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Why so quiet?

Graham Elliott

Graham Elliott

Senior Member & Supporter
Well the temperatures been on the rise for a couple of weeks. Most rivers have a bit or a fair bit of colour.

Most rivers seem to be plus 7 degrees after a real low.

But it seems most are struggling to even get a bite.

Why?
 
Not as many fish in most rivers as there used to be Graham, maybe that explains some of it....lots of people fishing the same stretches for the same fish also. No doubt those fish left are wising up a bit too, with less competition for food, that odd knock may have been a fish saying "no thanks". That said, there are still bites being had!!
 
The Dorset Stour is at summer levels of flow and level, virtually clear too. The waters warming slightly though. I believe the water was ~8'c today. Might have a crack for them on Saturday.
 
Just less people fishing in winter I think. I never saw another angler on the Wye on Saturday even though it was very mild and conditions were spot on.
 
I had a few on sat on the Wye.

But getting lots feedback from pals and seeing reports on here of biteless sessions.

Silver Moon? High Pressure?
 
Certainly not hearing much caught on the barbel front from the Loddon,Kennet or Pats.......then again not many caught in the summer either!
 
I have fished 3 different rivers up ere over the last week, in swims that I have caught in before and it's been rather quiet. All have been 7.6c plus. I just keep telling myself that I have missed the feeding spell!!! :p
 
Fished the middle trent today. Temps were good and it looked perfect. 8.14 right at last knockings saved a blank :confused:
 
Although water temps look favourable, levels are very low on the Stour and the river is as clear as I've seen it this year which has certainly made the barbel a harder proposition,...for me anyway!
Talking to a top angler yesterday who showed me some great pics of a very recent Anglers Mail shoot he did on the Stour,...lovely bag of quality roach with the odd big perch thrown in.
I've tried fishing into dark and have banked just 2 barbel over the past 10 days.
Finding the chub and pike are much more obliging at the moment.

The Avon is low but has just a tiny,..barely noticeable,.. bit more colour than the Stour, which is unusual. Ive got tunnel vision for the chub at present but did manage a 12.12 barbel last Friday when rolling a lobworm for the former.
Have spent the day working on a lovely stretch which has produced for me over the past month, but only observed the odd pike and some good sized sea trout that were cutting in and chasing around all day.
Haven't noticed too many anglers out on the rivers and suspect that quite a few still put their barbel gear away in October.
I will feel a bit more confident for a barbel when we get some more water in the rivers,...both Avon and Stour have yet to settle at normal winter levels.
 
although water levels are very low for this time of year, fish still need to eat, the fact so few people are catching, and even those that are are finding its far from easy, it would seem the perception of many anglers around the country,as the poll Graham ran last year suggested,that Barbel numbers in many rivers have dropped significantly might not just be perception but a harsh reality
 
Robert Richbell said:
although water levels are very low for this time of year, fish still need to eat, the fact so few people are catching, and even those that are are finding its far from easy, it would seem the perception of many anglers around the country,as the poll Graham ran last year suggested,that Barbel numbers in many rivers have dropped significantly might not just be perception but a harsh reality
Click to expand...

Spot on Richard. I've tried to be optimistic regarding the Kennet, in terms of numbers caught I'm probably having the best season for a few years despite a few blanks recently, usual for me at this time of year though due shift work. I've seen the decline since starting on the river some 12 years ago so god knows what that decline looks like for anglers that have fished the river for far longer than myself and on other rivers too.
 
It's changed enormously as have many rivers it used to have huge numbers of smaller Barbel 30 years ago a decent fish was 7 or 8 pounds but you could catch a lot of 3 or 4 lb fish. Fantastic chub fishing loaf of bread and take em off the top floating crust. 5 years ago as you know a good head of big fish 12lbs quite common and in the right places 17 + were there. Now it seems a few more small and a lot less big fish. Chub fishing hard now haven't had a Chub over 6lbs for 2 years.
 
Waters still lower than normal for this time of year here in West Sussex. Last 4 sessions had loads of knocks and nibbles but no hook ups. There seems to be a lot less fish this year. Don't know if it was a bad spawning or the older fish just dying out.

Or have they got more wiser to the anglers antics.
 
Maybe a 'perception survey' is called for? That is...a list of rivers with catch result 'parameters' of something like : 'severe decline', 'decline', 'slight decline', 'as ever', 'slight improvement', improvement', 'strong improvement'...or whatever?
It would appear that, outside of the Wye and maybe the Trent, the perception is that most rivers (result/catch wise) are in some state of decline.
Anyone fancy the task... now you've got the decs up? :)
 
I agree, I haven't caught a fish for months and months. Oh wait....that'll be because I haven't been fishing. That's my excuse anyway, and I have never had a better one :D

Cheers, Dave.
 
It was really the fact that despite the rise in temp and some colour that the last few weeks have given I was suprised at the overall lack of action for many.

Re the Kennet. I've said enough about that decline in the past....even when many thought i was talking rubbish.
Not all d and g though. Pal just called after taking a 13+.

I barbel blanked on WA mind!
 
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