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Fishing in heavy rain......

Paul Monaghan

Paul Monaghan

Senior Member
....do you bother? don't reply if you dont like getting a soaking ;)

Just arrived home after a short night session on my local full of confidence as i'd caught the night before. However, it rained and rained and rained a little more.
I have caught barbel when it's been raining hard, but not very often. The rivers I fish can be difficult so it could take me a lifetime to determine for sure if my chances lesson when i'm out in the wet stuff or not. I have my theories, but i'm interested to hear your views on how you believe it affects your catch rate or not for that matter?
 
I catch less, only because I usually like to adopt a roving approach and can't be bothered in the rain. I sit under my brolly in one peg largely concentrating on keeping my phone, radio, camera, bait and myself dry.
 
Agree with Gavin, if the heavens open, i,m reluctant to move, even if i,m not catching. I don,t mind not catching when its pouring down, to me, theres nothing better than sitting under an umbrella when its dancing frogs. Much prefer the rain to a red hot sun. :)
 
Ive never caught in heavy rain prob due to the fact that i loose interest untill it stops hammering it dwn.
 
Love it when the forecast is heavy rain as it keeps most people away then I have the Royalty to myself to roll meat through all the swims! Invest in good quality breathable chest waders & wading jacket to stay 100% dry, the only down side is trying to roll a fag, but then a plus again as that is good for my health!! :)
 
In my experience, rain certainly seems to have a bad effect on your bite rate. As you say, you catch the odd one, but in every type of fishing I have indulged in, fishing slows in heavy rain. Before and after is another story :)

A thunder storm rolling around in the area can be good in carping, but seems not so good once the down-poor sets in. Probably just as well, because when you do have a bite from a lunker in the pouring rain, you have no time to don waterproofs before you rush out of your bivvy, so a good soaking is inevitable.

Cheers, Dave.
 
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That was 'orrible last night Paul, i think i broke my record for a pack up !
Rain like that always seems to be the kiss of death for me, but as i was telling you last night, i did once have a good one from the next swim down from where you were 30 secs after the heavens opened, i reckon the fish had been sitting looking at my bait not wanting to venture out from the weed to take it when the water was thrashed by the rain i think it saw its chance, pprobably thinking because it couldn't see out of the water, nothing could see it either, and made a grab for the bait, it was a brilliant sunny evening until that deluge, and i got soaked because i couldn't play the fish from under my brolly :eek:
14lb4ozRiverLoddonSandfordMill4-7-04cut.jpg
 
Had a few during heavy rain and most memorable was an 11 on tidal trent last year during a massive thunder storm !!!!!!!
 
I've had some good catches in the rain, the most memorable was when Worcestershire flooded, I was fishing the lower Severn watching the river climb the steps of the swim, catching a fish every cast but with one eye on the marker I had put in as the highest point I was going to let the river get before I got out of there not realising the stream at the back of the flood bank had already flooded the field I had to cross to get out. I still don't know how my old Megane got me out of there and it was that day which prompted me to buy a 4X4.

Lightening makes me nervous as well, waving 12 foot of carbon around in a thunderstorm is not the best idea for a long and happy life.
 
Ade, got to admit, lightening also scares the s***e out of me, it can hurt you. :D Thunder can,t,:D i,d gladly listen to it all day. ;)
 
I have been on the bank of the tidal trent since early hours Saturday the weather was disgusting had to move my pod three times the rain was the worst I'd seen in a long time topped off by gusts of up to 35mph but I just love been there regardless even though I do moan about it :D
 
I fish what ever the weather Paul, i dont catch enough fish to make any sort of comment LOL

I did however break a hoo-doo a while ago when i caught a PB barbel in the fog, up until that fish i never remembered ever catching anything in the fog.

If i am on the bank then i am fishing what ever the conditions.
 
Tom Herbert said:
I fish what ever the weather Paul, i dont catch enough fish to make any sort of comment LOL

I did however break a hoo-doo a while ago when i caught a PB barbel in the fog, up until that fish i never remembered ever catching anything in the fog.

If i am on the bank then i am fishing what ever the conditions.
Click to expand...

You had a nice one in the rain last autumn didn't you Tom?!....how can you forget ;):p
 
I had one of my best ever sessions in very heavy rain a few years back. The rain was sheeting down and like stair-rods (for those who remember).

rain.jpg


I had a 5, an 8, a 10.05, an 11.04, an 11.10 and almost my fourth double at 9.15

Hardly a break in the rain, I played the fish from under my brolly which was fortunately on a slope so I could do so.

paul4
 
My modesty prevents me from retelling that particular tale Paul LOL, but you are absolutely right off course.
 
I had a lovely double from the Loddon in a thunder storm. It had been raining very heavily for a few hours and my Loddon addiction was at its peak so I went on a Thursday night. Could hardly see to drive on the motorway, soaked by the time I got to the swim.

An amazing experience playing a big fish under a canopy of trees with lightening flashing overhead and rain pelting down:

https://barbel.co.uk/site/gallery/images/large/4a68509f2a3ff.jpg

I haven't even been yet this season, car's packed up after servicing it in plenty of time but hopefully can get it sorted this weekend.

There's a new stretch of the Loddon I'm going to try out :)
 
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