Any area that is away from the main heavy flow should be explored

Dropping a paternostered livebait into each slack along a given stretch of river will often produce at least one hungry pike. The fact that the river is in flood will mean that the pike will be pushed into a relatively small area so a catch of several pike from one spot can not be ruled out. Give each spot an hour and after catching one stay put for another hour before moving on. Any area that is away from the main heavy flow should be explored. Although I mentioned livebait, a dead fish presented so it is in mid water will work almost just as well and indeed a deadbait fished on the bottom could well produce a bigger fish, although this is not such a productive method as it is in stillwaters. The flow of the river will make legering baits difficult, not the presentation, but the registering of bites and the inherent danger of not seeing a take and the resultant deep hooked pike. Therefore I always fish a float on rivers whether as a paternoster or as a float/leger. Plus I think seeing a float sink away or move across or up the current as a pike takes the bait is far more exciting. Having said that, I know someone who touch legers for pike in rivers. He rarely misses a take and never deep hooks a fish so it can be done, but extreme concentration is needed. As with most pike fishing, rigs and tactics are fairly simple, ensure adequate tackle is used though, 15lb bs mainline at minimum and an 18 inch wire trace. Rivers are very snaggy, especially in floods and river pike (unlike many of their stillwater cousins) invariably fight extremely hard. Once a spot is found to contain pike, the same spot can be relied upon to produce for years to come in similar conditions. There is a spot on the Thames that I fish that is the inlet to a small stream, which then flows through farmland and then back out into the Thames a mile downstream. In summer or in normal winter water levels the inlet is devoid of pike although small fish are present. However when a big flood comes this small area of water suddenly contains several big pike. The reason of course is that the shoals of prey fish congregate here to get out of the heavy flow and the pike follow. Further up, the stream is again devoid of fish but this small area has produced big pike for me for many years when conditions are just right. My best brace of pike came from that spot during one November flood, fish of 27 and 31lb. Here livebaits are essential, although I have caught a couple on paternoster sprats. Baits on the bottom though have so far produced nothing. It is all about reading the situation and adapting to it. Having said that slacks produce most pike I have also caught them downstream from weirs in flood conditions just as the white water ends. Here I use a large buoyant float with a 1oz weight 4 feet below it at the top of the trace. A good sized silver deadbait, (herring, roach etc), is then used and the whole lot is cast right into the white water. As it careers off downstream hold the rod high to keep the line out of the water as best as you can and watch the float. Takes are savage, usually the float just dives away as the pike grabs what it thinks is an injured fish washed over the weir and surges off downstream. It is advisable if at all possible to follow the pike downstream to net it because fighting a pike in white water, whilst exciting, is hard work and the chances of the hook pulling are greatly increased. It is fun fishing though and the technique can produce some big pike. One last point, it has been said that coloured water is not good for pike fishing. I have found that this is the case perhaps on stillwaters but on rivers I have found it makes no difference at all, so do not be put off by murky water.So there are the four species to fish for in winter floods in rivers where our chances in fact are increased for some bigger specimens. It may look grim out there and we may need to wear waders to get to the river but the fishing can be superb. We will also probably have the rivers to ourselves, which is always nice, and the fish are in tiptop condition. Over the next month or so I will look at another winter weather condition and how we can get the best from it.Have fun!

John Young