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Winter/ Floodwater tactics

Paul Bullinger said:
Sometimes tactics are determined by circumstances. A barbel fishing friend of mine finds it difficult to lug loads of gear down to the river. Nowadays every session is a "lightweight" roving one. Just the essentials. But here's the odd thing, he uses a bomb, 18" hook link to size 10 hair with single halibut pellet. No PVA bag, no swimfeeder (can't carry groundbait to river) and minimal freebies.
He rarely blanks. I have witnessed him using this method on a flooded Wye where you would think the barbel would struggle to find a single pellet amongst all the debris and coloured water. He caught 7 barbel that day and lost as many. I was chucking in large swimfeeders full of smelly groundbait to "lure" them in and caught 2 chub. I would be interested to hear any theories as to how his tactic can possibly work? I've been wondering for years!!!
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He wasn't fishing the next peg down by any chance ? :)
 
For me winters (first frosts onwards) are when I take barbel vaguely seriously - primarily because doing overnighters in a bivvy in minus temps and being plunged into darkness from 4pm is simply depressing and for carp not really worth the effort. On the proviso that conditions are right I look forward to getting up at the crack and having a really 'focussed' session on the river until just after dusk . . .I err on the static but accurate approach picking out swims that have had previous form or that look 'right' . . .maggots / worms play a massive part in my winter fishing as does regular recasting (every 15mins) and unless its a proper flood I'll use these in preference to a stinky boilie / lump of meat / cheese paste every time
 
The fact that you will have the river to yourself with no boats swimmers etc is a real bonus for me. Finding holding spots in a flood is simple just look for slacks behind bushes. The 02 levels are high and the fish are fat and well conditioned.
 
I am nothing like as obsessive about my Barbel fishing now as I was a few years a go when I would be on the bank as often as possible in all conditions . In winter I did a lot of blanking but I kept going trying to tick the boxes of a Barbel in the snow, or a Barbel in a winter flood . Looking back through my fishing diaries I usually had success when the air temperature had been consistent for a few days , sudden sharp drops in air temperature usually lead to blanks . I used to be a big fan of taking the water temperature but gave up on that as I found that if the water temperature was dropping as I was fishing my confidence dropped with it and I would often give up and go home, and as we know if you aren't on the bank you won't catch em ! I have also found that using natural baits like maggots and worms is better for Barbel in the winter than the summer . Above all if you are out in the cold make sure you are prepared for it , fishing when you are uncomfortable alters your mind set and motivation . If its really cold go Grayling or chub fishing instead they will feed when the Barbel aren't having it. I would add that I almost exclusively fish Northern spate rivers .
 
After 4 weeks of Man flu that had really put any fishing to the back of my mind, I am almost recovered and wanting to get out onto the Wharfe. Looking back at last years diary, the conditions now are just about identical to several days that I fished last year and had reasonable returns , in fact a couple of doubles graced my nets in daylight, a thing that I have rarely had from the Wharfe in warmer and more pleasant weather.

My big problem at the moment is motivation, the weather has been rubbish for what seems like for ever, rain, overcast, more rain..I have forgotten what sunshine is !

The thought of a half mile tab , loaded up like a donkey along slippery and muddy banks,in the rain, then having to dog spike a swim to access it, and once having done a Chris Bonnington to actually acess and get settled in the swim (taking precautions not to slip and end up in the water ) do a bait and wait , then having to reverse all of the above after maybe four or five hours sat under a brolly seems not that attractive. Then having load up the car with soaking gear , get home after a 40 mile drive, unload the car and have that gear draped all over the workshop drying seems to put a further cloud over the whole idea.

Even if I should succeed and have a decent afternoon/evenings fishing with a couple of nice fish to show for it .

If there was a weather break , only for a 12 hr period I would be out like a shot.

Luckily, on Thursday I have an invite to a private stretch of another river where I shall spend a day fishing for Chub and Grayling , much less gear, far more mobile and not so far to walk.

David
 
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Nothingso far but beautiful day for it..😎
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David Craine said:
After 4 weeks of Man flu that had really put any fishing to the back of my mind, I am almost recovered and wanting to get out onto the Wharfe. Looking back at last years diary, the conditions now are just about identical to several days that I fished last year and had reasonable returns , in fact a couple of doubles graced my nets in daylight, a thing that I have rarely had from the Wharfe in warmer and more pleasant weather.

My big problem at the moment is motivation, the weather has been rubbish for what seems like for ever, rain, overcast, more rain..I have forgotten what sunshine is !

The thought of a half mile tab , loaded up like a donkey along slippery and muddy banks,in the rain, then having to dog spike a swim to access it, and once having done a Chris Bonnington to actually acess and get settled in the swim (taking precautions not to slip and end up in the water ) do a bait and wait , then having to reverse all of the above after maybe four or five hours sat under a brolly seems not that attractive. Then having load up the car with soaking gear , get home after a 40 mile drive, unload the car and have that gear draped all over the workshop drying seems to put a further cloud over the whole idea.

Even if I should succeed and have a decent afternoon/evenings fishing with a couple of nice fish to show for it .

If there was a weather break , only for a 12 hr period I would be out like a shot.

Luckily, on Thursday I have an invite to a private stretch of another river where I shall spend a day fishing for Chub and Grayling , much less gear, far more mobile and not so far to walk.

David
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Hello David . I empathise with your experience to a great degree . I have learn't , and I am a slow learner, that it pays to take your Barbel goggles off so to speak, and look at the greater fishing picture . I was on the Yorkshire Ouse a few weeks a go , at night , in the throwing rain , in a very uncomfortable, borderline dangerous swim , cold and wet .I did catch 2 good sized Barbel but after the second fish went back I thought to myself '' what are you doing this for soft lad 'packed up and trudged home . My next trip out was to a little farm pond , I caught a few little Rudd and Roach and to be honest I enjoyed it more . Enjoy your Grayling trip David and I am pleased you are feeling better .
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Hello David . I empathise with your experience to a great degree . I have learn't , and I am a slow learner, that it pays to take your Barbel goggles off so to speak, and look at the greater fishing picture . I was on the Yorkshire Ouse a few weeks a go , at night , in the throwing rain , in a very uncomfortable, borderline dangerous swim , cold and wet .I did catch 2 good sized Barbel but after the second fish went back I thought to myself '' what are you doing this for soft lad 'packed up and trudged home . My next trip out was to a little farm pond , I caught a few little Rudd and Roach and to be honest I enjoyed it more . Enjoy your Grayling trip David and I am pleased you are feeling better .
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Cheers Mike, its nice to see I am not alone !

Have you still got that humongous Motorbike ? Cannot remember what exactly it was , but it was a beast. Suzuki ?

David
 
David Craine said:
Cheers Mike, its nice to see I am not alone !

Have you still got that humongous Motorbike ? Cannot remember what exactly it was , but it was a beast. Suzuki ?

David
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Yep , still got it David ,Suzuki GSX 1425 cc , it's for drag racing , my son rides it now , it's a money pit but we have fun . I am too old ,fat and creaky for such stuff now and after 35 years of competing in drag racing I have hung up my leathers ,probably ......
 
Hi all.Have been following this thread with interest.Out yesterday on the Wharfe.Found a textbook eddy/crease downstream of a willow,blanked even though I"ve had some success from there in the past.Considered moving but that appeared to be the only safe,fishable swim on the length.
Thinking back all of my large bags of barbel have been during summer floods but my 2 largest yorkshire PBs have been around this time of year in flood conditions but were single captures.I suppose thats the joy of fishing,you never know but you wont catch sat at home.Stay safe everyone.
 
I float fish in summer when conditions allow but my feeder fishing in summer and winter, including flood, is the same, don't see any reason to change ? Yes big smelly baits will catch but so do small single pellets and all the usual offerings.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Depends on the time of year for me. I’ve sat it out in a swim for a few hours just knowing there’s something in there but when it’s cold they take their time to respond. It’s paid off a few times to stick with it
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I had this last winter when I just had the feeling they were down there. Sometimes I’d sit there for 3 hours without a twitch and then have two in 15minutes. The water was 4.5c and above summer level, but not seriously up. The common theme was the length of time of the window of feeding, even if it was chub. Multiple fish in quick succession and then totally dead, but the actual time they fed seemed to change from evening to evening.

That was the first time I’d had success in the winter and 1 fish meant as much as 10 from summer.
 
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Christian Tyroll said:
I had this last winter when I just had the feeling they were down there. Sometimes I’d sit there for 3 hours without a twitch and then have two in 15minutes. The water was 4.5c and above summer level, but not seriously up. The common theme was the length of time on window of feeding, even if it was chub. Multiple fish in quick succession and then totally dead, but the actually time they fed seemed to change from evening to evening.

That was the first time I’d had success in the winter and 1 fish meant as much as 10 from summer.
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That’s a great example Christian.
I always wonder when I pack up for a move have I really walked away from a lifeless peg or have I just made a huge mistake 🤷🏻
 
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