Canal Zander - The Hallowed II Chronicles Pt.9 (+ Rudd and Tench hopefully)

Amazing what people get up to these days. I saw some ads recently for business espionage equipment: aids to spying on your deadly rival. There are tiny electronic bugs you can put in his phone, little microphones you can stick under his desk, or even to the bottom of his briefcase. There's another gadget you can stick in your earhole to pick up the transmissions, plus a little tape recorder to get it all down.

Just in case you fail to stick anything on his briefcase, there's a tiny directional mike which can eavesdrop on conversations yards away. Weeny telescopes so that you can read any document he's incautious enough to pull out in public. And, should you get close enough, a camera built into a cigarette lighter.

Just to show their impartiality, the manufacturers also offer anti-espionage devices: bug detectors, microphone scramblers and the like. Plus something which gives the alarm if any naughty person should slip explosives into your natty executive case. There were no ads for explosives, but perhaps if you asked nicely...

I hope the idea never spreads to the match fishing scene for the seat box frequenters and F1 tappers. There's enough aggro there already without bugs in your basket or bangers in your breadpaste. Let's just be thankful that the average match scene has enough natural obstacles to defeat even the most sophisticated electronic espionage. Take those two blokes over at the bar, deep in argument. Bound to be discussing the baits and tactics for the needle match the following day. Tune in with your directional microphone and find out what's causing the controversy:

'It's your round, I tell you'

'Never! I got the last one.'

'Right, But you still owe me one from last night'

'I never do. I bought you one just before closing time'

'Yes, but what with ? That fiver I lent you. Which reminds me....

Hmm, yeah some problems with that isn't there !! 

Anyway to the fishing !!! 'The Hallowed' stretch may well have been named by me because of the capture of a double figure canal Zander after a 6 year quest but this canal is very different from the rest I fish, why ? well there is fish in it for starters 👌. Well ok, I jest but the sheer variety of fish on offer here that swim in these holy waters really is an eyeopener.

Pike, Perch, Roach, Rudd, Tench, Silver Bream, Bream, Roach Bream Hybrids, Zander, Eels, Ruffe and probably a few carp about most likely and some species I've forgotten about. 

My mediocre rudd PB of 1lb and 4 ounce came from here but there are anglers I know that fish these waters that have caught fish twice that size.

Tench as well, I hardly fish waters that contain them mainly because I prefer to fish natural venues but 7lber's here blog readers, yes really.

Pike, yeap they go big here, over >20lb'ers have been caught, heck even my PB came from here a couple of years ago and that went 17lb and 8 ounces. If only I was closer with a busy work and family life I struggle to find the time to fish it for any frequency and any length of time. 

Now although this is a new chapter of fishing down this stretch of canal, of cause I'd like to try and catch a bigger Zander. Why wouldn't I ? I love them as a species I really do, however for this double dipping session I'd have a sleeper method feeder rod out from dusk in to dark and also a float rod out for anything that was up for a feed. 

My 'insider' with ears and multiple rods on the ground, dusk and in to dark is the key feeding times for the larger specimens but them it is or many species whatever the venue.

If you think about it though boat movement can be quite prevalent when it's a good time to catch either of these species and no decent sized fish wants a propeller up the jacksie or an otter round the throat now does it. 

I'd ditch the maggot rod and I'd have a float rod with a waggler that I could fit an chemical light which I'd fish on the bottom with sweetcorn or bread and from time to time remove move the shot up to the eye of the float and see if any patrolling rudd were up for a feed off the top. 

Nic from Avon Angling was already bankside when I got there and he'd already been catching some small rudd, perch and silver bream so at least there were some bites to be had. Well I say that because when I turned up and got my armoury out for an hour there was nothing doing whatsoever. 👀

What the heck was going on here !!!

They switched off completely for some reason probably because the sun was high in the sun still. I got bore and walked to some reeds where I managed something so small the bite mimicked a crucian carp. Hmmmmm...

...after heading back to join Nic again it was just nice to have a social to be honest. We rarely get to natter for a few hours like this. Eventually after 'filling it in' the bites started up again and this time it was me with the fortune.

Will dusk upon us eventually the fish started to munch the maggots where I a managed a few rudd in quick succession.

Not the biggest of rudd admittedly because fish 4 or 5 times the size of this one was my target. Still considering how poor it had been up till now at least there were a few fish showing. The method rod for both of us showed no interest for the whole of the session which was very odd indeed.

 After I caught a tiny Zander when swapping to worm this just wasn't my day and yet a bird pooped on my hand when topping all the bird feeder, I was expecting a decent Rudd or a Tench to show specially when I switched to fishing close in over a bed of freebies.

I'd given myself a 10.00pm curfew at the start of the session and I went ten minutes after that with ones tail between my legs. Nic stayed a little longer and managed a rudd of 1lb 7oz in with the torch illuminating his float. A forgettable one I must admit and when it's an hour and 10 minutes round trip felt very disappointing indeed. Still there is tomorrow morning, I'm off to bream bay.