anyone got any good tips for reservoir fishing....i tend to fish smaller lakes and am not exactly sure how to approach fishing a vast reservoir...will it be much different? will i need a drastic change of tactics? what works best through experience? thanks.

Welcome to the forum.If bank fishing.Just fish the water in front of you as if it was a small stillwater.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

thanks...would you advise hiring a boat? more succesful perhaps.....easier for stalking?

Stick to the bank at 1st.then when you can get someone else to share the boat with you.start down that avenue of the sport.It requires a fair bit more knowledge and tackle to be done properly.
More succesfull.A lot depends on how good you are at boatcraft
Easier fot stalking.I really don't think so.
Many places ,the boat is just anchored up and used as a mobile casting platform.but that is not boat fishing in it's true sense.

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

i would agree with Jim stick to the bank ,the fish are typically closer in at this time of year(not always) .The boat at anchor would get you to fish if you are not confident with your casting ability but is another ballgame.Worth investing in some waiders if you dont already have some(if other bank anglers are waiding they will push the fish out)

hope this helps Nick

thanks for the advice guys, i'll give it a go this week

I know this is a really obvious point but try and go with someone who knows the water well. It can be a very intimidating place at first and even the best run reservoirs can seem 'fishless'. If you don't have anyone to go with, speak to the fishery staff and get them to mark the best places on a map for you!! (Apologies for pointing out the obvious!!!) All the best, James.

thanks! sadly enough, i would never have thought of that....i think i'll revise my previous plan of trial and error!

If I'm visiting for the first time and cannot find anyone around to ask, I look for the obviously busy bits of the bank - well marked areas with lots of welly boot and wader prints - usually mean an area where the locals fish.

Well, trial and error can be fun & I've been happy wander along the bank looking to catch a fully finned rainbow or two. However, you can easily come back with a blank doing this. Maybe stating the obvious here but the best chance of a fish is to locate the area where they put the fish in. They dont move too far at first so you can often catch the raggy finned fish there. As jamesjigus says, ask the Fishery Manager(s) and they should point you in the right direction. Where were you thinking of fishing?