CAST DOWN THE MIDDLE FOR BREAM
The habits of bream on rivers don’t alter much in summer from back in the winter – they still prefer deep water, which is almost always found smack down the middle of the river. A tried-and-tested ploy is to cast two-thirds of the way across. If bites fade away, go even farther across where the river begins to shelve up towards the far-bank shallows.
WALK THE BANKS
Not sure where to fish? Visit at dusk and walk the banks in search of your quarry. Bream and tench will give themselves away by rolling just before it gets dark, and roach will also top regularly – they won’t move far from these spots, so you can avoid a lot of disappointment by putting in the miles.
ALWAYS PICK COVER
Try to choose a river swim offering some features. This could be a reed bed or a tree on the far bank, some lily pads close in, or a moored boat. Whatever it is, fish will live close to it, and it will give you another option to fish to during your session, normally with a feeder or waggler cast
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BE A SLACKER
Check out the slacks for roach and chub, where the river’s main flow meets a calmer area. On the edge of this will be something called a ‘crease,’ which allows the fish to head into the main current to pick off food that’s been washed down the river before heading back into the quieter water.
FIND THE FAST WATER
Early-season rivers can suffer from a lack of rain, which in turn reduces the rate of flow. On shallow venues, any such swims can be devoid of fish. To stack the odds in your favor, seek out the shallowest swims that will generate faster, oxygenated water. This is what the chub and barbel, in particular.
SEEK OUT THE DEPTHS
Early-season rivers can suffer from a lack of rain, which in turn reduces the rate of flow. On shallow venues, any such swims can be devoid of fish. To stack the odds in your favor, seek out the shallowest swims that will generate faster, oxygenated water. This is what the chub and barbel, in particular,
WATCH THE TIDE
Tidal rivers really come into their own throughout the summer. Although they can be fearsome places, with deep water and a fast flow that can change direction during a session, they offer brilliant roach and bream sport. To get the best out of them, check a tide table online and combine your visit with a tide that’s ebbing (running out to sea) all day. This will produce the most fish.
WEED EQUALS FISH
Pain may be, but where big fish are concerned, weed is prime real estate. Tench, big perch, eels, and even barbel will stick close to the weed for a source of natural food and a bit of sanctuary, so it’s always worth feeding some chopped worm just over the weed to try for a big fish throughout the day.
BAIT UP FOR SUCCESS
Pinning down a bream shoal on a river or big lake can be difficult in a short five-hour session, so do yourself a favor by spending a few evenings before fishing and putting some bait in. Known as prebaiting, this action gives the fish a few large helpings of bait in advance and will get them into the area early doors. Please keep it simple with corn, pellets, hemp, and plain brown crumb groundbait.
GO EARLY AND LATE
Blinding sunshine and warm temperatures rarely do any good fishing, especially if you are after bream and tench on a river or lake. You’re far better off going early or late before the sun gets up, the mercury rises, and it’s more productive for you to soak up the rays.
CAST DOWN THE MIDDLE FOR BREAM
The habits of bream on rivers don’t alter much in summer from back in the winter – they still prefer deep water, which is almost always found smack down the middle of the river. A tried-and-tested ploy is to cast two-thirds of the way across. If bites fade away, go even farther across where the river begins to shelve up towards the far-bank shallows.
WALK THE BANKS
Not sure where to fish? Visit at dusk and walk the banks in search of your quarry. Bream and tench will give themselves away by rolling just before it gets dark, and roach will also top regularly – they won’t move far from these spots, so you can avoid a lot of disappointment by putting in the miles.
ALWAYS PICK COVER
Try to choose a river swim offering some features. This could be a reed bed or a tree on the far bank, some lily pads close in, or a moored boat. Whatever it is, fish will live close to it, and it will give you another option to fish to during your session, normally with a feeder or waggler cast
.
BE A SLACKER
Check out the slacks for roach and chub, where the river’s main flow meets a calmer area. On the edge of this will be something called a ‘crease,’ which allows the fish to head into the main current to pick off food that’s been washed down the river before heading back into the quieter water.
FIND THE FAST WATER
Early-season rivers can suffer from a lack of rain, which in turn reduces the rate of flow. On shallow venues, any such swims can be devoid of fish. To stack the odds in your favor, seek out the shallowest swims that will generate faster, oxygenated water. This is what the chub and barbel, in particular.
SEEK OUT THE DEPTHS
Early-season rivers can suffer from a lack of rain, which in turn reduces the rate of flow. On shallow venues, any such swims can be devoid of fish. To stack the odds in your favor, seek out the shallowest swims that will generate faster, oxygenated water. This is what the chub and barbel, in particular,
WATCH THE TIDE
Tidal rivers really come into their own throughout the summer. Although they can be fearsome places, with deep water and a fast flow that can change direction during a session, they offer brilliant roach and bream sport. To get the best out of them, check a tide table online and combine your visit with a tide that’s ebbing (running out to sea) all day. This will produce the most fish.
WEED EQUALS FISH
Pain may be, but where big fish are concerned, weed is prime real estate. Tench, big perch, eels, and even barbel will stick close to the weed for a source of natural food and a bit of sanctuary, so it’s always worth feeding some chopped worm just over the weed to try for a big fish throughout the day.
BAIT UP FOR SUCCESS
Pinning down a bream shoal on a river or big lake can be difficult in a short five-hour session, so do yourself a favor by spending a few evenings before fishing and putting some bait in. Known as prebaiting, this action gives the fish a few large helpings of bait in advance and will get them into the area early doors. Please keep it simple with corn, pellets, hemp, and plain brown crumb groundbait.
GO EARLY AND LATE
Blinding sunshine and warm temperatures rarely do any good fishing, especially if you are after bream and tench on a river or lake. You’re far better off going early or late before the sun gets up, the mercury rises, and it’s more productive for you to soak up the rays.
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