with KINGFISHER

AN amazing 12 degrees cooler than seven days previous is the sole explanation for somewhat depressed catches from most stillwaters last Sunday.

Though only a little bit warmer, anglers should find it significantly better this week.

That is because there has not been a great variation in temperature through the past week and, having gotten over the shock, fish will have settled down again.

Gone unfortunately, from the non-commercial fisheries probably, are the 'summer catches'. That does not mean you cannot still catch plenty, but you will have to adjust your tactics to suit the cooler weather.

That means feeding less for sure, at least until you establish the swim. The fish's metabolism will have slowed as the temperature has fallen.

Being less active means they need less energy, and less food!

Just cut back on the groundbait and loose-feed and be prepared to move if the fish do not show, for they will be less inclined to come to you.

The rivers are far less affected by a sudden fall in temperature, especially small 'industrial' tributaries like the Calder.

They tend to run a bit warmer generally than the main river and it comes as no surprise to me to learn that the Calder, with the Darwen, have fished well lately, with each now featuring the odd barbel in catches as well.

The first of the 'winter' leagues got under way last weekend. Though the Octoplus Standish series is called 'autumn' I am a bit of a traditionalist and I reckon that any after September are definitely 'winter'.

Anyway this league is innovative inasmuch as, to ensure a fairer share out of the team pool, it is split into two divisions in the same match. So there is a 'proper' canal match (with more than 50 anglers I mean), yet the same team doesn't take all the money every week like they tend to in other leagues.

Octoplus Blackburn, in Division Two, are hoping to do better this year than they did last, though they did really well, and they could not have had a better start.

The match was on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Wigan, a difficult venue at the best of times responding best to anglers who know it.

Like individual winner Tom Fairhurst, who knew that his peg on the high wall in Crook village held bream for sure.

In fact any of the anglers would have 'sussed' that out when they got to it, since it is at least twice as wide as the rest of the canal!

Anyway Tom knew exactly what he should do and double caster at 14 metres (down the middle!) resulted in three of the resident two-pound bream. Three skimmers added to them made up a total weight of 7-9-0 and a comfortable victory worth £140.

The runner-up had to work a bit harder, with bread-punch at eight metres, for an all roach net of 5-14-13, as did the rest of the 'framers' who also had roach nets.

Octoplus Blackburn did not have anyone in that individual list, but a great all-round effort put them five points clear of Daiwa Wigan in the team stakes and 15 clear of third placed Lostock Tackle.

There is a long way to go for sure, but let's just hope that they can consolidate that lead in the next match and continue to do so until the end of the series.