The effect of the wind is difficult to over-state

Different species of fish react in different ways to the weather, but I can think of few species which like a Northerly, or Easterly wind. Whilst you may catch fish, you are unlikely to really bag up when the wind is blowing cold. Give me a nice strong Southerly, with just a hint of Westerly and most fish will go on a munch. Knowing how the wind is blowing, and how it will affect your chances can not only enable you to plan your sessions to best effect, but will also enable you to position yourself best to be on fish. The effect of the wind is difficult to over-state. Take the complex of lakes that I tench fish as an example. Some of the lakes are quite shallow, with one in particular being less than four feet deep. When the wind blows from the East or North, these lakes are a complete waste of time and it can take them several days to recover when the wind swings to a more favourable quarter. In these shallow waters the effect of a cold wind is almost instantaneous. I have fished some mornings and caught for the first hour or two, until the wind has picked up with the rising of the sun and the fishing has stopped dead. From a lake filled with rolling fish and movement to only the gentle rocking of the waves in a matter of minutes. I can’t believe that the water has cooled that quickly. Perhaps the fish recognise the signs and stop feeding, rather than have food sitting in their gut that they cannot digest? On these shallow lakes the reaction of the fish is instantaneous and covers the entire lake. You cannot continue to catch fish away from the wind, or in a tucked away corner. No, the only answer is to up sticks and go elsewhere. The deeper lakes on the complex are affected by the wind, but not in anything like as such a dramatic manner. Often it can be a day or two before the fish respond to the cold wind as the water temperature begins to be affected. Unlike their shallow water compatriots, some feeding will often continue, and by fishing fine and cutting back on bait you can continue to catch a few fish. Choosing the right swim also becomes much more important. Find an area on these larger lakes that is on the back of the wind and you will often find that the fish feed harder and for longer than on the wind-ward bank. Imagine the cold surface water being pushed down on the windward bank, cooling the whole water column and you will see why fishing into the teeth of a cold wind is not a great idea. No, I am much happier, and more comfortable, fishing with the wind behind me when it is blowing from the East and North. Another phenomenon that I have noticed on several lakes is that the fishing can go right off when the wind blows at a right angle to the prevailing bars in the lake. One lake in particular that I fished a few years ago was situated in a steep valley. When the wind blew, as it often did, it would howl down the valley. Warm wind or cold, this would spell the end of fish activity. The lake was full of gravel bars that ran across the lake, so when the wind blew it would cause a great deal of turbulence as the waves rocked over these obstructions. It was very noticeable on this lake that although over forty acres it would colour up very quickly and the tops of the bars were very clean. Get a pit where the wind blows along the bars though, and you will have good fishing on a warm wind. I tend to fish in the deeper water when the wind is blowing hard, particularly when the bars come within four feet of the surface. The tops are better left for hot calm conditions. Fishing at the windward end of the lake with the baits fished in the gullies between the bars will work a treat, whatever the species you are pursuing. Personally, I prefer to fish at right angles to the bars and cast across them, as it is possible to cover several gullies without spreading the lines out too much. It also means that I can hide behind a well positioned brolly and still scan the water.

These are just a few examples of how you can use the wind as an aid to predicting the behaviour of the fish. Although I can offer a guide, there is nothing like experiencing it for yourself, so get out there, think about your swim choice and get catching!