Canal Roach - The Sisyphean Task ? Pt.2

It certainly doesn't seem like 12 mths almost to the day when I caught a rather nice 1lb 12 ounce roach from a local section of canal. Catching that fish got me thinking about catching a 2'lber myself which is certainly possible if you look at George Burton's efforts. Now I'm part of a small syndicate with George and he is still catching some lovely fish albeit not blogging about it. Shame really because his is how a fishing blog should be done not my token effort 😆 

Anyway with some leaves to forage for a rather nice dish I make, which is a pan-fried chicken breast with wild garlic and mushrooms with new potatoes, it would be rude not to have a go for the roach whilst I was there, as the big roach I caught from a swim is literally right opposite the crop.

Those restless legs of mine don't help with this sort of fishing, especially on the canals where locating the fish can be the hardest task, not actually catching them, for this session however I'd have a chair with me and would concentrate on one spot before the first boat would spoil the (fingers crossed) fun. That could be an hour, or three, I'd only know that on the actual day.

For some reason many of the tiller twiddlers are easy risers where if I was in the same predicament I'd be sipping ,y 2nd cup of tea and getting the bacon sandwiches on. 

What the heck they are doing motoring down the canal in the earning morning, God only knows, as mad as me I suspect, but then the change of a big roach needs this sort of foolishness.

These waters have Zander in residence as well so I'd naturally have a sleeper rod out with a roach deadbait to try and infiltrate a Zed on the prowl. 

The mainstay would be an insert waggler with a small size 12 and a small thumbnail sized piece of bread on the hook. Bread slop to try and get the attention of any fish in the locality and that was it. 

Now picking wild garlic leaves is not forbidden but uprooting them is, as the population is in decline. Therefore, when collecting wild garlic, only take as much as you need about a handful of leaves at a time. Never uproot an entire wild garlic plant. In nature, only the leaves of wild garlic may be harvested.

If you are wondering where to go looking for wild garlic, simply find out what the soil type is in an area. You can expect to find wild garlic in forests that grow on calcareous soils. Focus your search along the bottom of slopes. Lime tends to accumulate at the foot of a slope, ensuring a high pH value in the soil and making it an ideal environment for wild garlic to thrive.

Besides vitamin C and minerals, such as iron and magnesium, wild garlic contains alliin and allicin; the latter is responsible for the typical garlic smell and is considered a pharmacologically active substance. The antibacterial effect of wild garlic has also now been medically confirmed. Additionally, fresh wild garlic, such as in a salad or pesto, is also said to help with relieving coughs and fevers. 

Like its close relative, garlic (Allium sativum), wild garlic is a healthy and versatile Allium. It is also very easy to grow in your own garden, or stumble upon some like I did, and you've a crop of your own you can pick from time to time. And garlic, who the hell doesn't like garlic !!!

Anyway what a frustrating session this was !!

I arrived towpath side for 6.15am and got the zander rod out next to some reeds at the far side and got fishing with the float rod. There was chop on the water and wind blowing to the side of me which wasn't exactly pleasant. 

A good 40 minutes in to the session the first indications there was actually fish in the swim !! Only small fish I assume because there was plenty of movement on the float but not enough to take it under let alone strike. I was using large pieces of bread though I would assume fishing maggots it would have been a different story.

I was settled in to fishing effectively and then the canal starts to flow like a river, yeap the first boat on the way at 7.30am in the bleeding morning. Once that had passed and coloured up the water even more those bites I was getting stopped altogether so I decided to move 50 yards to my right to fish a much more settled area where I could see the float easier.

What I didn't expect was after the float being out for half an hour a proper bite where at first I'd caught the bottom when I struck in to it, however it then started to move off and once it felt the resistance it bolted off !!!

Yeap I'd hooked a carp where after one powerful surge taking line, the next surge it leaped clear of the water to my right where the hooklink parted 😡 and it was gone Arhhhhhhhh !!!! it looked a double figure fish as well and could well have been the fish I'd caught here in the past. On closer inspection the shots were still on the hook to nylon but then the hook had parted company at the knot. 

That's not good now is it, a weak point for sure. btw Kamasan B560 size 12 to 4lb line. I kept on fishing where again signs there were small fish in the swim but eyes far bigger than their bellies. Once the boats started coming in anger and the towpath full of ill-mannered joggers and dog walkers where seemingly I was invisible it was time for the off.

A session of frustration but then that is canal fishing for you ☺ anyway next time I might give maggots a go to at least I'd likely to catch a fish or two. 

Fishing large pieces of bread is very selective and if those large roach and bream are just now there, the reality is you are missing out on the smaller species that at least can offer some sport. Oh well on to the next one !!!

Oh and the Zander sleeper rod, naff all !!!

The canal was 12.8 degrees btw, on the way up for sure. George, well he did better than me a 2lb 1oz roach and a 4lb 11oz hybrid amongst others WTF 👀 !!! I need to fish where he fishes !!!