It’s all change on the Thames

IT’S incredible how quickly things change. While the rest of the lower Thames is fishing extremely well, the tidal river has switched off. It has gone from being a fish a throw on float and maggot and plenty of quality roach on bread to being impossible to get a bite!

Usually this happens after the first frost, but we are still to suffer a cold night. The river is horribly clear though and lacking in flow because we’ve had no rain.

What has happened is the arrival of a flock of cormorants. I counted 18 the other morning and my pal John Gard watched one come up with a big flounder.

Also the massive bloom of shrimp I mentioned following TideFest has spread upstream and I’m guessing the fish are preoccupied with them.

Now the annual draw-down is in place and the river is falling to its bare bones. The extra flow this brings may kickstart things again...I sincerely hope it does!