Mist-dew-cold

ANY ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN REDUCE FISH ACTIVITY OFTEN TO ZILCH, EVEN ON A SPOT ON MOON DAY. MOST OF THESE FACTORS WE CAN DO VERY LITTLE ABOUT, WE CANT CHANGE THE WEATHER (YET)! THAT SAID HOWEVER, IT IS USUAL FOR CERTAIN SPECIES TO BE ACTIVE IN CONDITIONS THAT OTHERS ARE NOT. I FIND MISTY OR FOGGY ATMOSPHERES (COUPLED WITH HIGH PRESSURE, LOW PRESSURE MIST CAN BE OK ESPECIALLY IF IT'S RAINING)ARE AMONG THE WORST CONDITIONS FOR MOST SPECIES, THE LACK OF SPORT IS USUALLY PUT DOWN TO A DROP IN AIR AND WATER TEMPERATURES SOMEHOW I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE REAL REASON, AFTER ALL THEY FEED DURING OTHER TEMPERATURE DROPS WITHOUT THE MIST AND DEW PRESENT(SEE "COLD" SECTION BELOW). PUT SIMPLY THE ATMOSPHERE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS "FEELS" COMPLETELY DEAD!
THE MAIN FISH WHICH CAN FEED ARE ZANDER, PERCH, GRAYLING, TROUT, CHUB (USUALLY BIGGER ONES)PROOF OF THAT IS HERE IN THE WRITE UP OF MY 7.6 WYE RECORD CHUB. OFTEN THESE DAYS SEE SALMON PAR MOST ACTIVE. THIS SITUATION USUALLY REMAINS LONG AFTER THE FOG/MIST HAS LIFTED, OFTEN ALL DAY! SO ON SUCH DAYS ONE COULD DO A LOT WORSE THAN TARGET THESE SPECIES (OBVIOUSLY NOT THE SALMON PAR).

A LESS OBVIOUS BUT JUST AS EFFECTIVE SPORT KILLER, ARE THE TYPES OF CONDITIONS WHEN EVERYTHING BECOMES DAMP WITH DEW. YET, THE MIST/FOG IS NOT EVIDENT (AGAIN PUT DOWN TO THE COLD) ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. MY HEART ALWAYS SINKS AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THIS, THE GIGARETTE PAPERS KEPT IN THE TACKLE BOX (DELIBERATELY FOR THE PURPOSE) BECOME DAMP, FOLLOWED BY THE MAGGOTS SWEATING AND CLIMBING FROM THE BAIT BOX! THEN APPROACHING SUNSET THE BATS START FLITTING ABOUT (BATS ARE NOT ACTIVE AT ALL DUSKS DURING SUMMER) OUT COME THE SLUGS, THE EELS START AND ANOTHER BLANK IS ON THE CARDS, BARRING THE OLD FAITHFUL CHUB AND EELS. MAYBE THAT IS WHY SLUGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GOOD CHUB BAIT, WHEN CONDITIONS FAVOUR SLUGS THE ONLY FISH ACTIVE ARE CHUB! ALTHOUGH OTHER CONDITIONS MAY "SEEM IDEAL" IT JUST DOES NOT "FEEL RIGHT". IF ONE DOES MANAGE A BARBEL DURING THESE CONDITIONS THEY ARE ALMOST INVARIABLY MANKY LOOKING THINGS, SCARRED AND SOMETIMES BLIND. USUALLY THEY TAKE AN AGE TO REVIVE , UP TO AN HOUR!

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

THE BEST NIGHTS TO FISH ARE THE ONES AROUND NEW MOON AS ONE DOES NOT USUALLY GET THAT DEWY ATMOSPHERE, THERE IS DETAIL OF WHEN TO EXPECT THE PERIODS TO OCCUR IN THE WRITE UP ON FISH IN PHOTO ALBUM 2 PAGE.
OFTEN DURING THE L.O PERIOD THERE WILL BE CLOUD COVER ON THESE NIGHTS. INFACT THERE WILL OFTEN BE CLOUD COVER THROUGH THE TRANSIT PERIODS, AND RAIN, SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR. ESPECIALLY THE TRANSIT PERIODS AROUND NEW MOON, MORESO, DURING THE L.O (NIGHT) PERIODS THAN THE H.P ONES.

THE A.C.A MATCHES 2001/3

TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE A.C.A MASTERS MATCH AT NEW MOON AUGUST 2001. I EMAILED KEITH ARTHUR TO SAY IT WOULD RAIN ON THE DAY AND TIP DOWN THROUGH THE TRANSIT PREIODS, AROUND MIDDAY AND MIDNIGHT. ALSO STATING IT WAS VERY LIKELY THAT THE VENUE RECORD WEIGHT WOULD GO. KEITH READ THIS OUT ON NATIONAL RADIO, REMINDING PARTICIPANTS OF THE MATCH TO "BRING THIER BROLLIES" SO THAT SHOWS MY CONFIDENCE! If you monitor the weather in relation to moon phase closely enough you will see a direct link, in fact you do not have to look that hard, just look how often the start of the peak moon fishing days bring, rain, low pressure and generally better conditions than the grim days. Also note when bands of cloud hit the country during weather forecasts.
THE SUNDAY AFTER THE MATCH I PHONED KEITH'S EXCELLENT "FISHERMANS BLUES SHOW", HE WAS "ASTONISHED" WITH THE RESULTS OF MY PREDICTIONS, NOT ONLY DID IT RAIN COUNTRYWIDE (DESPITE 5 DRY DAYS PRIOR!) IT TIPPED DOWN AT 13.00HRS AT THE MATCH. IN WALES IT TIPPED DOWN AROUND MIDNIGHT, FLOODING THE WYE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT SUMMER!

THE MATCH RECORD WEIGHT ALSO WENT WITH OVER 250LB! WITH LOTS OF WEIGHTS ALSO IN THE HIGH HUNDREDS. THIS SEASONS MATCH ON AUGUST 16TH 2003, IN "IDEAL" CONDITIONS, CLOUD COVER AND A GENERAL COOLING DOWN FROM THAT OPPRESIVE HEAT WE HAVE HAD, AND THE MATCH FISHED "UNDER PAR". MOONSTRIKE FORECAST THE DAY AS "IFFY".
WEATHER FORECASTERS TAKE NO ACCOUNT FOR MOON PHASE, STATING, IT HAS NO EFFECT ON THE EARTHS WEATHER, VESTED INTERESTS AGAIN!

THE NIGHTS AROUND FIRST QTR CAN BE CORKERS, BUT AGAIN WITHOUT THE DEW. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PHASE, CLOSELY COUPLED WITH NEW MOON.
FRIDAY 27TH JULY 2001(F.Q). ARRIVED ON THE LOWER SEVERN AT ABOUT 18.00HRS AIMING TO FISH THROUGH THE H.P PERIOD UNTIL MOONSET. THE RIVER WAS LOW AND CLEAR, THE DAY A REAL SCORCHER. THERE WAS A POSSIBLE POINT AT THE START OF H.P PERIOD WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND 17.00 HRS. HOWEVER, IT WAS TOO HOT FOR ME SO PASSED ON THAT POINT. FISHING COMMENCED AT 18.10. H.P WAS AT 19.15 AND SET AT 00.21(SATURDAY).
FISHING JUST UPSTREAM AND FROM THE OPPOSITE BANK WERE STEF HORAK, AND A BLOKE WHO LOOKED A LOT LIKE MARTIN WARPOLE BELOW HIM. WITH ANOTHER FELLOW BELOW HIM AND OPPOSITE ME.

APPROX 19.15 SMACK ON MOON HIGH POINT STEF HAD A DOUBLE. AT 19.48 I HAD A DOUBLE (10 EXACTLY PIC BELOW). AT 20.10 THE BLOKE WHO LOOKED LIKE MARTIN HAD A DOUBLE, 3 DOUBLES IN LESS THAN AN HOUR AND TIGHT TO HIGH POINT!
THE FAG PAPERS THEN STARTED TO GET DAMP, STEF AND MARTIN (IF IT WAS MARTIN) WENT JUST ON DARK. EVERYTHING WAS THEN GETTING SODDEN, AGAIN THE EELS STARTED. AGAIN I ENDURED THIS, FISHLESS, BITELESS DODGY ATMOSPHERE UNTIL 2.0A.M, WELL PAST MOON SET!

Just a few thoughts on my observations regarding dropping water and air temperatures on fish activity. Time and time again while fishing one hears, or even blames poor sport on this. I do not deny it may have a small effect, but this factor alone will not render fish completely inactive, it may slow sport down so that odd fish feed at less peaks, and not throughout a whole period. Fish will not however, become totally inactive, until the water temperature reaches its critical low point, then obviously the fishes blood will thicken its heart rate slow and it will become more lethargic (even completely dormant), thus needing less food for energy. Once this low point is attained fish will remain lethargic until the water temperature starts to climb. One often reads reports of a catch and the captor states that the water temperature was "ideal" just what is "ideal"? Since the capture of my first barbel from the Kennet in 1967, barbel have graced my net at every conceivable temperature once the river becomes warm enough for feeding to take place, REGARDLESS OF TREND FALLING OR RISING. There is not an "ideal" water temperature! 44oF AND RISING HAS RECENTLY BEEN PUT FORWARD BY GUY ROBB AND RAY WALTON AS AN IDEAL WATER TEMP FOR BARBEL, HAVE TO DISPUTE THAT, HAVING CAUGHT MANY BARBEL AND BAGS OF BARBEL WITH IT 44 AND DROPPING. THE 19LB+, PEAK DAY, PEAK TIME FISH BY TONY MILES(BRITAINS 2ND BIGGEST BARBEL) WAS CAUGHT AND I QUOTE TONY "IN DIRE CONDITIONS WITH THE RIVER 44oF AND FALLING HAVING DROPPED 3oC OVERNIGHT. SO HOW CAN 44 AND RISING BE IDEAL?

EVEN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS BAD SPORT IS OFTEN PUT DOWN TO DROPS IN AIR/WATER TEMPERATURES. ON ONE HAND WE HEAR "THE RIVER IS STALE AND NEEDS A FLUSH THROUGH" OR "IT COULD DO WITH A DROP ON". COME THE FLUSH THROUGH/DROP ON, THAT COINCIDES WITH GRIM MOON DAYS AND THE POOR SPORT IS THEN PUT DOWN TO "IT IS TOO COLD, THE COLD HAS PUT THEM OFF", OR, "IT'S TOO COLOURED, TOO FAST". A FEW YEARS BACK ONE TOP ANGLER WROTE IN ANGLING TIMES THAT THE RIVERS WERE "SOCK ON" FOR THE START OF THE SEASON AND HOW IT "WOULD BE A GREAT START". THE FIRST FEW DAYS WERE HOWEVER, GRIM MOON DAYS. HE SPENT THESE FISHING THE LOWER SEVERN IN IDEAL CONDITIONS AND BLANKED, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS FISHING THE STRETCH. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER HE WROTE ABOUT HIS "MISFORTUNE". STATING THAT "THE RIVER WAS INFACT TOO COLD, THE BARBEL, AND THE BIGGER ONES WERE STILL ON THIER SPAWNING GROUNDS, AND WERE NOT YET USED TO ANGLERS BAITS". I FISHED THE SAME STRETCH ON THE FIRST PEAK DAY (A DAY AFTER HE GAVE UP) THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS INFACT A SWELTERING 17oc! I HAD A 10.6 SMACK ON MOON HIGH POINT AT 22.45, ON HALF A TIN OF LUNCHEON MEAT.

'There I was sitting in my favourite lower severn swim when Lol appeared, "thats a good peg, I bagged up in it last night" he said. He went on to say, he did not fancy it tonight because of the "big bright moon sitting in the cloudless sky".
To me the atmosphere felt electric and there was no damp, the grass was bone dry. My advice to Lol was not to worry about the moon being bright, the fish will switch on when these upstream waves stop, and to expect a good session, it was my favourite moon (this does not mean that FQ+2 and FQ +3 are peak days each month!).
We then had a good chat, he said it was interesting what I said about the waves, that he and Des Taylor were bagging on the middle severn, the waves started and they could not buy a bite, they had no idea the waves were moon caused!

Moon H.P was at 20. 40 and set at 01.15. At about 20.15 the waves stopped, between then and 23.10 I took 6 barbel, three mid 8s, and three mid nines, all on half tins of meat, then right on cue the eels started. I had four more half tins of meat ready which somehow I managed to kick into the river! Salvaging one of them I decided to keep that for the Moonset point which would not be long after set, this was cast in at 01.10 and a bobbing hung from the rod. I could not detect anymore eel activity and felt good, at 01.25 the wind picked up, the bobbing twitched, and went up at 01.30. The fish went 10.11. Lol never had a bite the whole night, his mate took 4 fish, none after 23.10.

This session highlights a lot, if Lol had been there alone fishing the same swim he'd have blanked and put it down to the bright moon! Not the fact that he clearly was not on fish. It does'nt matter how proficient an angler you are if fish are not there, you aint gonna catch 'em, no matter how good the moon phase and other factors are! The fact you may blank in these good conditions does NOT make it a grim moon day.

HAD TO PACK IN AT 16.00 AND AGAIN TOOK THE WATER TEMPERATURE, IT WAS NOW JUST UNDER 7oC HAVING DROPPED BY NEARLY A DEGREE AND A HALF IN 5 HOURS! THIS CAN OFTEN BE THE CASE ON RIVERS, THE COLDER WATER FROM UPSTREAM DOES NOT HIT THE LOWER REACHES UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY. SO JUST BECAUSE IT MAY BE A NICE SUNNY DAY, AS THIS DAY WAS, DOES NOT MEAN THE RIVER WILL BE WARMER DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY (IF YOU BASE YOUR FISHING ON WATER TEMPERATURES).
RETURNING THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE WATER TEMP WAS STILL THE SAME AS WERE CONDITIONS, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING, THERE WAS MIST ALL THE WAY ON THE JOURNEY IN, MY HEART SANK, ALL I TOOK WERE 3 TROUT! NOBODY WAS CATCHING BARBEL OR PIKE!
JUST TO POINT OUT I DO NOT USUALLY WEIGH OR PHOTOGRAPH BARBEL UNDER 10LB, AND EVEN THEN NOT ALWAYS! THIS WAS DONE ON THIS OCCASION PURELY FOR THIS WRITE UP. HAVING STILL NOT REPLACED THE CAMERA TO ROD REST ADAPTOR, A PASSERBY KINDLY PHOTOGRAPHED THE FISH.

I WAS THINKING OF THE RAPIDLY APPROACHING HIGH POINT PERIOD, AND IDEALLY THEY COULD BE FISHING BY NOW. 19.55 AND 8 MINS BEFORE H.P AND THE FELLOW OPPOSITE IS INTO A FISH IT LOOKED ABOUT 8LB. ABOUT 20.10 THE OTHER 2 STARTED PILING HEMP INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE SWIMS. AT ABOUT 20.30 AND OBVIOUSLY WAITING FOR DARK THEY STARTED FISHING, JUST WHEN THE FAG PAPERS WERE GETTING DAMP IN THE TACKLE BOX AND THE ATMOSPHERE DODGY! THAT TWILIGHT TIME CAME AND WENT WITH NOTHING TO SHOW. SO DECIDED FOR ONCE TO PACK UP, HAVING NOT THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT THAT THE 2 ANGLERS OPPOSITE WOULD BLANK HAVING JUST MISSED OUT ON THE BEST PERIOD THE DAY HAD TO OFFER.

Couple a peak moon time and day, WATER THAT IS WARM ENOUGH FOR FEEDING TO TAKE PLACE WHETHER TREND IS UP DOWN OR STEADY, and you get the conditions records are made of....simple! The critical low point mentioned varies on different rivers, on the river Lugg for example one will struggle catch barbel of over 7lb with the water temp below 7oc. However, the Wye the cut off point for such fish is around 6oc, with it still possible to take fish under this size 3-7lb when the water temp has dropped to slightly under 4oc. Yet on the Teme and Ouse doubles are still taken at such low temps, perhaps if the Lugg and Wye were as hammered as the Teme and parts of the Ouse one could still take fish over 7lb under these conditions. That is the only real difference I can think of which accounts for this. FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2004 I TAKE TWO DOUBLES IN EXTREME CONDITIONS FROM THE WYE. FISH COME FROM ELSEWHERE AT THE SAME TIMES HERE INCLUDING A CRACKING 12LB+ PB TO KEITH ARTHUR.

November 9th 1998, LQ-2 and an average moon day, set was 12.34hrs. I wanted to be at severn stoke fishing by 10a.m. In good conditions the set period would have been something like 11.00-14.00 however, these were far from good conditions, so from previous documentation was looking at possibilities of a fish on or just after set. Unfortunately I didn't get my act together, finding myself chasing around Herefordshire to find some gas for the stove, no way could a session be fished without copious amounts of tea! Did not reach the car park until 13.30 missing the set peak, and feeling cheesed with myself for not getting gas the day before, emerged from the car. It was freezing cold there had been a strong overnight frost the water temp had dropped nearly 2oc overnight, it was just below 6oc. The river was carrying over 3meters of flood water and was running clear, it had that horrible frosty green cold look they adorn in winter. I was greeted by a bloke called Paul who was beaming from ear to ear, having just taken an 11.8 at 12.55! He said, "the fish only had one eye and that was the only touch he had had having fished from 08.30". We never had another.

Three days later the 12th, LQ+1, set 14.10. I was back at 11.15, armed with plenty of gas and tea! Conditions were pretty similar to the 9th, the water temp was just on 5oc, and the height had dropped about a meter. The puddles in the car park were full of ice! It was absolutely bitter and eerily still. I was hoping for something around 14.00hrs. fishing commenced with a feeder with maggots under the rod top, and a second with meat just below this. At 13.55 that wind came up the river and the cold was becoming unbearable. My mind was doing a wandering act, on the ins and outs about possibly taking 30 seconds to put up the brolly to shield from the wind that had now picked up, and warm up! Suddenly at 14.00 the feeder rod banged twice and went over, the fish went 9.14, at the perscribed time and that bit later than on the 9th!

THIS FISH WAS THE SECOND BIGGEST OF THE SESSION. ARRIVING ON A LOW CLEAR WYE AT 11.00, I TOOK THE WATER TEMPERATURE WHICH WAS JUST OVER 8oC. THE PREVIOUS NIGHTS HAD SEEN AIR TEMPS PLUMMETING TO LOWS OF -7oC ALONG THE WYE VALLEY! THERE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MUCH OF A HARDER FROST TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT DROPPING TEMPERATURES ALONE DO NOT PUT FISH OFF! THE DAY WAS DEPICTED ON THE SITE AS EXCELLENT. ON THE JOURNEY IN THERE WAS NO MIST TO BE SEEN ANYWHERE. MAGGOT FEEDER WAS THE ORDER OF THE DAY AND AT 11.50 THE FIRST FISH OBLIGED, A 5.8. FOLLOWED BY A 7.9 AT 12.10, AND THE BEST OF 9.6 AT 14.30, THE END OF THE H.P PERIOD. THEN IN THE BRIEF DEAD SPELL I TOOK A TROUT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED AT 15.40 WITH BOTH RODS GOING AT ONCE (YES TWO FEEDER RODS AT ONCE, ONE UPSTREAM THE OTHER DOWN) SIGNIFYING THE START OF THE SET PERIOD, SET WAS AT 16.15. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT POINT IS CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL SET THAN EARLIER IN THE YEAR. (THE TWO FISH WENT 8.8 PICTURED AND 7.3) IN DECEMBER THE POINT WILL BE VIRTUALLY AT THE SAME TIME AS MOONSET, THEN IT CREEPS EARLIER EACH MONTH. THE H.P PERIOD HAS ALSO ADVANCED INSTEAD OF THE 4 HOUR PERIOD BEING ROUGHLY 2 HOURS EITHER SIDE, IT WILL START AROUND 10.30 (45MINS BEFORE H.P) UNTIL 14.30

MORE PROOF THAT DROPPING TEMPERATURES DO NOT PUT FISH OFF, SUNDAY 12TH JAN 2003 THE BELMONT HEREFORD CLUB MATCH WAS FISHED IN DIRE CONDITIONS. AIR TEMPS WERE MINUS EIGHT AT THE START OF THE MATCH. THE RIVER HAD DROPPED TO JUST ABOVE FREEZING THERE WAS ICE IN THE MARGINS, AND 2 FEET OF SNOW WATER COMIMG DOWN, THE ONLY THING THE MATCH HAD GOING FOR IT WAS A PEAK MOON DAY AND THE MATCH WOULD COVER THE WHOLE MOON RISE PERIOD. 15 ANGLERS FISHED NOT ONE WEIGHT WAS UNDER 30LB! WITH A COUPLE OF MID FORTIES. BAGS WERE OF CHUB, ROACH AND DACE. THE FOLLOWING WEEK ON A FULL MOON PEAK DAY IN GOOD CONDITIONS (BUT WITH MIST)MOST STRUGGLED FOR 10LB, TIMING OF THE MATCH DID NOT COVER ANY WHOLE PERIODS! HEREFORD CLUB MATCHES AND THE WYE CHAMPS MATCHES HAVE NEVER PROVED ME WRONG IN TEN YEARS! DURING THIS PERIOD ONLY A COUPLE OF TIMES HAVE BARBEL FIGURED IN THE WYE CHAMPS ON A GRIM MOON DAY IN GOOD CONDITIONS, THE FISH NEARLY ALWAYS UNDER 7LB. THEY HAVE CERTAINLY FIGURED MORE ON KEY DAYS, EVEN IN BAD CONDITIONS.

LAST ONE TO PROVE A POINT! THE WYE CHAMPS ON 26/10/03 NM+1 PEAK DAY. WE HAD SEVERAL BAD FROSTS THE NIGHTS PRECEEDING THE MATCH, WATER TEMPS WERE PLUMETTING. THE RIVER WAS AT AN ALL TIME LOW AND GIN CLEAR. ANGLERS WHO DREW THE NORMALLY PROLIFIC (IN WINTER) ROWING CLUB STRETCH DIDN'T EXPECT A BITE, IT WAS STILL! MY FORECAST READ OUT BY KEITH ARTHUR ON HIS FB RADIO SHOW, WAS THAT THE MATCH WOULD "FISH ITS SOCKS OFF, GIVEN DIRE CONDITIONS, AT LEAST 110LB OF CHUB AND BITS WOULD WIN, WITH ONLY A FEW SMALL BARBEL CAUGHT (IF ANY), I WAS BANKING ON A MISTY ATMOSPHERE TO KILL BARBEL SPORT, NOT DROPPING WATER TEMPERATURES.

WOODY OF HEREFORD TACKLE SHOP FAME, WON WITH 178LB OF CHUB, A NEW WYE CHAMPS RECORD. ANGLERS WHO DIDN'T EXPECT A BITE ON THE ROWING CLUB STRETCH HAD BAGS OF DACE TO OVER 20LB, AND I QUOTE WOODY "NOT MANY PLACES IN GOOD CONDITIONS, IN THIER PRIME COULD FISH THAT WELL". THERE WERE NO BARBEL CAUGHT IT, THIS WAS AS USUAL BLAMED ON THE LOW CLEAR RIVER! IT WAS ONE OF THOSE NEGATIVE MISTY DAYS, THE NEXT DAY IT WAS NOT MISTY, WATER TEMPERATURE WAS JUST UNDER 7oC. I FISHED A BARBEL PEG THAT HAD BEEN FISHED WITH PELLETS IN THE MATCH, AND THE ANGLER DID'NT HAVE A BITE. I FISHED MAGGOT FEEDER ON ONE ROD, AND PELLETS ON THE OTHER. STARTING AT 10.30 I HAD TWO BITES AT 12.56 AND 13.08, RESULTING IN TWO BARBEL OF 6LB EACH ON THE PELLET RIG. NO BITES ON MAGGOTS. SO MUCH AGAIN FOR DROPPING WATER TEMPS, AND BARBEL BEING PUT OFF BY LOW CLEAR WATER! YOU WILL READ OTHER ACCOUNTS ON THIS SITE WHERE HEREFORD MATCHES FISHED IN SO CALLED IDEAL CONDITIONS (ON GRIM DAYS) HAVE SEEN ANGLERS STRUGGLING FOR 5 OR 6LB!