Catching on the Float

The River Ribble is certainly hitting good form for roach, dace, chub and barbel, some anglers have caught their first ever 2lb roach after fishing for 40 plus years. Anglers are switching from targeting barbel to fishing for roach, many of these anglers are taking a dozen pound plus roach in a session. In my book that's good roach fishing. As many readers know I love fishing the River Kennet which I rate highly, it’s a water where many of my friends have had some great fishing over the years. For the past couple of years I've had to put up with some of the Kennet anglers moaning about the quality of the fishing. I tell them its nothing out of the ordinary, all venues both still waters and rivers go through a period average angling. I’ve fished the Kennet since 1947 In that time I've seen several periods when the fishing has deteriorated in numbers and quality of fish, often lasting for two, three or four year period sometimes longer. Then the good times come back, it happens on all water, as it has done on the River Ribble.

The Ribble has gone through a long period lasting a several years of poor roach and dace fishing, yes those in the know have been catching from some areas of the river. Today its not only the number of fish being caught, but the quality of the roach and dace that has got us all excited. These fish are being caught from the bottom end of the river and as far upstream to Calder Foot, in fact some good dace are being caught upstream at Clitheroe. It’s back to the good times, in the early 1980's it wasn't unusual to take a brace of 2lb roach in a session. I well remember one day fishing upstream of Ribchester Bridge taking 5 two pound plus roach in a session on legered bread flake. Providing we can get the cormorant problem under control and no pollution then we could have some good roach and dace fishing for a few years.

Recently I decided to make a programme on float fishing the River Ribble for my At The Water's Edge series on BBC Radio Lancashire choosing a stretch of the middle reaches with my target the roach. Conditions couldn't have been better, warm and cloudy with a light upstream wind and most important very low light level. The river was running off after a rise about two feet it now had about six inches of extra water. My plan was to fish two swims, My first chosen spot was a swim towards the far bank under some over hanging alder trees and bushes, at the head of the swim was a big oak where some of its roots plunged into the water, eight feet out from the opposite bank I had a six foot wide ten foot deep channel some fifteen yards long flowing between water crowfoot before it shallowed up to about five feet. walking downstream some thirty yards, I baited my second choice swim with a pint of casters and two pints of hemp.



Mashed Bread Feed

To fish my first swim I needed to wade well out into the river to give myself the best chance of getting a good presentation, where I would feed with mashed bread, baiting with either flake or crust.

What I cannot understand is why so many anglers are fishing with mashed bread that's isn't fit for purpose, there is much advice on websites and in the magazines. Many anglers will go out buy a loaf of bread, the next day when fishing, the bread is soaked it in the landing net then mashed it up. No self respecting fish will be interested. if you follow my way of preparing bread feed you will be surprised how good it is and of course you catch more fish.



For a days angling I buy a couple of large uncut loaves, I then cut the bread into chunks before putting the bread into a fine mesh net, (I use an old weight sling for this purpose), which I then hang in the boiler room. In the old days my granddad would dry it out in the oven. After two or three days it will be dry and brittle with no chance of going mouldy. I have a large plastic dustbin with a tight fitting lid in which I store my dried bread until I need it, where it will keep for several weeks. I will often get half a dozen loaves, so I have plenty for a few trips.



To make the mash, I fill a gallon bucket with the bread chunks then cover with water leaving it overnight. Next morning the bread is soft, I dump the lot in the old weigh sling, before squeezing out as much liquid as possible. I then twist the net several times squeezing out even more liquid. In the old days I used to pummel it with a piece of wood, today I use a potato masher. I also take some liquidised bread should I need to stiffen the mashed bread.

Tackle Set Up

I made up three outfits, A 13 foot rod matched with a centre pin reel with 4lb bs line, with a cork on quill Avon float taking 7 AA egg shot from Dinsmore with a size 8 barbless hook. I bunch the shot fifteen inches from the hook with a BB shot about six inches from the hook, if I'm using crust as bait I changed the BB for an AA which will be about three inches from the hook.

My second outfit will be similar except I will be using a waggler float in case the wind should start blowing downstream, I will then have a better bait presentation.

My third outfit will be a ten foot quiver tip rod, fixed spool reel with 4lb bs line, I will use a small black cap feeder with a two feet tail finished off with a size 16 hook.



Bread Flake and Mashed Bread Feed



Picking up my rod with the cork on quill Avon float I waded out into the river then proceeded to run the float through as few times until I was happy that I had the bait tripping the bottom, occasionally it would drag under as the hook connected with some weed or obstruction. I made a mental note of when to hold back the float. Returning to the shoreline I put some mashed bread and a few slices of bread in a bucket, I then waded out into the river, after throwing in a ball of bread mash about the size of a golf ball I baited with ten pence piece of flake, then made a Wallis cast sending the tackle across to the far bank channel, then eased the float downstream.

Twice I held the float back as it slowed down on some obstruction then it continued on its way, all the time I'm expecting a bite, just before the water started to shallow up the float moved sideways and submerged. The answering strike connected with a nice fish, soon I had it to hand a roach of about 14 ounces. Sliding my fingers down the line I quickly unhooked the fish without taking it from the water. Rebaiting I threw in another ball of mash then made another cast the float travelled freely through the swim, with no action I struck off the bait then batted in the tackle. I continued to feed bait and cast with no success. I suppose it was about half an hour before I had my next fish a chub about three pounds, quickly followed by two more fish of similar size.

Lost Barbel

After a tea break I commenced fishing, but no sign of my intended quarry, but I was catching some nice chub. I reckon I'd been fishing about three hours, when the float buried, tightening the line I set the hook into what felt a good fish. The rod arced over as line was pulled off the reel by a powerful fish. Barbel I though, then it was gone. Retrieving the hook I baited with another chunk of flake as the float travelled down the swim it dipped, setting the hook I felt a slight resistance then nothing. On retrieving the hook I could see the scale of a barbel. I hadn't been wrong on the previous fish.

A Good Chub

Checking the hook for sharpness on my thumb nail, I rebaited then fed in a ball of mash before following it with with a baited hook. Half way down the swim the float moved out towards the far bank then disappeared. Tightening the line I set the hook, a powerful fish pulled line off the reel, the rod was well arced over, I though "barbel" then quickly changed my mind saying to myself "Chub its a good one" For five or six minutes the fish occasionally took some line, but it was soon retrieved. Eventually I had a good chub to hand. This one needed a landing net so I waded towards the shoreline at the same time dragging the fish. Soon it was in the net. "That's a five pounder I thought" out with the scales and weight bag, after zeroing the scales the fish was slipped into the bag then hoisted on the scales. The needle went to 5-7-0. I was well pleased.