Clear Fast, Rivers
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Many anglers are put off by the sheer pace of a fast-flowing river. There is also something of a misconception generally that coarse fish don't like fast water.
The truth is that fast water might deter anglers but it doesn't bother most coarse fish in the least. After all, they've been around long enough to get used to it! Even in a flood, when the river is belting through, you can see fish rolling on the surface in the fastest mid-stream flow. |
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The very highest reaches of a river are usually shallow and fairly narrow, and rarely have many features. The water is pure and well oxygenated, and may often harbour brown trout, with perhaps a few dace and minnows. Moving downstream, the river deepens and widens, and more features begin to appear. The water is fast and clear, and home to barbel, chub, dace, roach, pike and perch, and sometimes even the odd bream.
Which fish where?
Fish are likely to be found anywhere that offers some form of cover and a supply of food. Under overhanging bushes and trees, in the tails of islands, behind bridge supports, between beds of streamer weed and under sheer banks on the outside of bends
are all good for barbel, chub and dace.
Other fish, though not uncomfortable in the main stream, prefer slacker water. Eddies, the insides of bends, and junctions between smaller streams and the main river are good places to look for roach, pike, perch and bream, though pike will hold up in surprisingly fast water so long as it is fairly deep. Bream can provide surprises, too, by showing up in swims more usually associated with barbel, chub and dace.
Surface signs
Once the river has grown to a size where you can no longer see the bottom you have to be able to read the surface signs that indicate where the fish might be.
A flat, smooth surface indicates as sand and gravel bed. On summer evenings and nights especially, barbel and chub on to these flats to feed.
Boulders, logs and other large obstructions on the river bed can be detected turbulence a few yards downstream. These can be very productive spots for barbel and chub, which both love snags. But they are often the most difficult places to cast to and often result in lost tackle and fish.
Creases - those lines in the surface flow where fast current meets slower- are good places for all fish but especially chub, roach and dace. The fish hang just in the slacker water, conserving energy, only darting in and out of the faster flow for food. The most difficult spots to find are holes or slight depressions in the river bed thatshow no surface current variation. These very productive places, especially for barbeland chub, can only be found by plumbing.
Fish are likely to be found anywhere that offers some form of cover and a supply of food. Under overhanging bushes and trees, in the tails of islands, behind bridge supports, between beds of streamer weed and under sheer banks on the outside of bends
are all good for barbel, chub and dace.
Other fish, though not uncomfortable in the main stream, prefer slacker water. Eddies, the insides of bends, and junctions between smaller streams and the main river are good places to look for roach, pike, perch and bream, though pike will hold up in surprisingly fast water so long as it is fairly deep. Bream can provide surprises, too, by showing up in swims more usually associated with barbel, chub and dace.
Surface signs
Once the river has grown to a size where you can no longer see the bottom you have to be able to read the surface signs that indicate where the fish might be.
A flat, smooth surface indicates as sand and gravel bed. On summer evenings and nights especially, barbel and chub on to these flats to feed.
Boulders, logs and other large obstructions on the river bed can be detected turbulence a few yards downstream. These can be very productive spots for barbel and chub, which both love snags. But they are often the most difficult places to cast to and often result in lost tackle and fish.
Creases - those lines in the surface flow where fast current meets slower- are good places for all fish but especially chub, roach and dace. The fish hang just in the slacker water, conserving energy, only darting in and out of the faster flow for food. The most difficult spots to find are holes or slight depressions in the river bed thatshow no surface current variation. These very productive places, especially for barbeland chub, can only be found by plumbing.
Changing seasons
Fish move to different parts of the river as the year progresses.
Summer - Early and high summer, especially hot, dry spells, see most fish activity in the fastest and therefore most oxygenated runs - especially those thick with streamer weed. Almost no water at this time is too shallow, even for large barbel and chub. Stalking visible fish is often very rewarding at this time of year but requires stealth and care.
Autumn - Towards the end of summer and into autumn, when showers begin to swell the river, barbel start to feed in earnest in the main stream as they sense the approach of winter. Swim feeder tackle with hemp as feed and hookbait (use six grains on a hair rig) is a particularly good method at this time of year, changing to legered luncheon meat if the water colours up following a lot of rain.
Winter - This season sees most fish move to slower water to conserve energy, but remember
this can often be just a depression in the river bed below a fast surface current. Barbel and bream are the first to be put off feeding by a fall in temperature, but sport in general is usually poor when the
Fishing fast rivers
Many anglers are wary of fast rivers, often because their attempts have failed. The commonest mistake is fishing too light.
To present a bait properly in heavy flow demands the use of weight; and to hook, hold and land fish in fast, and often weedy, water takes strong rods, lines and hooks.
Fish in fast-flowing rivers don't have time to inspect a bait but must grab it immediately before it goes past, so you don't need to use light tackle to tempt bites.
Line strengths should be 5lb- 8lb (2.3-3.6kg) for barbel and chub, and 3lb (1.4kg) for roach, dace and perch. Hooks should be forged, in sizes from 16 to 4.
For float fishing use an Avon rod and Avon and balsa floats carrying from 3AAA to
6SSG. Bulk most of the shot nearer the hook than the float (see below).
For legering you need an Avon quiver tip rod, a range of weights from swan shot to2oz (57g), and a selection of block-end swim feeders up to 2oz (57g). A simple sliding rig is best.
Fish move to different parts of the river as the year progresses.
Summer - Early and high summer, especially hot, dry spells, see most fish activity in the fastest and therefore most oxygenated runs - especially those thick with streamer weed. Almost no water at this time is too shallow, even for large barbel and chub. Stalking visible fish is often very rewarding at this time of year but requires stealth and care.
Autumn - Towards the end of summer and into autumn, when showers begin to swell the river, barbel start to feed in earnest in the main stream as they sense the approach of winter. Swim feeder tackle with hemp as feed and hookbait (use six grains on a hair rig) is a particularly good method at this time of year, changing to legered luncheon meat if the water colours up following a lot of rain.
Winter - This season sees most fish move to slower water to conserve energy, but remember
this can often be just a depression in the river bed below a fast surface current. Barbel and bream are the first to be put off feeding by a fall in temperature, but sport in general is usually poor when the
Fishing fast rivers
Many anglers are wary of fast rivers, often because their attempts have failed. The commonest mistake is fishing too light.
To present a bait properly in heavy flow demands the use of weight; and to hook, hold and land fish in fast, and often weedy, water takes strong rods, lines and hooks.
Fish in fast-flowing rivers don't have time to inspect a bait but must grab it immediately before it goes past, so you don't need to use light tackle to tempt bites.
Line strengths should be 5lb- 8lb (2.3-3.6kg) for barbel and chub, and 3lb (1.4kg) for roach, dace and perch. Hooks should be forged, in sizes from 16 to 4.
For float fishing use an Avon rod and Avon and balsa floats carrying from 3AAA to
6SSG. Bulk most of the shot nearer the hook than the float (see below).
For legering you need an Avon quiver tip rod, a range of weights from swan shot to2oz (57g), and a selection of block-end swim feeders up to 2oz (57g). A simple sliding rig is best.
