Prospects Great For The Week Commencing Sunday 15th February

Over the past few weeks, the talk in the tackle shops and pubs up and down the country has been its too cold for fishing, Nothing could be further from the truth, once the water temperature has been low for three or four days then fishing can be quite good. But you have to follow some simple rules, if its a bright sunny day with low and gin clear rivers, then don't arrive at midday, but an hour before dusk, then fish a couple of hours into darkness. Those of you that haven't bothered to get out on the river bank have missed some good fishing, this despite the very low water temperatures often down to 33-34 degrees F but chub, dace, perch, roach and even barbel have been caught.

With cold frosty weather often with cat ice in the margins of our rivers, in fact there were times when stretches of the Rivers Ribble and Aire were sometimes frozen from bank to bank. If you bothered to walked up or downstream until you found some open water you had the chance of catching. I had one session on the Ribble where the water temperature was 36 degrees F that day I caught some nice chub trotting bread flake. this despite the low clear water, the weather was kind to me with an over cast sky and a light wind. On other occasions me and my friends have sat there with our rods white with frost, the landing net frozen to the bank, but we caught chub. Brendan Ince a delivery driver with TNT caught a great chub one that any of us would be proud of catching, it weighed in at 6-2-0 see pictures Mick Holgate of Standish Director of Football at Macclesfield Town had some nice chub including a lovely fish of 5-6-0 I fished many two three hour sessions and though I had a couple of fishless sessions I still caught enough to keep me happy including several barbel to 8-10-0 see pictures

If your planning to fish during the coming week I feel you will enjoy dome good fishing, perhaps a personal best fish for your efforts.The weather forecast is excellent with higher temperatures than we have experienced over the past few weeks. All we need is a lot of warm rain with a bank high river. If you have any holidays due, then I suggest you take them this coming week with the current weather forecast and spend the time at the waterside.