Top Tips for Successful Autumn Fishing

Back to nature…

After a busy summer, many day ticket fisheries will have seen months of non- stop bombardment with pellets and boilies. A return to more natural baits can be just the ticket for wary fish, especially better carp that are growing wary of the large, obvious and highly processed baits they constantly find.

Worms can be especially brilliant- and if you have a compost heap it’s easy to gather and feed these generously. A regular helping of well-chopped samples is an excellent fish attractor. Try a lob worm on the hook if you get pestered by small fish.

Other excellent options at this time of year include sweetcorn, tiger nuts and maggots. It’s also a fantastic time to give prawns a go, which are loved by big carp as well as perch!

With regard to all baits, don’t be afraid to loose feed fairly positively while the water is still relatively warm, which it may well be right into October and November. This doesn’t mean going nuts, but “little and often” is usually good policy – and far more effective than “dump and wait”.

Avoid falling leaves and debris!

Leaves and dead plant matter are an occupational hazard at this time of year. They can make presentation a pain in the backside, but there are ways to prevent or at least reduce the problem. Fish have much less of an issue than us, it’s fair to say.

Contrary to some of the advice out there, fish will often investigate organic waste and leaf litter; it is fodder for all kinds of bug life, from caddis nymphs to freshwater shrimp. However, if your bait is obscured or your hook and line get bunged up, your odds of success are drastically reduced.

For bottom fishing, a few simple tricks can help you beat the build-up of debris. One is to use popups – carp anglers can use ready made buoyant baits, while solid PVA bags are another godsend if you are casting into areas with debris.

For general coarse fishing, small wafters or baits like fake corn can gently lift your hookbait off the deck. Bread is another excellent alternative, as it settles gently without digging into the bottom and you can bury the hook in it. For perch, it’s worth keeping a syringe in your tackle box to gently air inject worm baits (just be sure to do this on a hard surface and watch your fingers because air in your bloodstream could be fatal!). Whichever option you use, give your bait a little test in the margin or a bait tub to make sure it’s sitting just right.

Lure fishing tips for autumn

While most pike and perch anglers sensibly give the fish a break in hot summer weather, once temperatures cool and the water dips below 18C you’re back in business. Natural venues can be thick with weed and debris, however, so you may need to fish smart. Remember, though, unlike anglers predators like cover and vegetation, so get stuck in rather than only fishing easy, clear spots.

Weedless lures are one way of beating debris- and in particular spinnerbaits are brilliant and underused. The upturned hook and rubber “skirt” mean you can cast where you wouldn’t dare with other lures. Micro versions are also useful for perch and chub. That said, you don’t always need weedless lures- simply switching to jig-style single offerings and lighter weights will also cut down on snagging.

One last tip here for anyone who fishes canals, drains and other shallow, weedy waters is to pack some very slow-sinking or “suspending” lures. These are some of the best pike lures for autumn, and perfect for hovering and fishing slowly in clearings amidst weed. Too many anglers use lures that are too heavy or reel their artificials in too fast!

Watch the pressure (and embrace the rain!)

Now is a great phase of the year to find fisheries quieter- but when is the best time to go fishing through the autumn? What fair weather fishers often miss is that grotty conditions can be excellent for bites. Low pressure and overcast or wet weather are perfect for many species, but especially fish like carp, tench and bream.

In fact, pick a day with westerly or southerly winds, and mild, damp weather and you will not only find many fisheries quiet, but bang on for active fish. The classic advice of “follow the wind” really pays off here, so think of the fish first and your comfort second and you won’t go far wrong.

Get covered and stay late

Talking of comfort, at this time of year it’s necessary to prepare for colder and more changeable weather. Quality waterproofs are a must and some sort of shelter is a good idea if you plan longer sessions.

It might sound obvious, but unless you are comfortable and dry, it’s hard to give your full focus, let alone stay on into what is often the best time of day to fish in autumn: late afternoon to evening. This is especially true if the preceding night has been cold and clear. It’s uncanny how often the last hour of the day is when a real net-filler shows up.

Watch river levels and time your trip

When it comes to river fishing, running waters should be in better nick right now thanks to welcome rain. So many of our rivers suffer these days due to the dry, hot summers that are the norm. The opposite issue can also occur, however, with sudden and intense bursts of rain.

One excellent tip is to get a river levels app. These are often free (“River App” is a good one) and offer you an instant, accurate look at water levels at various locations across the majority of UK rivers. If you’re at liberty to pick days and times, aim for steady levels – or falling water after floods. In fact, a dropping river can be the best time of all to get out there, as the fish wake up and feed again after prolonged poor visibility.

Change your targets with the fly

With so many anglers being all rounders these days, it’s also worth mentioning the great potential to be had with fly fishing tackle. Wild trout might be off the menu in October in most areas, but that needn’t stop you casting nymphs and streamers for various other fish.

In fact, lots of streams stay open thanks to grayling- that includes some of the top chalkstreams, where prices tend to come down. The various fishing passport schemes across the UK, including FishPass and Wye and Usk Foundation, are well worth exploring here.

That said, you could also happily aim a fly at other coarse fish. Perhaps the most underrated and common target is the chub. Easy ways to fish include using a weighted nymph with an indicator, or casting “streamers” such as a Woolly Bugger or Humungous.

Make the most of the seasonal harvest!

Another enjoyable part of autumn fishing is that you can harvest some excellent baits completely free of charge. I’m always on the lookout for items to harvest in September – but depending on when autumn arrives, you might still find free fish food a bit later.

I’ve caught some excellent chub on blackberries, while anyone near a park or lawn can harvest lobworms on a wet night. Best of all for the traditional coarse fisher, though, are elderberries. Nobody seems to pick them these days, but they are a roach bait par excellence.

Very slow sinking, they work in conjunction with hemp or on their own. Besides rivers, they work well on any day ticket fishery where the real trees are found. I’ve caught quite a few accidental carp on them as well as roach, and in the weeks before it gets properly cold, you can expect to catch elderberry feeders in the top two feet with them. All you need is a light float rig over regular loose feed. The actual berries are fairly delicate, so a pole is often best of all, with a 14-18 hook.

Happy angling – and get out there and enjoy what can be a truly magical time to fish!

Written by Dominic Garnett
Dom is a seasoned writer and angler as well as being a fully licensed level 2 game and coarse angling coach. Based in Exeter, you can catch more from him every week in the Angling Times, or at his site dgfishing.co.uk where you’ll find his blog and various books.