Spring Into The Summer

On the cusp of a new season, changes are afoot above and below water.

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DAFFODILS are already bursting into flower, the hedgerows are full of hawthorn blossom and, on a warm evening, the first fly hatches are starting to gather. After another mild winter, spring is now well under way and life below the surface is adapting just as it is above.

Water temperatures can remain surprisingly low for much longer than above the surface. Dip your hand in the water and you will feel just how much cooler it is. Even now most fisheries will have reached only six or seven degrees centigrade, and this has a distinct effect on the behaviour of the fish.

Changing water temperatures

Cool temperatures mean fish need less food and will soon eat their fill. With appetites suppressed, thanks in part to them carrying a bulk of developing eggs, you can see that hot days do not necessarily guarantee good sport.What is more likely to happen on hot, still days is that the water will begin to stratify.

The top foot or two will be warmed by the sun and can become several degrees warmer than the water below. Normally these layers will break down as the sun sinks below the horizon, forming on the next warm day.

Carp are the most obvious fish to make the most of this warm surface water and will often bask near the top. Their dark backs will also absorb the suns energy directly, giving them a feeling of warmth. With the carp spending much of the time up in the water, it is no surprise that zigging can be such an effective method at this time of the year.