The Observation Stage
Fishing rivers seems to be in decline, I can fish for miles andnot see a soul, putting in my two hours in the morning before workand two hours after, for five days a week, plus sixteen hours minimumover the weekend, which averages 36 to 40 hours a week spent on theriver bank.
You would think my arms would have dropped off! but a lot of thetime is spent carrying on where the mapping stage of a river bed hasfinished. (See link below). This is what I call the observationstage.
As I plot the depths on the graph paper as I make my way along theriver bank, I am constantly observing the far bank and the surface,looking for undercuts and other potential holding areas.
Chub, for instance, could be lying up in lily pads, or under araft, or at the back of some reeds. More often than not you will notsee the chub or any fish that has grown to a ripe old age, becausethey didn’t reach that size without being a bit sly.
Once I’ve established a vicinity that looks promising I try tofind an area that is shallow and yet is close to holding features. Ithen find myself a viewing point on the bank, somewhere close, so Ican easily observe the fish. To try and sit still all day is nigh onimpossible. If chub see your hands moving or anything out of theordinary going on, they’re off like a shot.
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So I made a hide some six feet across, four and a half feet inheight and painted in camouflage colours. I also cut a small viewingslot in the canvas. A little tip is to make sure the canvas is tautand doesn’t waft around in the wind. I then catapult my pre-mixedfeed out of the bucket into an area the size of a dustbin lid atregular intervals.
Polarised glasses, as well as binoculars, help no end.
You will find that the small fish will move onto the feast becausethey haven’t wised up yet. These are followed by the two to threepounders then, if your luck is in, a specimen could move into theswim while it’s still light.
But the best time is dusk. At this point I will start to introducemeat balls and large fish chunks
If you note that larger fish are moving in, try and detect theroute they take both in and out of the swim . Remember chub aregenerally territorial so there is a good chance that once one hasbeen observed it will always be around that area.
I hope this insight into my lure fishing preparation not onlyhelps the lure angler but the bait angler also.
