Sunday 18 December 2016

Boiling Point in Fishing

Aerators add zest to the trout during high summer, offering you the best chance of a take

WARM water holds less oxygen and rainbow trout are more active when the water’s cool. So those fi sheries with aerators use them in warm weather. Switching them on costs money so they’re used sparingly. But when they’re on, the fi sh gather round the bubbly water enjoying the cool.

Aerators vary on small waters – some spray water into the air, others take the form of a waterfall entering the water and some pump air underwater where the bubbles rise to the surface. Reservoirs use the latter, referred to as the boils. As such, fi shing aerators has led to specifi c tactics that anglers have developed in order to catch.

Treat it like a river


Some fisheries, such as Ellerdine in Shropshire, employ an aerator that creates a flow in the water. Fish congregate as they would in a river – facing the current and enjoying the cool and any food items swept along.

Flick some weighted nymphs into the head of the fl ow and watch for any turning fish, open mouths or flashing gills that indicate a take. Don’t think that the sport will be easy, especially if the water’s clear. If you can see them then they can see you and you’d be amazed at how easily they can refuse your offerings.

But keep low and change flies regularly to keep the fish guessing. Fresh patterns placed before them stand more chance of being successful than the same old fly.

Waterfall-style aerators 


Roxholme fishery in Nottinghamshire has a waterfall-style aerator, which becomes a definite hotspot in summer. The force of the water is so strong that it circulates round a large part of the lake. This keeps the fish extremely active and in the mood to take. Fish this type of aerator as you would a river. But a black mobile lure is hard to beat.

Boils on reservoirs 


Our reservoirs often switch on the boils for long periods of time and the fi sh always take note, with some hefty resident trout gathering in the oxygenated water.

Graf ham Water regularly reports quality trout taken from the boils, which when turned on are quite powerful but localised. Contrast those to the boils at Hanningfield in Essex, which are in a long line and less powerful.

Anglers here refer to the boils as ‘fishing the bubble line’ and many Hanningfield resident trout have been caught fi shing Di-5 or Di-8 lines with Boobies and nymph combinations. At Grafham just drift so that you cover the boils but at Hanningfield, it’s best to set up a long drift parallel to the bubble line and cast towards the edges where the food tends to congregate.

The rising bubbles slow the sink rate of the sinking lines keeping fl ies in the taking zone for longer – ideal if the fi sh are a few feet down. So, aerators are hotspots on still waters now. Get there first!

For more information about hunting and fishing, visit my website at https://hunting-tips.net/.

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