Question:
Hi Stuart,
What is the best time of year to visit Gillhams Fishing Resorts?
From David from a cold and wet Manchester.
Stuart’s answer:
Hi David,
As for the best time of year, as with all fishing, the lake switches off and on, so we have good days and even bad days, then we get a red letter day. We are open all year the only day we do not fish is Christmas day. It’s really up to you if you are a sunshine lover or prefer cooler, overcast weather. In my opinion mid April through to January is best when the temperatures are down. The arapaima, red tail catfish and spotted sorubim love the rain and feed better in lower temperatures, but they still have mad spells in hot periods especially early evening when the sun drops, and mornings up to 10.30am.
The Mekong catfish, Julian’s golden prize carp and stingrays do not like rain, but as with all fish they have to eat, so you get short feeding periods. The Siamese carp are just eating machines, and in sun, rain, bright or overcast, they eat! All our other fish do not seem to have a pattern, so I would say you have a chance anytime for these other species. We are here 24-7, and we always advise our clients when the feeding spells are, and if they occur outside of our fishing times we will adjust the times to suit.
The best fishing months are mid April through to mid January, best sunbathing months are January through to March. Below is a rough guide to our weather patterns but as we are sub-tropical it can rain at any time, this also affects the guide below.
Mid April through to mid September we get light showers in the evenings with sunny days and temperatures ranging from 21c -70f to 32c -90f. Expect all species.
Mid September to Mid October is monsoon time we get prolonged heavy rain and overcast days with temperatures between 18c-65f to 26c-80f. The arapaima Amazon red tail catfish and Siamese carp love this period.
Mid October to mid January we get some light showers in the evenings with sunny days and temperatures ranging from 23c -75f to 35c -95f. Expect all species.
Mid January through to mid February dry and sunny with temperatures ranging from 29c -85f to 37c -100f, the fishing is still good but early morning late afternoon as opposed to all day. Mekong catfish and Julian’s golden carp prefer these months.
Mid February trough to end of March dry and sunny with temperatures ranging from 32c -90f to 48c -120f, the fishing is still good but early morning late afternoon as opposed to all day. By mid March we get some heavy rain at night which lowers the temperatures back down to what they are mid April. Expect all species.
To sum up your question: the lake fishes better from the mid April through to mid January; but the fishing is good all year it’s just down to what sort of weather you prefer. In my honest opinion the most consistent fishing period would have to be April through to January. But don’t misunderstand me; the lake and fish are moody and they switch off and on. We have great days, good days and poor days at any time, but over an average of five days everyone gets at least one great day.
If you check out the yearly reviews and newsletters sections of our website you will see how many fish have been caught of each species and up to what size, and I think you will see the fishing is consistent all year. Even during the hottest month on record the lake still fished well, as it did during the wettest on record. We live in a constantly changing world and the fish adapt to it, and as they say, it’s called ‘fishing’, not ‘catching’, and some days are good, some poor, and then along comes the day of your dreams.
I hope that has answered your question honestly, and if you have any further questions please feel free to ask.
Best regards,
Stuart.
