you mean, but I can't see that happening here. As I have said before, I have lived here, or within a few miles if here, all my life and fishing was never a popular pastime among me and my mates as kids. It is no different today. There is no 'official' places we can fish locally. I am not sure I am allowed to fish where I do. I am working on the basis that there are no signs saying I can't, so until somebody tells me otherwise I will just carry on.

Talking about the blog, I have added today's experience HERE.

Ralph

 

[103841]

I read somewhere only yesterday, can’t think where, that a sudden thunderstorm can be lethal to fish. The action of cold rain hitting warmer water depletes the DOL which in most cases is perilously low at the moment anyway.

I spent an hour on the Stour today, make that yesterday! Couldn’t induce a bite as was the case with another angler who had sat patiently in one spot with chub hovering teasingly around his bait. The water to my surprise was still gin clear but it was an even greater surprise when it turned coloured in a matter of a few minutes, they had opened the sluices at Millers pool, time to pack up and go home!

 

[fishplate42]

I read somewhere only yesterday, can’t think where, that a sudden thunderstorm can be lethal to fish. The action of cold rain hitting warmer water depletes the DOL which in most cases is perilously low at the moment anyway.

I spent an hour on the Stour today, make that yesterday! Couldn’t induce a bite as was the case with another angler who had sat patiently in one spot with chub hovering teasingly around his bait. The water to my surprise was still gin clear but it was an even greater surprise when it turned coloured in a matter of a few minutes, they had opened the sluices at Millers pool, time to pack up and go home!

With all that water that rushes down the by-pass on weir pool at The Miller's Arms, I would have thought the oxygen levels would not be too bad along that stretch. Maybe you need to sit on the bank and splash your feet around in the water for a bit...

Ralph.

 

[daniel121]

Hi Ralph.

The difference between rivers and commercials is the extra factors which have to be taken into consideration. There are various factors that you will already be taking into consideration when you are going fishing, such as the brightness, temperature etc. When your chosen water is an open network of water connected to drainage, factories, sewage, power plants etc there are many other factors that come into play.

These factor's are salt, water colour, pollution, water level, flow and other things. These have impact, however Ralph just because you can't see the fish does not mean they are not there, in the winter you won't see any fish in our local Brooke however if I was to pop down now with a stalking rod I bet I'd have a 1-2lb chub on the bank within a short space of time, they dont grow in a few months in the warmer weather mate.

Like me crabtree said in the story's "they can't up and move Peter"

 

[iain t]

I take it you're talking about the Wandle. When i lived in Putney, along with the Thames i used to fish the Wandle. Well should say try as it was full of shopping trolleys and tyres around Wandsworth. 45 years on and ive heard good reports. Seen on Utube Chub to middle singles and someone even caught a small Barbel. Both were trotting with pins.
Just found these
YouTube
YouTube

 

[fishplate42]

Thanks for the extra advice. Here we are, it is now Sunday evening and I still have not got back to the river. I had planned to get down there this morning, but as it was raining again, I decided to sit down and tie a few hooklengths instead. The weather is not much better for tomorrow and apart from that I have to go and 'listen' to the doctor, tomorrow morning, who is going to tell me the results of a blood test I had a about a month ago... The weather is supposed to be good on Tuesday so I am off for a day's fishing at Beaver. That means I will get back to our river on Wednesday when it should have settled down again and the fish have got used to the new slightly cooler conditions.

When I catch the 'enormous' fish in the river, I will let you know .

Ralph.

 

[fishplate42]

Ta-Dah...



We did it! Today we got back to the river and after catching all the small fish, we managed to land one of the biggest fish we have seen in this little river. The full story and a few more pictures can be found on our blog HERE.

I know this is not a big fish, in the great scheme of things, but this was caught in a very small river in the heart of SE London, just a short walk from where we live. Today will be remembered as the day I caught my first decent fish from a river. I can't wait to have another go. There are lots of small perch in there too, so now my next target is to catch a few of those. They tend to congregate a little further down-stream where the banks are particularly thick with undergrowth. I may need to change tactics.

Ralph

 

[sam vimes]

Ralph,
at times, you may find that the bigger stuff only materialises, as if out of thin air (or water if you prefer), as the light levels drop. The brighter the day, the clearer the water, the more likely this is.

 

[103841]

Nice chub Ralph, well done! Must be those snazzy new shades you have on.

If I can emulate your capture tomorrow I’ll be happy.:thumbs:

 

[Alan Tyler]

Well done! And welcome to the wonderful world of river fishing. It's unbelievably varied; the leap between fishing a stream where you can read the water a la Mr Crabtree, and sitting by the opaque tidal Thames wondering where to even begin, is quite mind-boggling, but after a while, lessons learned from one will help with the other (Though it has to be said that small streams and rivers where you can watch the fish will teach you more, and far faster, than blank after blank, fishing "blind", on a big river). Good luck!

 

[theartist]

Well done Ralph any decent chub from a London river is an achievement in these times, regarding your original point it's often a case with slow tiny London rivers that come a bit of rain and flow the fish are off somewhere else as they have been holed up in the same spots all summer. The colour encourages them to venture out and is the opposite to them looking for shelter, they are out and they are usually easier to catch, it's just a case of finding them as when it colours up they could be almost everywhere, also they can spread out especially this time of year if they get some prolonged rain to cover them and the trickle becomes a river if only for a short time, you see a lot of a true rivers potential, and the good thing is these tiny rivers are never too high or cold to catch fish in.

Roving will find them eventually and there's always the joy of finding a new spot especially when it's one you have walked by hundreds of times with no fish in it. I love it when a tiny river comes alive like this, it's a shame they drop all too quickly and the fish will return to their hidey holes and it's back to trickling a bait under their noses

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

Very wise words, Alan.

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

This may just be my favorite thread yet.

 

[fishplate42]

After yesterday's success I am ken to have another go. Fishing further down the river is very restrictive. A 3m whip has been fine up until now. Yesterday I was using a 5m pole with elasticated top two and that worked fine in the open area by the weir. However the perch seem to congregate a bit further down stream in a very thickly vegetated stretch. now I know there are some bigger fish about I am not happy to risk catching a bigger chub on very light tackle.

I ordered a short telescopic rod/reel combo a few days ago, and it arrived today. Okay, it is no Drennan Acolite, but for £16.00 including shipping it don't look too bad. I replaced the very thick line with something a lot lighter and the line-lay is 'orrible, bit I am only casting a few yards, so I am hoping it will do the job. Extended it is only 5ft long and collapsed it is just a shade over a foot long, so I should not have any trouble using it in such a confined space.

I will be using a small rugby ball shaped float (that came with a 'lot' I bought a couple of years ago) that has a small ring at the base, with no stem, and a thick indicator that I will rig with a float rubber on top. It seems to cock with about 3g of shot (or thereabouts, I will refine it on the bank). 2-3lb hooklength with a size 18 hook to start with. I will use a single red maggot initially and feed loose maggots a few feet up-stream to see if that will get them going.

I will let you know how that goes. If anyone has any suggestions, I am listening - this is all guesswork at the moment.

Ralph.