"I used to dismiss the specimen hunters who religiously took the water temperature and then declared they couldn't catch various species, but since moving to Bewdley I've become a convert. I now fish with a thermometer in the water at all times to monitor the change up or down during the day.

Temperature becomes critical at sub 10°C, with fish such as Barbel unlikely to feed under 6°C.During a match it gives you an idea of what fish are going to feed and also when they are going to feed.

For example, I remember fishing a match last year down at Stourport on the Severn. The water temperature when we started was just 4°C. I started on the straight lead feeding very little, without getting any bites along with the rest of the field. As the day wore on the temperature rose, I started to get indications on the lead and progressed onto the stick , eventually winning the match with over 11lb of roach.

If I hadn't monitored the temperature I would have overfed the peg early on and probably ruined any chance of catching at all; it just goes to show how small details make all the difference and observations like this are crucial in wintertime."

Dave Harrell: Match Fishing-December 2003