Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Mini-river marvels – Peter Bolt
All-rounder Peter Bolt demonstrates why commercial anglers may well find the thrill of small, wild rivers equally rewarding – if they give them a chance
MANY of you reading this will have been buzzing with excitement about the new river season. For three months you waited patiently for the annual closed season to end, religiously crossing off the days on your calendar each morning. Now that June 16 has passed, running water fanatics will be hoping to get on the best pegs, desperate to achieve the targets that they dreamed up during the closed season. While many are relishing that adrenaline rush, the truth is, lots of anglers couldn’t care less that the rivers are back in action. Commercials are where they enjoying fishing, with the convenience and guaranteed action often the primary reasons why anglers prioritise wellstocked stillwaters. But I am now going to do my utmost to convince you that rivers are well worth your attention. When you read about Peter Bolt’s mentality, you may well look at running water venues in a fresh light. The London-based angler is a true all-rounder. He is as happy hauling carp from the margins of a commercial complex as he is trotting a stick float down a local stretch of river. “Fishing is all about variety. I love going on my favourite bit of running water and roving along it for a couple of hours,” explained Peter. “You can use the same gear that works on commercials and put fish in the net that have never seen a hook in no time at all.”
Miniature gem
Vast rivers such as the Trent and Thames are generally better suited to an all-day pursuit, with heavy baiting and several hours of dedication required to attract the fish on such wide and turbulent venues. But almost everyone has a tiny stream or river close to home where amazing results can be achieved in a quick-fire spell. These waters are extremely shallow and you can jump over them in places. Upon first glance you might not think they hold any fish worth catching, but dig a little deeper in your investigations and you could find some real gems hidden away. “The free fishing stretch of the River Darent in Shoreham village in Kent is less than 10 minutes from home and, if I get a spare hour, I can pick up a rod and reel, landing net, a bag of bits and get on the bank,” said Peter. “It is usually crystal clear and no more than 18in deep in most places. You rarely see any fish but experience tells me that if you trot a bait close to the shrubbery you can catch some absolute stunners.” Keeping mobile is the key to success and Peter will have, at most, three trots through a swim before upping sticks and moving on to the next likely spot. “These fish aren’t heavily pressured so they don’t spot the danger and if a bait goes past their face they’ll grab at it immediately. If you don’t get a bite within a couple of minutes there are no fish in the spot and it is time to give somewhere else a go.”
“If you trot a bait close to the shrubbery you can catch some absolute stunners”
All-round kit
One of the suggestions surrounding river fishing is that you need a whole new stash of tackle to fish them effectively. That statement is a myth and you can easily succeed using the same rods, reels and terminal tackle that you use on commercial carp waters. An 11ft or 12ft float rod is ideal on such small waterways and a small reel loaded with 6lb
mainline will do the business. When it comes to float choice there are a few options open to you but Peter uses something that many wouldn’t even consider. “The Darent is a slow moving and shallow venue so you can get away with a small float. “I use a 0.3g Drennan Crystal Dibber that is more commonly used for fishing shallow on commercials. It is really small which is perfect as it won’t interfere with where the fish are feeding. If you have a pattern with a long stem it will be dragging through the water column and that could spook fish in such shallow water.” With quality chub, dace and even trout on the agenda a 4lb hooklength is required, with a size 18 hook finishing the job. A couple of pints of maggots will do, and Peter wears a pouch around his waist to contain the wriggly red and whites. Flicking out a few grubs each run through the swim can help detect any nearby fish, with chub occasionally darting out from their snaggy homes to devour the freebies.
Parking close to the picturesque weir, Peter began the short stroll to his first port of call. As he trekked down the stony path, he came across a large building with eye-catching architecture. It was the former home of Samuel Palmer, a famous artist who gained nationwide fame during the 19th century. That’s not the only slice of history the area holds, with a World War Two museum erected to commemorate the heavy bombing Shoreham endured during the conflict. In fact, Spitfires still fly over the location, albeit in a much more peaceful manner than back in the 1940s. Back to the fishing and Peter carefully approached his first peg, feeding a few maggots close to the overhanging bushes on a part of the river that was no more than 6m wide. It seemed impossible that fish could be hidden under such sparse cover and in this instance my inclination was right. But I was soon silenced as the second spot – which looked almost identical – produced the goods on the very first run. The dibber shot under and a firm strike saw the water erupt. Despite watching the float glide through with the current and being convinced I could see the hookbait, I hadn’t seen any fish! “They dive out from the cover so quickly and before you know it all hell has broken loose,” said Peter, as a 3lb chub glided over the waiting net. The next handful of spots didn’t produce so much as a sniff but he struck gold half an hour later. Once again the peg didn’t look overly inspiring with shallow water that would probably go just above your ankles, but what occurred in the next 15 minutes was incredible, with a brace of chub and several chunky dace being banked. “This is the magic of little rivers – you just never know what is going to happen next. “Commercials play a huge part in my fishing but if you have never tried river fishing before then this is the ideal way to break your duck. It is almost guaranteed to start your passion for natural waters.”