There's still no sign of real rain so F4S fly fishing expert Bob Goble is taking to the beach to cool down. What are his tips for hot fishing fun this August? Let's find out...
Fishing can be tricky in August, so visiting the water early or late in the day, and avoiding the midday sun and heat, will be your best chance of catching, be it coarse or trout.
For trout, fishing the usual suspects or patterns - damsel nymphs, buzzers, lures etc – will suffice.
For carp and tench etc, visiting a commercial fishery will give you a much better chance to catch. One fishery I can recommend is Monk Lakes near Marden, not far from Maidstone Kent. All manner of baits will catch but, if they allow, have a go with the fly rod for the carp. That can be arm wrenching stuff, but please ask permission first.
I am personally turning my attention to salt water fishing for bass off the shore. With the warming water and more and more fish hitting the beaches it's a good time to try this.
Make sure you find a quiet spot, as noise and disturbance will keep the fish too far offshore. Again, the best times to go are in the early morning or late at night. Depending on the tide, I like to fish around low water.
Ideal conditions for fly fishing are clear water and very little wind. You will have to wade a little way out but you might be amazed. There will possibly be bass breaking the surface around you so get your fly or plug into the feeding zone.
Here are some pics of the flies to use - baitfish patters and poppers. I've even taken them on a large cat's whisker! Most of the fish will be school bass but you might be lucky and latch onto something bigger.
You can use your normal fly gear – a 7-8 weight rod and fly line - but step up your leader breaking strain to 12-15Ibs.
For plug fishing, a suitable spinning outfit and a selection of spinners and plugs won't cost the earth to buy. You will notice that some have beads or balls inside to give added attraction to the wobbling lure when swimming. Others have a diving vein at the front, this allows the lure to fish deeper or shallower, depending on how fast you retrieve the plug. The slower the retrieve the shallower it will swim, the faster and the deeper it will swim. Be careful how deep and fast you go as you might snag up on the bottom, but you can mix the retrieve up to deceive the bass.
You can also try fishing either side of high tide as well. With this method deeper water, close in to shore can be very effective.
Two very important points
Tight lines. Have fun but be safe, all the best Bob G