Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.109 (Canal Carp & Bream)

This area of canal hasn't been that good of late, I'm not sure why either because I've had some decent success over the years I've been fishing it but with the weather being nice and a small window of fishing opportunity, I fancied trying something a little different than what I've been doing of late.

I caught a carp along this stretch and with the sun going to be high in the sky, I was hoping I could spot some, and if I did, give them a go with surface bread, which was the eventual downfall of one particular carp that just didn't seem to be interesting in taking my bait, no matter how I tried to fish for it. 

If I couldn't see the carp I'd also fish the pellet waggler tight to some reeds over at the far side which I'd never done before up till now, despite catching some nice canal fish that way in the past. I'd been fishing the track and also the nearside reeds and those bigger fish just hadn't been showing up for me for some reason. 

There was a slight hurdle in my plan though and that was the fact that my adopted local pub had Bass on cask and it would stupid to not to have a thirst quencher prior to some fishing, because I know it wouldn't be available after the weekend with only 88 pints being in a keg, and Bass is easy drinking.

Bass beer (the red triangle is the oldest trademark in the UK, the landlord Danny tells me) has a top fermenting yeast that is fermented at a warmer temperature for 3–5 consecutive days. This process also allows for the beer to have a more fruity and robust flavor. It is because of the hops and the malts that the beer is brewed with a slightly burnt aroma and a full body flavor. 

Now up until the 18th century, beers in England were mostly deep brown or black in color, however as malting technology improved, so did the ability to control the intensity of roast and flavor. Some of the defining characteristics of the more paler ales are the clear yellow look of the beer with a half an inch to an inch of head when it is poured into a glass, or for me I look for those more copper red brown. They are usually to my palate rather than those more modern overly hoppy IPA's we get this days. 

Anyway after the nice pint which I managed to get free, because after a natter with Danny, I completely forgot to pay for it until I was half way down it, so shouted Danny who was milling around outside messing around with air rifle (yes really), and he said "Oh well, don't worry about it, have one on me" !!)

Bonus !!!

Anyway back to the task in hand after  I caught a bream within half an hour of getting there that took some bread tight to some reeds, I noticed that the carp was milling around by another clump of reeds, and was sunning itself basking in the lovely weather.

Not a huge fish, but certainly worth targeting, however like all canal carp, very very spooky indeed and despite managing to get some bread right on its nose a couple of times, it was do an about turn and go completely the other way 😑. 

I figured out its patrol route and positioned some bread in a perfect spot hoping when it came back it would take it, but no, this time it completely ignored it. I was surprised how much of the canal it covered when I spooked it and at one point I'd followed it down the canal a good 200 yards or so. Very frustrating and in the end I ran out of time sadly. On a positive note at least I know there is still carp in carp corner, I just need to be in the right time and the right place like I was last time I caught a canal carp, fingers crossed !!