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Your experience with the first flush of colder water

P

Paul Cahill

Senior Member
The temperatures have plummetted over the last week and are now well into single figures at night. And yesterday a big flush of colder water has entered the rivers.

I've been planning a trip to The Trent tomorrow, but I've got to be honest, I can't muster up much enthusiasm. In my experience, the onset of Autumn kills the fishing for a while and it's only when warmer Autumn weather arrives that they go on the feed.

Has anyone caught well in these sort of conditions, when the water temperature has dropped significantly?
 
An interesting topic, which I will be following with interest as I too am planning a trip to the Trent later this week. As most of my fishing until recently has been for carp, I actually favour the first cold snap of autumn, especially the first frosts. IMO they are a wake up call to the fish that winter is on its way, and its time to start feeding. In fact for carp I actually prefer those conditions to the warm, wet, south westerlies, probably cos the lakes a bit quieter!
 
I fished last night on the lower feeling very optimistic as the river level was on the rise and there was at last a slight tinge of colour in the water...

....the negative was as you rightly point out the water temperature is on the drop.... have a sneaky suspicion that we are going to drop from summer straight into winter with only a tiny window of opportunity.

cant help feeling this years barbel fishing was just not meant to be
 
Don't think it is cold enough to put em off yet. Up ere if its above 40f you can catch any time of year. Plenty of pics of barbel captures with snow on the ground
 
Evening All,

If we were having a gradual drop in air temps with relatively warm rain then it would be fine. As has already been said though the air temps have plummeted and with a sudden influx of cold water dropping the river temps quickly it will definitely affect sport. With the drops in temp being so sudden it'll take the fish a while to adjust and will most certainly put the majority off the feed until they have acclimatised to the lower temps. On the upside temps are due back in the 20's next week but then the cycle can start all over again as the fish have to re acclimatise to a sudden rise in temps. Steady rises or falls not sudden at this time if year are what's needed for consistent sport & to keep the fishes metabolism at a regular level.

Cheers Lewis
 
The windows of opertunity have to be taken...the difference between success and failure can be very tight, not that any day out is failure but just another day of experience.
 
Lewis speaks a lot of sense and mirrors my thoughts.

However, these is often the type of conditions that throw up one of the larger fish.

Graham
 
I headed off to a much deeper swim and managed one barbel and a chub, the drop in temperature hasn't put the eels off yet though!
 
Was out on the middle Trent last night on a relatively easy stretch and it was fairly hard going with just two fish caught in consecutive casts as the light went. It's definitely the water temps putting them off.

Nick C
 
I,d rather sit in the middle of winter, with the snow falling, and the hope of catching 1 special fish, than sit in the sun catching plenty. Which has actually happened on one occasion, a 5.5lb chub off the milddle severn. Temp was minus 5%, with the snow falling all around. Had bigger fish, but none as memorable. But hey, each to their own. :)
 
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