Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.17

Sadly the extended Easter break is now over but a pint of Guerrilla Stout at the local pub it was that nice I decided to stay far longer than expected so much so I had to get the Wife to do a detour and come and pick me up and I had to leave the Jimny overnight in the car park.

You see it was one of those moorish stouts that needs to be savoured and not quaffed and after the 2nd pint putting the world to rights with the landlord, it would be rude to not have a third and then a fourth. It gave me some thinking time though and after I received a message back from the oracle confirming what he told me a few years ago.

So I knew exactly what the morning would hold and this was a little different this session, you see, as I was told about these 'washed out' canal chub in an area not a millions miles from me and although I tried once for them if I recall (cannot find the blog post), however what I do remember is that session was cut short because of boat movement and footfall. 

Not huge fish by all accounts 2.5/3 lbers but of interest to me for sure, because I love a challenge and this certainly had the no smoke without fire about it, because I've heard it from two different sources now. 

Unlike the clear canals some BIG chub reside in England, these turbid waters they are rare I tell thee. 

This is a busy old stretch this so as per the norm it seems a quick smash and grab to try and track down these fish which must I'm sure envy their river dwelling brethren. Because let's be honest here, after a gleeful narrowboat dweller told me recently he had eaten the huge canal Zander he had caught not miles away from here, he raised his eyebrows when I told him "Wow, and you lived to tell the tale !!!"

You see this shallow canal let's just say the water quality ain't all that. 

The constant churning up of the silt, the diesel and oil leaks from the boaters and the fact I've seen all manner of dead animals tainting its already tainted waters that would tick many off the species list from Noah's Ark.

To be fair this area due to the lock make up and design means that the overflow system does oxygenate the water somewhat and that could mean that the small pocket of chub that calls this place their home, can just about put up with it.

Now having not having caught canal chub before it was difficult to know how to approach them but in the end I decided on float fished bread or a pungent hookable pellet and I'd also have a small crankbait I'd use from time to time, as they are predatory after all. So at least if the chub were not biting at least a perch or zander might be forthcoming instead. 

The canal in Bards country is chocolate brown most of the time but fish it in the morning the clarity is about as good as you are going to get. That's why Zander thrive in these waters they are top dog.

Anyway better get fishing hadn't I !!!!

The Aldi bread I bought when defrosted almost crumbled in my hand, so I won'y bother to buy that again even though it was as cheap as chips. There is a reason why I tend to stick to Warburtons because it's doughy and basically stay on the hook.

I managed to get the odd piece to stay on and as usual in gobstopper proportions. What I didn't expect though was having to deepen the float as the first run through it pulled the float under and then the next chuck I got a bite almost instantly. 

I missed that one though so again another large piece of bread on the hook and a short underarm flick it started to sink through the oxygenated water. This time though after the bite came and the float disappeared a firm strike I hooked in to a decent fish.

I knew what it was straight away and after a decent fight from the chub it was in the net. That didn't take long did it, mission accomplished in around 10 minutes and not 6 years like the Zander quest, this one of the better ones it seems going 3lb 10 ounces on the scales. 

I retained it in the landing net hoping for another one but oddly that was that, the swim went dead and no more bites sadly. There are a couple of similar swims here so I fished those in similar vein but again nothing doing at all.

The crankbait didn't get any attention either and after the first boat was making its way down the canal I decided to end the session early and annoy the wife by joining her back on bed. There are Zander here too and I've not fished this stretch for years so maybe I've been missing something ?, watch this space.