Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal - #saveUKzeds

With the local rivers over the banks Danny Everitt's recent post on Save the Zander got me packing my Zander gear to fish a stretch near to me that was electro fished not so long ago.

The Lido stretch at Stratford

The person that used to have the rights to this stretch and made it free for all just so happens now owns and runs my favourite tackle shop that opened last year and I've had many chats on the matter.

After the Zander removal the EA at the time restocked this relatively short stretch with 20,000 silver fish to give it an apparent much needed boost as the canals were baron waste lands and devoid of anglers.

Well it's still devoid of anglers...and it's still contains Zander.

During my 2015 closed season Zander challenge I covered many miles of Warwickshire's canal network and I rarely shared footpaths with other anglers, then again it's like that on the rivers I fish though, especially in the winter. It's not like there isn't any silver fish sport to be hard, because there is, I know a few swims where if you stuck it out you could fill a keepnet with Roach, no problem.

But but but, its a trek from the car park and you cannot park next to where you fish.

The modern fisherman is lazy you see....

I'd been out of the sport for 6 years or so after taking a near 20 year layoff and I couldn't believe the difference when I started up again. I remember one Shanghai AC match at Tunnel Barn Farm in the height of summer, I'd not been to the venue before and had a walk around and I spotted an angler on a bridge with his feet dangling in the water and he was catching F1 carp with a small whip right next to his pinkies.

A 200lb weight in a 5 hour match is possible and every fish would look the same, how is that fun, you have to ask.

So this morning, a nice walk in the countryside with a lure rod and a float fished deadbait fished over depth I managed to catch 7 or 8 Zander in quick succession.

The biggest went 3lb 14oz, not big fish but fun all the same. A couple of nudges on the lure but all in deadbait. The water was cold, that could explain it.

As Danny says those anglers that walk the waterways these days are the predator anglers, they are the eyes and ears for the canal and rivers trust, they need support not alienating. Dropshot and jig fishing has become very popular indeed and it's a great way to get kids away from their PS4's and in to the sport.

They are here and naturalised in many waterways, so get out there and catch them and get some exercise whilst you're at it.

They are addictive....

I'm not a facebook user but give your support and Save the UK Zander