Q&A SHORE ANGLING
Q After weeks of brilliant fishing on the shallow beaches of the Solway, the fishing has just stopped. Could this be down to the heatwave we’ve had or is it something else?
MICHAEL STOKER, NEW ABBEY, DUMFRIES
JM says: Prolonged periods of hot or cold weather can have a detrimental effect on our fishing, especially when it comes to shallow beaches and estuaries.
More often than not, the main reason fishing is good from certain locations, at different times, is down to the food source. Fish need to eat and certain weather conditions can most definitely affect what they are eating.
I fish shallow areas of mud and sand in winter. These areas will fish well until we experience prolonged periods of heavy frost and then the venues switch off. This is because the worms disappear from the sand and mud, along with the shrimps. It can be the same in principle with prolonged periods of extreme heat, which can eradicate a food source from certain venues. Shallow beaches and estuaries like you have on the Solway will dry out at low tide and get literally
