Spicy, well yeah, it certainly was, but the Lamb Rogan josh needed that extra chilli hit because in standard form, where in standard Indian restaurant form in my extensive experience ones taste buds need more a wakening up. It put me in good stead to tackle the canal though because with a wellbeing boost the evening before, those discarded dog poo bags, the landmines to leapfrog and the great unwashed to avoid if at all possible, at least I was in a better frame of mind.
Now the pandemonium in work at the moment means my fishing time has seen a dent somewhat, and with the family duties only ever increasing on top of that those small window of opportunities to go fishing need to be grabbed whenever I can mange it.
To be honest I'm looking forward to the coarse fishing close season coming to an end again because well, I've lost some of my motivational mojo of late and fishing the canals has seemed to drag on a bit. So to quell the piscatorial urge this session I had 2 hours max, so I decided to try and maximize the fishing as best as I could and that meant swapping my legs for ones mountain bike, where I could get to the chosen swim far quicker than if I was using my aging appendages.
I cover >10k steps most days though and that needs to be continued with because it keeps my joints as well oiled, and it's about as much I can manage in my busy family predicament, keeping on top of that ever expanding and constantly leaking ceiling and seemingly a limited amount of buckets.
The swim was just shy of a mile from where I'd be parked up so ok not a huge amount of walking but it made sense for this particular short session. So travelling light was the order of the day, a small sling bag, a landing net, and ones 3.5m Drennan Acolyte Pro Telescopic Whip. Some groundbait and some maggots, that was my lot. I stumbled upon some nice roach here last time quite close in next to some reeds and I fancied in on the action again. But there one day, gone the next if often the problem fishing canals.
Now from the Drennan bumph the Acolyte Pro Whip 350 is designed for ultra speed fishing to hand at close range. The whip is only 75g yet strong, stiff but forgiving enough to safely swing or net bigger fish. Its forward action is perfect when bagging Roach, Perch, Dace and Bleak on Rivers, Stillwater’s, Canals and Drains.
I am rarely outgunned using it but I have lost fish when the forgiving blank can bend no more and after following the fish down the canal or watching it head straight to the far bank the small hook often can pull.
But overall it's one of those rods that just makes sense for the canal for small stuff. There was evidence of boat traffic when I got there because the canal was chocolate brown, but still get some scent down for the fish to home in fish can often be caught despite the turbid conditions.
I missed a couple of bites within ten minutes and half an hour after that I managed a couple of fish the eel giving the whip a decent workout. No roach were showing though and that was why I was here really.
The towpath at 5.30pm becoming rather busy with one particular dog walker about in control of his dogs as I am with my own diary. The dogs determined to hover up whatever bits of groundbait was by my feet the owner couldn't care less what they were up to.
Take this boater he could see me fishing for a good distance back but still proceeded to carve through my swim full throttle turning it in to a turbulent mess.
Thankfully there are boaters that slow down and I'm sure many of those are anglers too. After the carnage the canal was almost like a river and despite giving it another half an hour that was my lot and my curfew had arrived. The bike did a sterling job of transporting me there and back I need to do it more often as it does save a lot of time.
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