Did you know that there are approximately 1500 rivers in the UK?
The UK’s longest river is the River Severn, which is 220 miles long. Other of the UK’s longest rivers include the River Thames, which is 215 miles long, and the River Trent, which is 185 miles long.
The Unexpected: There is something special about fishing on a river. You never know what you might catch. Fish travel up and down the watercourse and you never know how many fish or what species of fish might be in front of you.
Constant Change: A river feels alive. It is constatntly moving and frequently changing. The habitat and characteristics of the river change from year to year, especially on spate rivers, which can be affected by floods.
Great Fishing: Rivers can offer wonderful fishing and a wide range of species. Specimen-sized fish and large nets of fish are frequently caught.
Variety: The different river zones are home to different species and you can find great variety depending on which river zone that you choose to fish.
Seasonal Variations: There are often seasonal variations in where you will locate fish. Early in the season, shortly after spawning, fish can often be located in the streamier sections. In winter, many fish move into deeper water. In winter, river stretches in the middle of towns and boatyard area can hold huge shoals of fish, who have relocated in order to avoid predation.
Tranquility: you can often find solitude on river banks. There are hundreds of miles of riverbank and many rivers are not heaviliy fished. Peace and tranquility can often be found a short walk away.
Free Fishing: Although many stretches of river are operated by fishing clubs or sydicates, there is free fishing on some stretches of river. Talk to your local fishing tackle shop as they are often the best source of this information.
The fishing Closed Season applies to coarse fishing on rivers in England and Wales.
You cannot target coarse fish between March 15th and June 15th inclusive).
The river fishing season opens for coarse fishing on June 16th.
Spate Rivers
A spate river is a river that is primarily fed by rainfall and characterised by a rapid flow. These particular rivers exhibit both rapid ascent and descent in water levels. Spate rivers typically originate from elevated regions, such as mountains or hills, which contributes to their rapid flow.
Chalkstreams
Chalk streams are rivers that originate from springs in chalk-dominated landscapes. Since chalk is permeable, water readily percolates through the ground to the water table, and chalk streams receive little runoff from the surface. Consequently, the water in the streams is generally very pure and contains little organic matter and sediment. Only 220 rivers in the UK are classified as chalk streams.
Tidal Rivers
Tidal and Non-Tidal Rivers: Tidal rivers are influenced by the sea’s tides, while non-tidal rivers are not.
Rivers: These are usually larger rivers and streams.
Streams: The distinction between a river and a stream can vary depending on regional or local usage, and there is no strict boundary between the two terms.
Brooks: A brook is defined as a small, natural stream of fresh water. It’s a term often used to describe smaller watercourses, comparable to other terms like stream or rivulet.
Burns: In Scotland, a burn is a term for a stream or small river.
Becks: This term is used in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Cumbria, to refer to a stream or small river.
Ghauts: In the Isle of Man, a ghaut is a term for a stream.
Afon: In Wales, “afon” is Welsh for river. For example, the River Severn is called “Afon Hafren” in Welsh.
Trout Zone: This zone has a characteristic steep gradient, fast-flowing water, and cool temperature. The fast flow rate causes turbulence which keeps the water well oxygenated.
Fish species found in this zone include Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Bullhead (Cottus gobio), and Loach (Barbatula barbatula).
Grayling Zone: Similar in physical characteristics to the Trout zone, although the temperature is usually slightly higher.
Fish species include all of the above species, with the addition of Grayling (Thymallus thymallus), Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), Chub (Leuciscus cephalus), and Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus).
Barbel Zone: This zone is principally lowland in nature but retains some characteristics of upland rivers. It has a gentle gradient with a moderate water flow and temperature. It also has a good oxygen content and a mixed substrate of silt and gravel in which plants can take root.
Fish species include all of the species from the previous zones with addition of Barbel (Barbus barbus), Roach (Rutilus rutilus), Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), Perch (Perca fluviatilis), Pike (Esox lucius), and Eel (Anguilla anguilla).
Bream Zone: The true lowland zone, which has a very gentle gradient and slow-flowing water, there is usually good oxygen content but the temperature is much more variable than in the other zones. This zone has a silty substrate and is often turbid.
Fish species include a few species from the Barbel zone (Roach, Rudd, Perch, and Pike), with the addition of Bream (Abramis brama), Tench (Tinca tinca), and Carp (Cyprinus carpio).
Crease
The crease is an area located just off the main flow in slightly slower water. This is usually a good place to find fish, which are waiting for food particles that are travelling downstream in the current. Sitting just off the main flow, allows them to conserve some energy and enables them to dart into the main flow to feed on passing food, and then return into the slower water to wait for the next food particle.
Slacks
Slacks are good areas to locate roach, bream, chub, pike and perch. In flood conditions, fish will pack into slack areas to get some respite from the flow and conserve energy.
Main Flow
Trout are often found in the more oxygenated stretches. Barbel can also easily sit in the main flow by using their streamlined body shapes and their large, wing-like pectoral fins.
Overhanging Trees
Overhanging trees often provide cover for many species of fish including chub and barbel. Tree cover protects them from aerial attack from predatory bird. Insects also fall from trees, so they are a good source of food. The area underneath trees is often cooler and can be more humid, which is a good habitat for flying insects.
Bends
The outside of bends are typically deeper that the inside and are a good holding area for fish. Sometimes banks can be undercut, and can be a good hideout for fish.
Snags
Snags also offer cover from predators and barbel and chub are found in these areas. Pike and perch use these areas to ambush their prey.
Before going fishing on rivers it is useful to check the river levels (especially for spate rivers).
Hundreds of river gauges throughout the UK, track river levels and this information is available online. It enables you to check river conditions from the comfort of your own home.
If you regularly look at this data for your local rivers you will become familiar with when river conditions are suitable for fishing and how fast a flooded river is likely to fall.
You can find a list of river level gauges here: https://riverlevels.uk/levels
Moving water can be dangerous. Take sensible precautions before you start fishing, such as choosing a safe riverbank area to set up (riverbanks can be steep and slippery).
If you are wading, be especially careful of deep areas. Ideally, get to know the section of river in low, summer conditions, in order to understand the river bed and identify possible wading hazards.
One of the most enjoyable ways to fish a river is by float fishing. Watching a brightly-coloured float-tip drift downstream, and hoping for it to disappear out of sight is an absorbing experience, filled with hope and anticipation.
Float-fishing on rivers is also a highly effective way to catch fish. Fish are less cautious about taking bait, which is travelling naturally with the current. Fish have less time to inspect (and reject) baits that are moving, too.
Float-fishing enables you to explore large stretches of the river. Much more than when you are ledgering.
Broadly speaking, floats used for river fishing can be divided into two categories: floats which are connected to the mainline at both the top of the float and the bottom of the float – such as stick floats and loafers; and floats that are connected to the mainline at the bottom, known as ‘wagglers’.
When you first start river fishing, float choice can be a bit of a mine field. Float choice depends on many factors but in order to keep things simple, here are lots of tips and three float choices to get you started:
Type of swim: In pacey more turbulent swims, buoyant floats such as loafers are used to prevent the float from being dragged under by the current.
For more sedate swims, a waggler is usually the easiest float to use as a beginner.
Stick floats are effectively fished on smooth glides.
Float types: Wagglers being attached to the line at the bottom of the float are easier to cast than floats, which are attached top and bottom.
Stick floats and other floats that are attached top and bottom take a bit of practice in order to cast them without getting tangled. Wagglers are also easier to fish with in windy conditions and can be fished further out.
Until you get proficient at casting wagglers, don’t put too much shot down the line. Make sure the majority of split shot are around the float attachment. This helps prevent tangles and helps you catch fish ‘on the drop’ as bait falls through the water.
Thicker float tips are easier to see on rivers, as they travel downstream in different light levels.
Buy duplicate floats with different tip colours that can be seen in different light conditions.
Red/orange and yellow floats tips are good options, plus black tips (when the river surface has a white/silvery sheen).
Float attachments: Attach wagglers using float attachments, which enable you to swap floats when conditions change, for example light levels, or weather conditions change.
Float size: Heavy floats are easier to control on rivers. Use floats that carry plenty of shot.
Casting Distance: Don’t cast and feed too far out. In the morning, wind levels are often quite low but will increase as the day progresses.
If you start fishing a long way out, feeding might become impossible when the wind strengthens. Casting can become difficult, too. Fish where you know you will be able to comfortably feed and cast to all day.
When you fish in a river, “trotting” means allowing the float follow the flow of the river.
“Long trotting” is allowing your float to travel a long way down your swim and it enables you to explore a great deal of water.
Trotting can be used to explore under overhanging trees and it can also reach shoals of fish, which might have moved downstream because you have ‘spooked’ them by your presence.
Stick Floats: Stick floats are normally used when fishing withing one to three rod lengths out from the bank.
They allow the angler to slow down or stop the float (known as ‘holding-back’), making the bait rise up in the water and flutter down again, which can entice bites.
Slowing down the bait as it runs through the swim can also encourage fish to bite.
Attach your stick float to your main line using float rubbers, which will enable you to swap floats, if you need to.
I like to use three float rubbers – one at the tip, one in the middle and a longer rubber, which slightly overhangs the base (which helps avoid tangles).
Often, stick floats have more complicated shotting patterns than wagglers, and casting stick floats requires some practice to avoid tangles.
Try casting by holding your rod out to the side of your body (parallel to the ground) and then sweep your rod out towards the water, releasing the float.
Just before the float hits the surface of the water, trap the line against your reel, and this will help the rig land in a straight line, rather than a crumpled mess.
In windy conditions, fishing with a stick float can be very difficult and a waggler would be a more suitable float choice.
An effective way to fish the stick float, is to stand in the water and gently laying the rig and float on the surface.
This avoids tangles and because you are the float is travelling immediately downstream of where you are standing, makes float control easier.
In order to fish this way, you’ll need to pick a suitable swim and wear either waders or wellingtons.
Stick float size: A no4 shot for every foot of water is often used as a guide for choosing the size of a stick float e.g For a swim six feet deep, use a stick float with a capacity of 6 x no4 shot.
Loafers: Use loafer floats for more pacey or turbulent swims, and when fishing bigger baits such as luncheon meat and large pieces of bread-flake.
For shallow swims, I prefer to use the clear plastic types of loafer, as I believe they are less visible to the fish.
Loafer floats are very buoyant and take a lot of shot. They enable you to fish with heavy baits and also get baits down to the bottom quickly.
I use the smallest loafers (which still take a lot of shot) for Grayling fishing, where it’s important to fish baits close to the riverbed.
Shotting Loafers: Attach your loafer using two or three rubbers (top, middle, and bottom).
Use float rubbers, so that you can swap floats if you need to. I like to fish loafers with a bulk of shot, or an olivette 10-12 ins from my hook.
I avoid putting shot immediately under the float as this can cause tangles when casting.
Rods: Float fishing on moving water involves holding the rod for extended periods of time, so a light, well-balanced rod is recommended. This makes fishing more comfortable and efficient.
Rods in the 12-14ft range are usually best but longer rods are sometimes used in order to correctly present and control stick-floats further out from the bank, or when fishing deep water with heavier floats.
Rods with a crisp, tip action are often recommended because they can quickly pick up line and hit fast bites.
Reels: Reels that nicely balance the rod, which are not too heavy are suited to this kind of fishing.
Fixed spool reels are widely used but closed-face reels are favoured by some anglers because in windy weather, the cowl on the front of the reel prevents line from blowing around the back of the rotor, causing tangles.
Because, closed face reels do not have a bail-arm, and line release is controlled by the press of a button, casting can be easier and quicker.
Closed face reels hold much less line that standard fixed spool reels, though.
Centrepin reels have been used for hundreds of years, and today, many anglers consider that trotting with a centrepin is the ultimate way to float fish on rivers.
Using a centrepin, takes a bit of getting used to but it’s hugely enjoyable.
A good quality centrepin allows the line to peel off the drum smoothly and evenly, and therfore floats can be controlled and ‘held-back’ very effectively with a centrepin.
There are limitations with centrepin reels – casting range is limited compared to a fixed spool or closed-face reel.
Line: A good quality ‘buoyant’ line, specifically designed for float fishing on rivers is best.
It is usual to fish stick floats and loafers (attached top and bottom) using line which is buoyant.
This enables you to lift line off the surface of the water and make sure that your float is travelling naturally downstream. This is known as ‘checking’ your float.
This is important because bait that is being dragged out of position in an unnatural way is often avoided by fish.
My reels for float fishing for roach, dace and chub contain line in the 2lb-4lb range. I step up to 6lb-8lb line when float fishing for barbel.
Hooks: Hook size and pattern depend on what bait you will be using and the kind of fish you are targeting.
Use fine wire hooks 16-20, when targeting roach and dace.
Bigger baits require bigger hooks. More powerful fish such as chub and barbel need stronger hooks.
Baits: When targeting dace and roach, maggots take some beating. I’d combine these with hempseed (to be as feed together with maggots).
Bread-flake is an excellent bait for bigger roach and chub.
Sweetcorn can also attract quality chub, bream and roach.
Dendrobaena worms and Lobworms for chub, barbel, bream and perch.
Pellets can also be used as feed and on the hook (either banded or as soft pellets). Most rivers see pellets used and these days all species can be caught using them.
Luncheon meat is also an excellent bait for chub and barbel, and can be presented on buoyant floats such as loafer floats.
Safety and Comfort: When river fishing, safety and comfort are essential. River banks can be steep and slippery.
Rivers can be fast flowing and deep. safety is paramount, so always make sure that you choose a safe place from where to fish.
Be ware that spate rivers and tidal rivers can rise quickly, so check conditions and plan for this.
You can either stand up or sit down to float fish on rivers. as explained earlier, standing up (and in the water) can aid presentation, making it easier to control your float as it travels downstream.
Feeding is often easier when done standing up. However, you might prefer the comfort of sitting down either on a seat box or chair.
On clear, shallow rivers, keeping low down, might prevent fish from spooking. Standing up and being visible to fish can scare them away. This isn’t so much of a problem in deeper, more turbid water or when you are trotting a distance down the peg and fish cannot see you easily.
If you do decide to fish standing up, a there are a couple of useful types of fishing equipment, that make fishing easier – the bait waiter and the bait apron.
A bait waiter stands on top of a bank stick and holds boxes of bait and accessories, making these more accessible.
Sometimes you can find that the river bed or bank is hard and you aren’t able to put in a bank sick. In these situations and bait apron is ideal.
The apron holds bait and accessories and gives you easy access to these even when you are wading.
Both are really useful when you are river fishing.
When you are loose feeding on rivers, you need to be aware of where your bait will end up in the flow. Loose feed particles will travel with the current. In fast flowing water, this can mean that bait only hits the bottom of the river many metres downstream. Similarly in deep water.
In such situations, groundbaiting or using a bait-dropper might be the best way to introduce loose feed into your swim (or by ledgering).
Throw a small handful of bait in front of you to help you estimate how your loose feed will travel in the river.
When loose feeding, the old addage ‘little and often’ works best. Keep regularly feeding small quantities of bait e.g. 15-20 maggots every cast, of a few small pieces of luncheon meat, or a dozen pellets.
Sometimes, you will need to feed for a hour before you get any action. The secret is regular feeding and not to overdo it.
Regularly feeding maggots and other small particles, can bring fish up in the water.
If after a while, your bites tail-off, try shallowing-up to see if the fish are feeding higher in the water.
Groundbaiting can be effective for river fishing. Groundbait enables you to get bait down to the riverbed in deep water, it also attracts fish from downstream. It can also hold shoals of fish.
In clear, shallow water, balling in groundbait can spook fish and loosefeeding might be best. In deeper water and coloured water groundbait can be a winner. When fishing for large bream shoals groundbait is often a must.
It is worth getting local knowledge from fishing friends and local tackle shops whether groundbaiting is effective on the stretch of river that you intend to fish.
In many ways, ledgering is a simpler way of fishing rivers. It can be done in all kinds of weather and in all depths of water. It is generally a much less active way of fishing, and can be a more relaxing way to fish.
Ledgering is a static form of fishing (although bouncing a lead down the swim is an exception to this) and you either have to put ypour bait where the fish are located or attract them from further downstream using particles, groundbait or flavoured baits.
You can use a swimfeeeder or straight lead when ledgering (or several large split shot on your line).
A lead clip enables you to switch between swimfeeder and lead, or change the size of your lead or feeder, or type of swimfeeder.
Swimfeeders can be the block-end feeder – used to feed maggots and other small particles, such as hemp, casters or pellets into your swim; or open-ended feeders that can be used to feed broundbait, dampened pellets, meat and combinations of baits.
Deciding which technique to use (lead, open-end feeder or block-end feeder) will depend on the fish that you are targeting, the water conditions and the baits that you intend to use.
All can work well.
Weight of lead or feeder:
The weight of the swimfeeder or lead is normally determined by the strength of the river’s flow.
Gentle flows require less weight to hold bottom than heavier flows, which need more weight.
An average swimfeeder weighs 1.5oz-2oz (plus the extra weight of the bait it contains). Swimfeeders and leads of 3oz-4oz, or even more, are required for more powerful flows, e’g’ flood conditions and tidal areas.
Casting further out will result in more drag on your mainline, which can result in leads and feeders not holding bottom.
Tip: If you are struggling to hold the bottom with the weight of lead or feeder that you are using, try allowing a large bow to develop in your line. This will reduce the amount of weight that you need to use to hold bottom.
When you first start river fishing and using feeders, limit your casting distance in order to be able to feed accurately.
It’s important to be safe and comfortable when ledgering on rivers.
Anglers who are ledgering normally sit down, with their rod or rods on rod rests or a river rod pod. Some prefer to stand and set their rods up high, in order to reduce drag on their lines. It also makes casting and striking easier in some swims.
Rods: For avarage-sized rivers 12-13ft rods are normally ideal. When fishing small rivers or fishing close to the bank, rods in the 9-11ft range can be used.
Rod choice is determined by the casting weight of feeders or leads, and the distance that you are required to cast them.
Check the casting weight of your feeder rod and balance this with the lead or swimfeeder.
Heavy leads require powerful rods. Swimfeeders in the 4-6oz range require specialist rods.
A decent-quality heavy feeder rod should be able to cast feeders in the 2-3oz range.
Larger reels are needed for ledgering as the need to have more ‘cranking power’ to reel in swimfeeders and leads.
They also need to be of a larger capacity to hold thicker diameter line.
A bait runner reel is a good investment, especially when fishing for specimen fish, and their savage bites can pull your rod into the water.
When using a bait runner, when the fish runs, line can be taken off your reel, and your rod remains secure.
Good rod rests should be sturdy. Rod rest heads should be ‘v’ shaped, so that rods are firmly held in position.
Favoured mainlines for ledgering are monofilament lines in the 6lb to 10lb range.
Lines for ledgering must be abrasion resistant.
When fishing snaggy rivers or fishing for barbel, or when using very heavy ledgering gear, lines in the 12-15lb range might be needed.
Hook size is dictated by the types of baits that you are using.
Hooks for ledgering need to be more robust as they are come into contact with the river bed.
Forged hooks are normally a must.
Every type of bait can be used when ledgering from single maggot to a 15mm boilie.
Hair-rigged baits work well when ledgering.
Decide which kinds of fish you are aiming to catch and choose your baits accordingly.
Quivertips are the popular choice of bite indicator. The ‘weight’ of the quivertip needs to be balanced with the strength of flow.
Quiver tips in the 2oz-6oz range cover most eventualities.
Most quivertip rods come with several tips. If you are looking to buy a quivertip rod, look for ones, which come with tips that are suited to river fishing.
Bite alarms are effective when fishing for specimen fish. They enable you to do other things on the bank rather than squinting at quivertips, which can make fishing more relaxing and enjoyable.
They are also very useful when night fishing, and you don’t want to use torches or isotopes to spot bites.
Touch ledgering is a method where line close to the front of the reel is held over your finger tip, which is used to feel for bites.
It is a method that can detect the most tentative of bites. It can also be used if you don’t have any other forms of bite detection.
To use the method, point your rod tip towards your bait, which This minimises any resistance.
River fishing is one of the most rewarding types of fishing.
There are hundreds of miles of rivers in the UK, each offering a wealth of fishing opportunities.
River fishing can seem to be a daunting prospect but it is worth the effort.
When first starting river fishing, keep things simple. Find a safe and comfortable place to fish.
When you first start river fishing, don’t fish too far out. Fish and feed, well within your capabilities.
Float fishing enables you to explore lots of water. It takes practice but choosing the right float and feeding little and often can be an excellent way to catch a good net of fish.
Ledgering is another excellent river fishing technique. Arguably easier to do than float fishing on rivers, and it is a good way to start river fishing.
Ledgering can be used to catch all species of fish from bags of dace to specimen barbel. Choose the right gear, and weights of feeders or leads that will hold bottom.
The more times you go river fishing, the more your knowledge and confidence will grow. Start easy and progress from there.
River fishing offers a lifetime of fishing enjoyment and lots of variety.
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