During the warmer months of the year, it’s quite easy to conjure up a romanticised view of winter angling. If you’re on a busy day-ticket water and being constantly dive-bombed by mosquitoes, the idea of quieter venues and less insect life is certainly appealing.
When the reality of fishing in winter arrives, however, it doesn’t always resemble the crisp, frosty bankside fantasy we envisaged. Long hours of darkness, lots of mud, numb fingers and packing away damp kit are all par for the course. But, as I hope is illustrated by the multitude of tactics and venues we cover in this publication throughout the winter, there are still plenty of bites to be had if you get your approach right.
Feeding, rigs and watercraft aside, I think a big part of fishing successfully through the colder months – and more importantly, enjoying it – is having the right mindset. Des Taylor wrote in his column a few weeks ago in our sister publication, Angling Times, about how anglers shouldn’t fall into the trap of making excuses sat at home, and instead just get out there and go fishing.
It’s easy to look at the weather forecast and think that nothing will be feeding in the conditions, and that there’s little point venturing out. But these days there’s such an array of good winter clothing available that there’s no need to suffer. Even if you can’t splash out on the more expensive clobber (some of which can even be heated up!), good thermal base layers which will keep you comfortable in all but the harshest of conditions are available for a fraction of the cost.
Last winter I even purchased a heated cushion, which can be charged up in advance, and even when travelling light it folds up inside my chair without adding any extra bulk or weight. It was a real game-changer, I can tell you!
With careful venue choice and thinking about the species we’re targeting, bites
