Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.100 (Bread and Maggots)

With the bread not doing the business yesterday morning I decided to venture over to a stretch of the Grand Union a short drive away to see what I could catch using simple tactics. So groundbait to kick it off and maggots or bread on the size 16 KKH Preston hook.

A nippy morning around 7 degrees where I rocked up a little later than usual. I was fishing by 6.00am though and the walk down to the swim there were plenty of fish topping and fishy activity so I was hoping for a bite or two. 

The groundbait consisted of Supercrush Green from Sonubaits with a few micro pellets and a handful of hemp to try and get the fish grubbing around.

It took longer than I thought to get the first bite which came after switching to three maggots on the hook instead of the bread for the hook. I also sprinkled the maggots over the float from time to time. 

Obviously I had a sleeper rod out for a Zander as well but the float was the mainstay. The first fish was a slimy small bream but I wasn't complaining after the frustrating session yesterday morning not far away from here on the South Stratford Canal.

Anyway after getting another two quick bites and releasing those fish I decided to retain a few in the net just to get some nice shots for the blog. 

However I got a little carried away because bites were coming thick and fast as soon as the maggots reached the bottom and also the odd time on the drop too.

There was some tow on the canal at this point but with the shots anchoring the float in position it was holding well enough. You can see why a pole would work better on the canal, but they seem a right old faff and cumbersome to me, and it's nice to play a fish on rod and line I find rather than pulling against elastic. 

Anyway after a couple of hours went by really quickly with lots of bites and even a surprise Zander 😅 on the maggots, when the first boat went through at a rate of knots (8.30am ish) where he proceeded to slow down for a boat that was moored up 30 metres from me, the sport went dead.

It has now coloured up to Augustus Gloop tickbox levels and bites almost disappeared like a switch had been flicked. I had a surprise much better perch well over a pound and that was about it. A quick weigh in the net and taking into account the fish I put back right at the start well, a net well over double figures including some Zander snack sized roach, skimmers and small perch too.

I'd bumped a couple of much bigger bream off and if I had managed to land them probably nearly 20lb of fish or even more I'd say. A very satisfying morning indeed but I didn't want to end the session there even when by now the boat activity had kicked up a notch.

So I went back to the car and ditched my float rod and just decided to fish the dedicated Zander gear. I'd had a roach deadbait where I caught all those fish and nothing was doing whatsoever. 

By now the sun was high in the sky and it was very pleasant indeed but the Zander had other ideas, nothing doing, but then I went to fish a new area where I noticed some activity over at the far side where there was signs of fish spawning.

They were definitely Zander as well because when they were overly jiggy with it, their tails came out of the water. I measured the temperature and it was 12.8 degrees which was exactly the same as when I took it yesterday on an entirely different canal system.

I decided to leave the fish to their fun and end the session early to go and have a ramble out with the rabble to see the bluebells just down the road from us. I believe there are a few colder nights next week however with the canal fishing really well today I fancy getting out after work if I can.

No idea where yet might you but with the maggots doing the business today and plenty in the fridge still some more float fishing might be in order. You do wonder why the canals are deserted to anglers because the sport like I found today can be great, give them a go, you never know what will turn up and that's the appeal for me.