This thread made me remember a similar topic on tiny rivers and streams from 'other species' .
The water I referred to in the following copied post was really small, and the most important point was being stealthy .
As well as netting some nice roach during that session , I had three small barbel and eventually got done by a carp.
Also fished three different pools in tandem, because of the obvious disturbance when playing anything half decent.
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Agree with Gavin on bait. I like to trot sweetcorn and light ledger flake.
There is a millstream carrier next to a Thames tributary that I have tried for Roach this summer that fits your discription.
It averages 8 to 10 feet wide, a couple of feet deep with the occasional riffle and deeper pool.
The main river has seen it's population of Roach decimated by Cormorants, and with a decline in habitat coupled with erratic flow regimes they have faded into distant memory.
The millstream however, was given a habitat makeover in the mid nineties by the EA. The restoration included placing some huge boulders into the stream along with gravel to create oxygenated riffles and pools. Willows were also planted.
The stream doesn't recieve the same attention from Cormorants as the river as I believe they find it too confined. The exact same can be said for anglers, as the EA errected a fence a few feet from the waters edge to act as a buffer zone against livestock.
All this leaves the residents undisturbed and ready for me to spoil their day!
The tactics are simple really...Go light, no room for chairs...be very careful not to spook them.
A light quiver rod, 3lb line, a loaf. net and a few odds and sods in a waistcoat pocket.
I took a leaf from Falkus and Buller's lovely old book, ''Freshwater Fishing'' [circa 1975 ] , ...the chapter ''A swimfeeder technique on the Dorset Stour'' and carefully loaded a small cage feeder [ ''Like a pipe smoker would fill a pipe''], with breadflake and kneeling down, lowered it into the pool.
I would repeat this two or three times, and replace the feeder with a very small lead'
This method seems to work on that venue, as I have caught some decent Roach during an evenings fishing.
Unfortunately, as Gavin mentioned, there are often other residents in those pools who all like bread!
Dt
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It's certainly makes a change to try out smaller streams which demand a different approach , and can often be rewarding . The stream in question obviously provided its occupants with preferable conditions compared with the main river and proved that barbel still like bread!