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Anybody stopped fishing?

Graham Elliott said:
Still waiting for the promised thunderstorms.

It is a difficult one this.

Supposing you had booked a cottage at say 750 a week. And also booked 5 days at 50 a day for a beat.

It's easy to criticise those that don't want to miss out and lose their money.

Alternatively I know of one group that had booked a section at 150 a day for three days with an owner. Money on arrival. They simply didn't turn up. No phone call or anything.

Conditions are far less than ideal, yet facebook is full of anglers fishing the Hants Avon the Stour the middle Severn and the Warks Avon and catching well. Indicates the fish are not in too much discomfort in many rivers, albeit no doubt handling care must be taken, not just now especially but as a norm.

This won't be a popular post but in reality it is whats happening. Some known, considered good caring anglers catching well.
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I've just returned from a week on the wye at Monmouth, been booked for 6 months, £650 for accommodation, 550 mile rnd trip, both me and the good lady booked time off work, on arrival at the river I knew it would be hard going, only fished evenings. 6 days, one bite between us, 4lb chub, kinda glad I didn't get a barbel. We're both self employed and only take 2 weeks a year one in July and end of September. I'll be back as long as the river is in a healthy state.
 
Stephen Crowhurst said:
Has anyone had any substantial rain?
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Had around 3 hours worth of fairly heavy rain yesterday evening up in Cheshire and don't we need it, but it barely registered on the levels of my local rivers. On most of the soils I have looked at in the last few weeks it would take at least 3 days of solid rain for any decent amount of it to filter through the soil into the field drainage, although some of clays are so cracked it could just run straight down to the tile drains.

All my farming clients are now getting seriously worried about having enough forage for livestock for this coming winter. Not only did most of them start the dry spell down on yield compared to average years, they are now having to feed what they do have to stock turned out - most livestock farms are now resembling golf courses, scorched ones at that.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
Had around 3 hours worth of fairly heavy rain yesterday evening up in Cheshire and don't we need it, but it barely registered on the levels of my local rivers. On most of the soils I have looked at in the last few weeks it would take at least 3 days of solid rain for any decent amount of it to filter through the soil into the field drainage, although some of clays are so cracked it could just run straight down to the tile drains.

All my farming clients are now getting seriously worried about having enough forage for livestock for this coming winter. Not only did most of them start the dry spell down on yield compared to average years, they are now having to feed what they do have to stock turned out - most livestock farms are now resembling golf courses, scorched ones at that.
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Who’d be a farmer eh Joe,.... last year the locals were fretting because it was too wet to harvest hay and that the price for winter feed would go through the roof. We need quite a few days of steady rain to counteract this current weather I reckon.
The fields down here are brown and cracked except for the Avon water meadows where there is still damp ground due to thick rununculus coffering flows and raising water levels in main river, ditches and carriers.
Here’s a happy bull and his ladies making the most of it.
49E2D25D-AC25-483E-88DB-8E61AE90CDDB.jpeg
 
Joe Winstanley said:
I think could be the last thing some rivers need, a massive drop in atmospheric pressure can rapidly diffuse dissolved oxygen into the atmosphere, not unlike opening a lid of a fizzy drink. Could be the straw that breaks the camels back for some fish.
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I’ve known quite a few fish kills associated with thunderstorms,.. as well as the sudden drop in pressure, torrential rain fills stagnant gulley pots pushing deoxygenated water into rivers,.. plus we all know many old sewers can’t cope,. .
Another thing to watch for is a few days of overcast weather during low DO events which impeads photosynthesis of instream plants worsening the situation.
 
Dave Taylor said:
Who’d be a farmer eh Joe,.... last year the locals were fretting because it was too wet to harvest hay and that the price for winter feed would go through the roof. We need quite a few days of steady rain to counteract this current weather I reckon.
The fields down here are brown and cracked except for the Avon water meadows where there is still damp ground due to thick rununculus coffering flows and raising water levels in main river, ditches and carriers.
Here’s a happy bull and his ladies making the most of it.View attachment 5929
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Those boys knew exactly what they were doing when they constructed those water meadows centuries ago - jewels in the landscape.
 
Surprising how close in the Carp get this time of year especially, they get used to picking up all the throw away bait at the end of sessions, Barbel
Cliff Cullen said:
I've just returned from a week on the wye at Monmouth, been booked for 6 months, £650 for accommodation, 550 mile rnd trip, both me and the good lady booked time off work, on arrival at the river I knew it would be hard going, only fished evenings. 6 days, one bite between us, 4lb chub, kinda glad I didn't get a barbel. We're both self employed and only take 2 weeks a year one in July and end of September. I'll be back as long as the river is in a healthy state.
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Feel for you Cliff, sort of puts it into perspective, at least some of us can actually chose to fish the Wye at a moments notice. Still the weather was 'good' and the scenery not half bad as well.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
Those boys knew exactly what they were doing when they constructed those water meadows centuries ago - jewels in the landscape.
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The irony Joe, is that some farmers would like to see the return of mechanical weed cutting which would be the equivalent of pulling the plug out of the river and draining the meadows to allow a second silage harvest.
 
Neil Smart said:
Surprising how close in the Carp get this time of year especially, they get used to picking up all the throw away bait at the end of sessions, Barbel

Feel for you Cliff, sort of puts it into perspective, at least some of us can actually chose to fish the Wye at a moments notice. Still the weather was 'good' and the scenery not half bad as well.
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Ice had some gr8 weeks, rough with the smooth. Topped up the tan and sleep, just great being on the bank,
 
Dave Taylor said:
The irony Joe, is that some farmers would like to see the return of mechanical weed cutting which would be the equivalent of pulling the plug out of the river and draining the meadows to allow a second silage harvest.
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Madness Dave, especially when they can get generous grant payments to manage the meadows with raised water levels and traditional cutting/grazing. Good job so many of the meadows are protected.
 
Hi men,

Im suprised barbel anglers have not picked up on the bucket shower used on some of the Korda carp vids . If you watch the korda comercial french carp fishing masterclass where they fish carpasuns they have a carp resting , and pore a bucket of water from a heigth around its head giving it an "oxygen bath" . Believe me it works , and iv done it on most of my fish in France , where they show signs of recovery much much quicker . Not sure if it transfers into barbel welfare , but dont see why not .

Hatter
 
Mark Mole said:
Gwyn,I have kept a fishing diary since 2001,and I can assure you this year's conditions are unprecedented. Of course we've had hot summers before,but they've always been broken by spells of adverse weather,not just prolonged dry hot spells,well 2001 until now anyway.

You seem to be trying to justify what your doing....why bother? If you really must fish,just go fishing and don't tell anyone.

There are barbel anglers on here older than god's dog,you won't sway their opinion,because they all know a barbels a barbel,no matter where it lives.

As for the second hand tackle,not much point if there are no barbel left to fish for is there.
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Lol. I only feel the need to justify due to the warriors.
The ones who care so much they won't fish despite only wanting to stick a lump of steel into a fish.
But...but...they care! Just not enough to never fish for barbel again ;-)

Got me a new stretch with superb flow, but I am praying for rain like everyone else.

I was on the verge of abandoning the Wye for the summer, because even that river is getting dismal now, and then you find a diamond in the rough.

I will not disclose the stretch obviously, but it has flow, oxygen and deep cold water.
 
Gwyn Jeffs said:
Lol. I only feel the need to justify due to the warriors.
The ones who care so much they won't fish despite only wanting to stick a lump of steel into a fish.
But...but...they care! Just not enough to never fish for barbel again ;-)

Got me a new stretch with superb flow, but I am praying for rain like everyone else.

I was on the verge of abandoning the Wye for the summer, because even that river is getting dismal now, and then you find a diamond in the rough.

I will not disclose the stretch obviously, but it has flow, oxygen and deep cold water.
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I’m pretty sure I know the stretch you mean Gwyn. Truly magical isn’t it. It’s certainly a shock when you first encounter it and it’s magical ways. I missed so many bites when trotting because of the mermaids that would just drape themselves over nearby croys and stare at you in that alluring and mythical way. You get used to it of course. But not the unicorn. I liked the novelty at first. Park near the gate at the top of the field, unload your stuff and then wait for the unicorn to arrive (which it always did and literally out of nowhere). I’d never even ridden a horse before then so you can imagine the thrill.

I do think the dragon is a nice touch too. Frightening at first, but when she settles by your side and cooks your burgers and heats your chips through, you realise she’s there to help.

And then there’s the barbel. The rare and magical waters of that stretch, so different from the rest of the Wye, like it’s from another planet, a world we can only dream about. So many beautiful and strong fish. Some whoppers too! When they first speak to you, you think you must be going mad. Unicorns, dragons and mermaids yes- you accept that, especially the mermaids. But a talking barbel? That was hard to accept. The plus though was them being able to tell you stuff. Important stuff too. Like “I’m fine, you can let go now”. Or “another photo, really? I’m like, 4lb” Or my favourite “no, I’m not introducing you to my big sister”.

Enjoy the magic of that stretch Gwyn- it’s quite unbelievable isn’t it.
 
Stop worrying lads I'm off to Wales for 2 weeks on Saturday so I can almost guarantee rain:cool:
 
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