The Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.127 - Time Tussles and Tyrant Tarka's

I've suspect for a long time now some of the stretches of the Grand Union canal I fish have had Otters in residence. The numbers of Zander fallen for certain, the fish harder to locate, and it was after I had a conversation with a dog walker who walks this particular stretch as dusk who started to spot them despite not seeing them myself. 

I thought the turbid water would put them off, but then out of the blue I received a message from Nic off of Avon Angling UK who was fishing an area I fish confirmed conclusively that a pair of Otters are here for certain, no question, see for yourself !!!!

Human presence, doesn't bother us my angling friends, now where's that Zander. 

Now luckily for me I'm on double bubble at the minute so work has taken priority over ones fishing so I doubt I'll get bankside till the weekend.The issue for me is not far away, certainly a night excursion for out furry friends is the area I refer to as the 'deep bit'. It had form reasonably recently but I suspect that may be short lived and the Zed's fed up of watching their backs my relocate to someone else.

Finger and toes crossed !!!!

The Close Season Zander Quest Pt.126 – Screw Jaws and Spanish Slashers

A funny old end to the week, me and all other jobbers had their contract terminated, Thor's hammer fell at the client big time, most likely for many of the permanent staff as well, a site of much history, some good, some bad, likely to be no more. So two weeks paid notice away from the site of high security and prying eyes. Luckily though the networking and jungle drums in full swing without even trying, the coffers will be given a much needed boost, albeit short term. So with all this doom and gloom only one thing for it.

Yeap go fishing !!!!

At this time of year the weather can be all over the shop, but with clear skies and plenty of sun like it was for this session being bankside is fantastic. I was scraping ice off the windscreen when I left but as soon as the sun was poking itself over the trees behind me, it was very pleasant indeed.

The air nice and fresh, almost a spring in my step !!!!

The banks full of flowers, butterflies and insects. The moorhen chicks looking like massive bumblebee's when it is like this all those niggling things at the back of ones mind disappear and you don't think about anything whatsoever. Fishing can be tonic for the mind and it's good exercise too, my step goal activating with quite a bit of the session to go.

Now I was up at the tefal head for this session, an area that is home to my second biggest canal Zander of 8lb's 10oz's. An otter now shares the banks with the lambs and sheep though so sadly the moorhens chicks are possibly on a deathwish.

There are still fish to be caught though, and there are one or two banker swims that still hold fish. Sure enough the first cast of the smelts tight against some cover produced bites almost instantly. Two schoolies banked before even the frost had a chance to melt.

The problem is you have to find the fish and they for me seem to be getting less and less each year. There are big ones milling around though and that's why I return time and time again. The boats are less frequent here and with a large distance between locks it attracts fish for that very reason.

Now good friend and fellow Zed Head Danny from The L.O.A. put me on to a carp holding area sometime ago now and Dan, yes they are still there, despite Tarka been spotted a mile away, these fish are still around luckily. With the sun up and specs donned I could see them just kissing the surface and holding station tight to some cover, so when I get a chance I might have a try for them.

The water temperature as 12.1 degrees and the ever increasing solar loading will get them on the move most likely now. I've a scope sawn-off for discoveries like this because they are not that many pockets like that around, well certainly the areas I fish anyway.

Anyway back to the Zander, lots of walking, lots of swims fished and it was proving more difficult than I thought. Another schoolie shoal stumbled upon these are not the size of the fish I'm after, but they certainly provide some good sport.

They fight really well considering their size. Another fish caught and two missed bites, 5 fish wasn't a bad session I suppose. The problem is like I've found fishing for these canal Zander of the years is that the bigger fish don't show themselves that often.

When they do, it makes me continue what I do, if there is a chance of a canal double I want in on it. I'm lucky to have them on my doorstep I must admit. Many wouldn't agree with me for sure, but I've grown to love them as a species and for no fault of their own have made the Midlands canal network their home.

The Close Season Zander Quest Pt.125 – Grinagog's and Grumbletonians

The session the weekend just gone, 7 Zander caught, fish lost, bites galore, things were looking up. You see the Zeds appear to be free from the shackles of their Thierry Mugler corset dresses and are back to being mobile, back to do what they do best. There isn’t any science to catching Zander in this mood to be honest but if I’m to catch a big female with bulging bits with narcissism to match, I need to up the bank time.

That’s not easy because after all I’ve mouths to feed and a home to keep. An hour here, an hour there can really pay off though, especially if you’ve spent as much time chasing the needle in the proverbial haystack like I have, you get to know areas where bites are nearly almost guaranteed. Those areas are few and far between, they really are.

Now a step on from that is an area I found that is as rare as a correct MP’s expenses form, you see it’s an area that not only produces plenty of bites but those Zed’s that bite are usually fish over 3 or 4 pound. It’s an area that a 5lber isn’t an eyebrow raiser which believe you me, a 5lber is a rare canal Zander I tell thee.

This early morning session, would be short, very short indeed, maybe three, three and a a half hours max before the geriatrics activate their galvanic isolators and get on the move. I’d fish tight to some cover with smelt on the Sakuma Manta’s. It’s an area I refer to as the ‘deep bit’ because the cutting here has some nice depth to it, it may only be a foot and a half deeper than the usual depth of the canal but any ‘feature’ like this can really up the catch rate of the bigger fish.

A 7lb 8oz fish my biggest up till now in this particular area but having caught other fish exceeding 5lb it’s that rare hotspot us specimen Zed heads are trying to find. I’ve given it a little rest of late because oddly it’s been off form. I’m sure the spawning ritual didn’t help mind you so I was back for this quicky to see if there are fish here still.

I tend to give this section of cover a little more time however, the floats a little more time to settle. When the fish are up and moving around if you haven’t had a bit within 10 or 15 minutes it’s time to move to the next spot.

When the fish are in situ they will readily take a deadbait when dropped on their noggin’s so it’s a waste of time fishing one swim if bites are not forthcoming, you need to move. It means lots of canal can be covered which can be daunting at first to a newbie where all you can see is a huge volume of water, scratching your head thinking where to start.

Find the fish, rather than them find you, so anyway, back to the session !!!!

Now Nick from Avon Angling UK was out with a friend of his Steve the other day and they did quite well on dyed yellow deadbaits so for this session I thought I'd give them a go myself. Now Zander are known to like green and certainly it's one of the default colours for me so I wondered if they would make any difference, maybe a headturner over the hundrum.

It didn't help that I drove to the venue then realised I'd forgotten the deadbaits so I had to return home  to fetch them, so 20 minutes wasted basically in prime fishing time. Anyway I eventually got fishing but nearly an hour spent in the deep bit and boats starting to get moving it was time to get on the rove.

There are certain spots that usually hold Zander but today they were off feeding for sure. Eventually I received the first bite nearly two and half hours in to the session but it was a small fish that dropped off when it let go of the bait. A banker area sure enough produced a bite but again a lost fish, I don't think it was all that big luckily. So the last half an hour fishing the deep bit again, not a jot. Hmmm, not good, this used to be a productive area, just goes to show how much it can change.

So another blank to add to my list !!!!