Welcome to the article section of the River Angler Blog.
Here you will find a selection of articles on a wide range of subjects relating mainly to river fishing. Some of the articles have been published, whilst others are purely for the River Angler Blog and part of theriverangler.co.uk site which is currently off-line.
I hope you find the articles both useful and stimulating.
This page has the following sub pages.
The River Angler 
how do you get around the problem of minnoes when trotting for chub and barbel using maggots?
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Hi Mark. You can’t to be honest. If minnows are there in numbers they can be an absolute pain. One option is to fish a big bunch of maggots, although the chub don’t tend to be so keen on this. A change of bait may be in order, bread flake, worms etc. If all else fails, it’s time to move and try somewhere else.
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im going on monday on the river wharfe at tadcaster in yorkshire ive soaked some maze to give that a go along with hemp and sweetcorn as feed also looking forward to trying out the home made bait dropper i made today i did manage to wade through the many minnows last weekend and managed to get a barbel on maggot but had to switch to sweetcorn and had one on that trotting and feeding loose fed corn so maybe that will be the way i go and leave the maggots alone
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Yes that sounds like a good option. I think the feeding is perhaps more crucial than the actual hook bait. Had reasonable success using hemp as loose feed whilst trotting. Tend to use maggots once the temperatures have dropped a bit more or I know the minnows are not present in any numbers. I fish the Hampshire Avon at Britford occasionally and the minnows can be a nightmare there. You just have to move if they are in the swim in numbers.
How do you make your bait droppers Mark?
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hi re: bait dropper i used an travel sweet tin some rod i found that came off a throw away bbq stand and copied how the bait dropper i had worked think the hinge system was the hardest thing to fabricate think i’ll get some cable ties to replace the wire i used for the hinges and i think old welding rods would be good for the rod that goes through the middle can get them from work so i’ll be making a few more and eating more tuna from now on…just out of interest i live in yorks but come from hertfordshire any info on where i can get some day ticket river fishing in the area? the only place i can find is on the river lea at stanborough lakes but its a bit commercial there for my liking suppose im spoilt living in yorks with the availability of good river fishing up here…..
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Hi Mark. The only river I fish in Herts is the Lea. I am not aware of any day ticket stretches, although I’m sure there’ll be a few and one or two free stretches. There are plenty of reasonably priced clubs though. Sounds like the fishing in Yorkshire is pretty good. Any good grayling stretches up there?
Considering a decent bait dropper seems to be about 5-8 quid, making your own seems like a good idea. I’m hopeless at that sort of thing.
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the grayling normally wake up around november the winter months seem to be in my experience the best time to catch them. Boston spa is a good stretch on the river wharfe on a cheap day ticket also get the odd trout and i caught a sea trout a couple of years back salmon also run up the wharfe the grayling go to around 1 1/2 pounds not monsters but good fun on the center pin. plus you don’t get them bloody minnows!!!
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Yes I love fishing for them. I’m off to the Upper Kennet Wednesday to fish for them, so fingers crossed. Its a little early in the season I suppose and then in November off to Wales to fish for them. Can’t wait.
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my home made bait dropper has been put on hold, the weather has changed and there has been a sudden rise in the river level and we all know the golden rule about fishing a rising river 9 times out of ten the barbel won’t feed so its a change of plan and a bit of carping today its a case of the head ruling the heart! whats your view on the rising river theory?
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think these postings you make Nathan are just wonderful and reflect what all us river fisherman are experiencing can only hope that it starts raining soon and our fortunes start changing pity about the day on the Ouse hopefully March is a proposition
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don’t forget 13 November at Britford
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Hi Peter, wish I could make it but sadly I work weekends. I’d love to join you guys there otherwise. Hope you have a great day and hopefully see you on the river at some point.
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nathan, ive noticed you have been on the ivel. I cross the river on the A1 on my journey south and was wandering if its day ticket or any day ticket stretches nearby? as this is’nt far from where i stay when i visit in hertfordshire
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Hi Mark, my knowledge of the Ivel is very limited, so unfortunately I can’t help you with that one. Sorry mate.
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I read the review on the TFG centrepin looks a good tool, ive got several pins my favourite being a leeds reel it spins without any effort and cheap at £45 i also bought one of the okuma pins the problem i had with that reel was the spindel nut kept undoing whilst batting the line back after a few trotts down the river so that ones put aside for still waters!! the ironic thing is the best days river fishing ive had was a few years ago on the river wharfe using an old bakerlite centrepin i found in a mates garage, i cleaned it up and using some leftover bait hemp and caster that had started to wiff a bit i went on to hook 13 barbel (landed 9) 8 chub and a 2lb perch a total weight of around 90lb in 6 hours fishing (had to go to work) plus i was knackered, i must dig out that old pin and see if it will work its magic again this friday
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What a great catch-90lb on an old bakerlite! Now that’s the sort of centrepin I need. Must train mine to perform a bit better! That’s the beauty of fishing. Although having expensive tackle can be nice, it’s what you do with it that’s important. Well that’s what my missus keeps telling me anyway!
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It was a real red letter day that one not very often the conditions are just right everything was perfect the funny thing about it was that i had only gone to get rid of the old bait that had been left over from a trip on the swale the previous weekend. I just ran the bait straight at the fish using a set up i had seen Stef Horack use in the angling mail. A 8 number 4 wire stem stickfloat using 3 number 1 shot and a number 6 dropper not very technical stuff but it worked that day they say the simple rigs are best
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was having a look at your grayling article, on the wye looked good down there. me and my mate went last friday i managed 4 grayling only little ones was’nt the best but we just enjoy getting out on the river was a bit cold for wading so opted for maggot feeder but no chub turned up…i have mastered my home made bait droppers now, im now using coffee jar lids and perspex for the flap at the front….. al we need now is a nice winter flood to get them barbel to have a chomp! untill then will plug away at finding some chub
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Hi Mark. Where did you go for the grayling? The area of the Wye is beautiful and lots of grayling to keep you occupied. I’ve got so many bait droppers at the moment. Must have cost me a small fortune. I’d certainly be interested to hear how you get on with yours. I do fancy a bit of chub fishing this winter. It’s been a while since I did any serious chub fishing. They are probably my favourite.
Still if we do get a wet winter I fancy a shot at a few barbel. Plenty of venues that I’d be looking at, if it warms up, for a biggie 🙂
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We was on the river wharfe at boston spa mate. it was’nt a swim we would normally fish but i had been told that a few chub lived in the area, it was one of them days when you ask the question should we move or sit it out.. next time we’ll go to the swims that have produced in the past. With the short days its probably best to go for the places you know hold fish and leave the trying out new swims for summer when the days are longer..Think we will prebait a few swims and fish them in turn.. I have actually worked at builth wells, it was about 16 years ago before i had taken up fishing,if i went there now i’d be straight down the river with my old bakerlite pin ha ha…
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hi mate i was sorry to read about your tackle being stolen, it happened to a mate of mine a few years back he said it wasnt the value in cost that got to him the most it was the fact that some of the tackle was handed down to him by his dad i had a car stollen a few years back and my favourite barber waders we’re in the boot i wasnt bothered about the car just wished they had left my waders alone
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Hi Mark, thanks for the comments. It’s funny you mention about your car, I thought the same. I wish they had taken that and left the tackle alone!
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i went to the river wharfe on sunday had 5 grayling and a really nice brown trout getting on for 2lb.It was a bit cold so i didnt wade fished a black cap feeder with maggots… I was reading your review on breathable waders and was wondering how are they when the waters cold? i reckon i would have been out of the water in 5 mins if i had gone in wearing mine i have seen some for £100 with the boots thrown in i couldnt afford the ones you reviewed plus i dont get to go as much now and wouldnt benefit from having top notch ones but do you think you have noticed a big advantage in having the breathable ones instead of standard waders?
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Hi Mark. I have been out dabbling today. Managed about grayling, a couple of trout and loads of dace. Nice day.
I wear decent thermal base layers under the waders and so far, no problems. I think buying breathables has made a big difference. No more sweating buckets if you have any sort of walking involved and so you don’t overheat either. I have used them a lot this season, far more often than when I had neoprenes. Worth the extra money as far as I’m concerned.
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I was pondering about bait and how much to use on the river, the thing that got me thinking was that a fly fisherman use’s a fly maybe a few at various depths and catches grayling trout etc yet when i go fishing with maggots and trott for fish i tend to get through at least a couple of pints so the question is do we need to use as much loose feed to hold the shoal and keep them interested? also from experience the shoal will only give up so many fish before the bites slow up as is the case with the fly fisherman i believe? one other thing would you still concider using hemp as a loose fed bait / bed of bait in the cold? and finally i am off down to oxford next weekend and was wondering if you had any knowlege of the extent of fishing on the river thames in that area?
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I think the big difference between the fly method compared to trotting, is indeed linked to the bait and more importantly free offerings. I do think that the trickle of bait will hold a shoal for a while. However once you have caught a few and particularly once you have lost a few, (in particular big grayling) the shoal seems to move or become very cautious. One trick is to keep changing the hook bait. I think the grayling quickly recognise a bait as dangerous but if you keep switching hook baits, it throws them a little.
I am certain that over all, bigger grayling fall to the trotting method, simply because they are pulled into the swim by the free offerings. Fishing on the fly tends to cover a large area of water and picks up less fish. However that is my opinion based on talking to quite a few fly fisherman, rather than fly fishing myself.
There is a lot to be said for using a bait dropper to get a reasonable bed of bait down. I have never tried hemp, I’m not sure its the type of food source the grayling would go for, but you never know unless you try it.
My only experience of the upper Thames is at Buscot, so very limited unfortunately. What sort of fishing were you looking at doing Mark?
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About the river fishing on the thames , i was just going to take some general tackle and bait and play it by ear have a chuck with a feeder with maggs and fish for whatever comes along also take a float rod and see if i can find some reasonable water to float fish. The comment i made about the hemp was’nt really with grayling in mind more toward chub and barbel fishing whether or not it was worth while using hemp in the cold or sticking to maggs and bread etc . I’ll have a good look around when i get to oxford and ask about in a tackle shop bound to be one or two close to where my mate lives….Ive also been told about a small syndicate water up here in yorks with some big tench in so im looking forward to having a go at that. The guy that runs it only wants £50 for the year so come may it will be centrepin,some quill and a swan shot, I love the way the float jumps up and lays flat after the weight has been dislodged off the bottom. Then ill concentrate more on the rivers a bit later in the year
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I have used hemp in the winter for roach, little and often approach. Late autumn for barbel fishing too and very effective in large quantities. I love tench fishing. I used to use the lift method a lot and had some nice bags of tench when I was a youngster. Any small syndicate is a pleasure to fish, you don’t get the crowds, which I love. Good luck with the Thames, I hope you get some decent info from the local tackle shops.
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The river in wales looked a nice place to be. I went today had some grayling but im wondering where have the chub gone not getting any at all i think they have upped sticks and gone to warmer clim’s for the winter. maybe time to look for some different water to fish maybe the ure or swale as the wharfe seems to be a bit thin on the ground other anglers i have spoken to say much the same.Good job the grayling are still having a go otherwise it would be a complete waste of time going a real shame because the wharfe is such a nice stretch of river to fish and the other rivers are that much further to travel to.Have had a word with my mate in oxford and he reckons there are plenty of tackle shops near to where he lives so figers crossed with the prospect of the weather getting a bit warmer i might get some joy when having a wander around on the thames
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Who can blame the chub for lying low in these conditions. Only wish I could join them somewhere warm! At least the forecast is predicting a milder spell this week. Good luck on the Thames.
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Just discovered your site,informative & great reading.
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Thanks for the comments Jeremy. Hope you enjoy the site.
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hi nathan i was wondering what effect does it have on fish if the rivers are in flood when its time for the fish to spawn and they are unable to get on the shallows where they lay their eggs
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Hi Mark, I think summer floods in particular are quite damaging to fry recruitment. Once the eggs have been laid or freshly hatched, they can get swept away by heavy, continual summer floods. If the floods arrive prior to flooding then I’m not sure what happens. The fish either re-absorb the spawn or have to lay them no matter what. I suspect there is a large scale loss of future offspring whatever happens. This is no doubt why you sometimes get big gaps between year classes i.e. lots of 2-3lb fish and 7-8lb fish and then not a lot in between?
What are your thoughts on the subject Mark?
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i was just thinking with the so called global warming it could have a massive effect on river stocks along with the corrmorants and gooseanders etc it would be one more thing for the fish to contend with ive noticed and so have others ive talked to along the banks there has deffo been a real difference in the catch rates along the wharfe over the last 5 years i think i was asking the question can the fish mainly barbel spawn in different parts of the river that they are not used to i.e in slack water if they were forced to do so
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Well animals have an inherent need to survive. So it’s survival of the fittest. I guess fish are no different. So their desire to reproduce will ultimately mean they’ll do whatever they must to spawn, wherever they can I would imagine. Perhaps even if it’s not ideal. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be successful though.
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me and my mate are going on a bit of a tour in august a kind of camping / fishing get away we intend on starting on the thames around windsor then head to cornwall from there its symonds yat so a varied fishing trip is planned fingers crossed for some nice weather along the way least if the fishing isnt up to much the places we are going to do have some stunning views
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hi nathan, not long to go now them 3 months have gone quick im planning to get to the river on friday evening and putting a tent up next to the river to get some hemp down and kick off at midnight whats your plan?
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Hi Mark, that sounds great. I hope you manage a 3 foot twitch or two. Still, enjoy it whatever happens mate. I can’t make the opening night sadly, so I’ll be out on the Kennet Tuesday and Wednesday hopefully. I’m still waiting for a couple of club books to come through, so not sure yet quite where on the river we’ll be but we’ll be somewhere that’s for sure. I feel like I’m a kid again on Christmas Eve!
It should be a good start with all of this rain we’ve had. At least they won’t be as low as last year, well in the South anyway. What river are you starting on Mark?
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i went up to the swale decided to watch the england sweden game have a few pints and sleep in my car (not comfy at all!!!!) when i got there at 8 pm the river was perfect a touch of extra and colour anyway i got to sleep and my mate arrived and said he had been down to have a look and the river had come up 5 maybe 6 feet overnight (gutted!!) i left helperby and went down to boston spa after bacon butties and tea from my camp stove i gave it till dinner no fish so another move to tadcaster i ended up with a grayling 2 chub and a roach by 3pm i was spent so packed up and called it a day…..i have been going to a small syndicate lake after tench ive had a couple not huge but i have been told by someone who was just packing up he had a 8lb 6oz that day but also had a 10lb not so long ago so ill be juggling between the tench and the rivers over the next few weeks going on the river when the weather’s good and hopefully catching some tench on the centerpin
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Sorry to hear that Mark. All a bit disappointing. My efforts were in vain. No barbel for me Tuesday or Wednesday on the Kennet. On the Wye next week for 5 days, so hopefully make up for the blank this week. Good luck with the tench or barbel, whichever you choose to target mate.
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a friend of mine had better luck last week he went on the swale and from a unfancied swim managed around 80 lbs of chub and barbel chub to 5lb barbel to 9, to be honest i prefer the barbel fishing a bit later on in the season…i was ment to be on the swale last friday but it had 8 feet extra on and wharfe 7 so i went to the lake instead i fished a 2 rod set up 1 at range with method feeder (a sleeper rod) and the other rod my centrepin and small pieces of punched meat over hemp and maize i managed 3 tench all around 5 lbs and lost a decent feeling carp to the weed on the method line
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hi nathan, me and my mate decided to go up the river for and afternoon’s fishing last saturday had a couple of barbel and decided to carry on through the night which we dont normally do we had plenty of supplies (tea and bacon etc) and the stove at my side like you do. Anyway i lost a fish around midnight and then had a nice barbel at 215am i found it a unusual experience playing fish in the dark but quite enjoyed it all my fish we’re caught on punched meat 3/4″ in dia and 11/2″ long.. how do you find it playing barbel at night?
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Hi Mark. Well done on the recent captures. I don’t mind playing fish in the dark but I do use a fairly bright Petzl headlight. I must admit I prefer catching them in daylight though to be honest.
I ended up with a few off of the Wye and yesterday saw my first 2 Kennet barbel. Not big fish but very welcome all the same and in lovely condition.
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funny you mention the condition of the fish because the one’s i caught we’re also spotless,im on the wye in august at symonds yat not far from where you was fishing did you visit the tackle shop at ross? i was in there last 7 years ago cant believe its been that long since i was down there it is as you know a stunning location to fish i seem to remember a good head of dace and small chub but ill bet spamming up for the barbel well bacon grill over flavoured with garlic salt and german sausage flavour yum yum the barbel will be thinking (i hope)
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a mate at work who fishes commercial puddles asked me about river fishing and i was trying to explain what its like to catch a barbel i just couldnt get it through to him how he wont be able to wind them in like on ponds how do you explain the fight they put up? and said the best thing he could do is come along and catch one i cant wait to see the look on his face when he catches one and it goes on that first run!! second third fourth run ha ha the only way i can describe it is that feeling you might get when your on a rollercoaster scared but exited, they still scare the life out of me and ive caught plenty of the mad creatures
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Get ready babbie im on it ……. Its our mission to land a river barbel.
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When that tip whacks round, it’s pure adrenalin fueled excitement.
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my visit to symonds yat was really good we had barbel to 8-3/4lbs chub to 4-1/2 and some dreaded eels also had hook straightend by what must have been a big barbel deffo be back down there again
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