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Moon phase charts

When the moon is overhead. I'm sure Chris Lyons said that the halfway point between moon-rise and set was a possible prime time. I guess that would be when the moon is overhead? I'm starting to get interested in this moon business again! I think keeping records of conditions, moon phases etc. may be better, for me at least, on a still water where fish in front of you are pretty much guaranteed. The trouble with barbel fishing nowadays, at least on the rivers I fish, is that you never know if you are even within half a mile of a fish unless you see one roll.
 
The guy I fished with had done some trials in his pond re moon phases and saw a pattern with carp feeding. He's also a man of science so not one for whimsical stuff. I just know on them very slow winter days, it was like a dinner bell had rung but often for a very short period of time.
I fished the Wye with him last year 5 solid days, dawn to dusk and you get tuned in to the river. Similar thing on there, small but intensive feeding spell mid morning then odd fish up until roughly 17.00 to 18.30 when we would both get plenty of action. Then in the traditional magic hour and into dark, only an odd fish.
Could have been a pod on a patrol route? We didn't check Moon phase then as we had all day for a week. We're back again same week this year so will be interesting to see if the pattern changes and is in sync with the Moon phase.
 
Paul Richardson said:
The guy I fished with had done some trials in his pond re moon phases and saw a pattern with carp feeding. He's also a man of science so not one for whimsical stuff. I just know on them very slow winter days, it was like a dinner bell had rung but often for a very short period of time.
I fished the Wye with him last year 5 solid days, dawn to dusk and you get tuned in to the river. Similar thing on there, small but intensive feeding spell mid morning then odd fish up until roughly 17.00 to 18.30 when we would both get plenty of action. Then in the traditional magic hour and into dark, only an odd fish.
Could have been a pod on a patrol route? We didn't check Moon phase then as we had all day for a week. We're back again same week this year so will be interesting to see if the pattern changes and is in sync with the Moon phase.
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The feeding pattern you advised on the Wye is very typical, I can't really see it is anything to do with the Moon as far as the River is concerned. Any data he might have gathered in respect of the Carp pond would be good if you could get it.
 
Neil Smart said:
The feeding pattern you advised on the Wye is very typical, I can't really see it is anything to do with the Moon as far as the River is concerned. Any data he might have gathered in respect of the Carp pond would be good if you could get it.
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Interesting point Neil, some rivers do tend to have times they switch on which, if occurring regularly, are obviously at different moon phases/times. It is surprising how often the magic dusk period fails to produce and I have, like many others on here, frequently moaned at clubs like BAA, Leamington etc., imposing on us strict night fishing bans. I have often thought why can't they let us have at least an hour into darkness, but we would still often be packing up before the peak feeding time. On both the Cherwell and WA I often found between 11.00 pm and midnight to be very reliable but I've never had much at all in the early hours.
 
Hi,
I have mentioned this before but it may be relevant here. When I was fishing the 'lower' Severn regularly there were occasions when the river appeared to be 'backing up' i.e. flowing in the wrong direction. There would even be small waves breaking on the surface going in the wrong direction . I always put this down to a combination of tidal changes ( further down river ) and a strong wind blowing upstream causing this optical illusion. When this happened I might as well have not started fishing as I knew it would be dire.
Regards,
G.T.
 
Graham Tremble said:
Hi,
I have mentioned this before but it may be relevant here. When I was fishing the 'lower' Severn regularly there were occasions when the river appeared to be 'backing up' i.e. flowing in the wrong direction. There would even be small waves breaking on the surface going in the wrong direction . I always put this down to a combination of tidal changes ( further down river ) and a strong wind blowing upstream causing this optical illusion. When this happened I might as well have not started fishing as I knew it would be dire.
Regards,
G.T.
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The flow in the 'wrong direction'on the Lower Severn is a fact Graham, which I am sure you are aware, the Severn Bore for instance? But it's only a feature below Tewkesbury.
 
Graham Tremble said:
Hi,
I have mentioned this before but it may be relevant here. When I was fishing the 'lower' Severn regularly there were occasions when the river appeared to be 'backing up' i.e. flowing in the wrong direction. There would even be small waves breaking on the surface going in the wrong direction . I always put this down to a combination of tidal changes ( further down river ) and a strong wind blowing upstream causing this optical illusion. When this happened I might as well have not started fishing as I knew it would be dire.
Regards,
G.T.
Click to expand...
Yes Terry. Similar outcomes
 
Very true. Most rivers show this to a certain degree and the 3 rivers I have noticed it on, the Severn, WA and Thames do't fish at all well during this period.
 
Neil Smart said:
The feeding pattern you advised on the Wye is very typical, I can't really see it is anything to do with the Moon as far as the River is concerned. Any data he might have gathered in respect of the Carp pond would be good if you could get it.
Click to expand...
Can't say I agree with that statement Neil
Haven't read too many books or watched ' experts' saying " ... and if you want to catch barbel, make sure you're on the river in full sunlight at teatime "??
 
Well all I can say Paul, is the Wye doesn't conform to the rules that are the norm for most other Rivers. From my experience there are two very distinct feeding times,they vary slightly, but do come morning and afternoon, we are talking shoaling Barbel here, not bigger isolated fish. I did fish it when you could catch dozens of Barbel in a session, the frantic morning session was followed by a lull around lunchtime only for it to kick off again in the afternoon. It didn't really matter if the sun (or moon) was shining or not, it was pretty much what happened.
 
It very much depends on the length of daylight most of the time regards feeding spells.....given all other variables.

Whereas it's often accepted that last/ first hour of darkness is usually good.

In the Spring and Summer the barbel often have a feed for a short spell middayish as 18hr is a long time without feeding.

Rivers also vary IME. If I had to fish the Thames for only 4 hours it would be 10pm to 2am.

The Trent would be from just before dark to 3 hours after.


BUT. Thank goodness for variables.
 
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