Closed Season Zander Quest PT58 – Fool’s Errand and the Gangling Bush

I feel like the wondering fool at this moment in time.

….set out on a task which ultimately has no real purpose or likelihood of success.

A small glimmer of hope is always at the back of my mind though and ‘Go On!!’ give it one further go just to see where it gets me and what can be achieved. If it wasn’t for the closed season and the dedication I can apply to my fishing without the draw of running water then I’m sure my resoluteness would waver and the undertaking would have been haltered by now.

It’s not the fact I don’t like catching Zander because I do, it is because at the moment all I’m catching are the small fish and I’m no closer to catching anything remotely over 5lb for the 2017 continuation of the quest. This time last closed season where some decent fish were eventually being caught, 5,6,7,8’s and eventually a 9lb canal fish, I really looked forward to the next session, I really did, not the chore it feels like when I’m typing this.

A Wild Goose Chase, most probably….

But then post port and cheese with some friends who came over for dinner last weekend I’d laid on the bouncy castle staring at the sky listening to a long Psybient mix, a thought entered my rather relaxed mind. You see I realised I’d not fished the big bush swim in anger where if there was a big Zander tucked away then it could well be seeking sanctuary here, not only that but at the tail end was an area of reeds where I've found them hiding before.

It’s a swim that provides plenty of cover, in-fact, so much so that it would likely take-up the whole of this 5 hour morning session.

Leapfrogging is the key and it’s a method that is a proven Zander banker, it’s taken a big temperature drop this week and not far off freezing overnight so the assumption was the larger fish wouldn’t be that active, but drop something edible on their laps then their stomach would take over.

I’ve had multiple runs here in the past when a group of Zander moved in as a ravenous pack but to be honest I’d not had anything over 4lb.

It was the overstayer I was after though, I'm sure there are some here to be had….

Now the session went as expected, lots of fish, lots of runs with the biggest fish 3lb the majority as above, tiny.

Lots of poo, dog and horse, very much Groundhog Day.

I lost one fish that felt reasonable but it's that been that long since I've caught a decent Canal Zander it's hard to judge how big it was.

Luckily I'm off for a pint or two....it's becoming hard work.

Closed Season Zander Quest PT57 – Maggotfication and the Shirtless Gardener

It’s official canal boater’s are a bunch of hoodlums and tyrants, two weekends ago, 4 moored boats over a few hundred yards, a domestic, hard liquor and tramp juice on show, skidder kegs and tank tops (yes really) drying in the morning air and then past the last moored boat with a rancid smell of excrement you wouldn’t believe.

A porta potti disembarkation and malfunction I assume.

I love a good stereotype I really do….I could sell up I suppose, oh for the life on the cut.

Anyway time to think outside the box for this short evening session, a handful of maggots, a float rod and a fish holding area….

float dips, hopefully a shirtless gardener, a veritable female Zander head turner….

I was in no rush either both deadbait rods were already positioned, one in the main channel, the other in the shallows.

So out with a small pole float, and a sprinkling of maggots….

Now with a pyramid of floats to watch, that ain’t going to help ones occasional visual hallucinations, is it, but hey, needs must if I’m to land a double.

I was expecting small perch in the margins, maybe even roach in the channel, these Zander are getting fat somehow.

I’d tried similar tactics at Hatton Locks as did fellow angler and good friend Simon ‘feed the worm’ Champion without even sucked maggot to show for our efforts and again on the Severn and Avon where it was more successful, bait fish were easy to come for starters and it proved quite a productive method especially when the light was starting to go.

But the canal is different, much different, not just the added attraction of dog baubles and delinquents,but the levels vary more so but are linear, water clarity can go from clear to mucky over a short session and the fact of the matter is there is a load of water to cover and the Zander could be anywhere. Schoolies travel in packs, the big’uns staying in the sidelines or somewhere of solitude.

Over 10 sessions,with utter mediocrity, God knows what's going on and where the big ones have disappeared to.

It's certainly testing my resolve.

So as expected best laid plans, as I really do plan them, over a couple of swims not even a sucked maggot despite regular feeding and a nadger of swim stim as feed.

All very odd too as in the morning here, the swim is alive with fish, maybe a little like the river if I'd stayed another hour or so then the fish would have been more active.

The deadbait rod however received some attention with a few fish banked, the best probably would scrape 3lb if the bait reached its stomach.

Yeah, bit bored now.

I need a proper bend in the rod. I'd maybe bring a lure rod to the next session, at least a Perch might be biting.

I really need a change of fortune, It's like Groundhog Day, trapped in a time warp and I'm catching the same fish over and over again.

Closed Season Zander Quest PT56 – Below the Coconut Mushroom

I cannot quite put my finger on why, but this near two mile stretch of the canal below the coconut mushroom has escaped my Zander challenge radar.

All very odd really as I’ve fished for Zander above it, as I have below it and in those areas managed to bank a couple of decent fish among the veritable conveyor of schoolies.

I’d shared a cab with a couple of local women I’d not met before who were dropped off here when I was cabless, I’d overheard them chatting about the taxi they were expecting when ordering my shish kebab with a battered scallop snackette you see.I introduced myself, explained the predicament I was in and next minute I was home bound with a couple of well watered attractive women who more than covered the taxi bill, jobs a good’un.

Despite the boobage on display, as an angler one always looks at the available water in the vicinity at this was no different, hmmm I wonder what is swimming in there.

Women feel comfortable in my presence, and rightly so….the answer is right there.

I’d even parked in the same spot for this morning session many a time, visited the local hostelry a stone’s throw away many a time, and yet never ever fished

below the coconut mushroom….

Till now that is.

Now taking of women, these big female Zander really are frustrating me at the minute so I thought I needed a change of scenery to get my mind back on the matter at hand. This stretch I assume not only would see less foot traffic but maybe even boat traffic too, problem being, it was relatively featureless looking at Google Maps and Zander do like a good feature, I can assure you.

However it was definitely worth a butchers me thinks, maybe this was the Playboy mansion I’m seeking.

What a lovely morning, cold initially at a couple of degrees but then as the sun rose it was very pleasant indeed and nice to be out.

Dead baits positioned it didn't take long for the first bite, the left hand rod tight to some reeds started to move positively, a small schoolie but considering its size it gave a pretty good scrap.

Re-baited no more interest.

As I moved down the stretch I fished likely looking spots but after 5 or 6 locations the floats remained motionless.

It's a lovely stretch of canal mind you,path well kept and very scenic too.

Then I spot a sign on a tree and a quick Google revealed I was poaching, whoops....

Not only that but it's expensive to fish he too, albeit the club has got quite a bit of water, including some bits on the river Severn that look good.

I could have pleaded ignorance I suppose but I retraced my steps and then went to a stretch that I could fish. I'd caught Zander and Pike here in the past but the problem is nothing big over quite a number of sessions.

So two hours left lots of walking, 3 swims fished resulted in a small fish again. 11,000 steps covered, at least I can have an extra beer. I need to fish where I know there are some lunkers, it's the only way.

I need as many tips as I can get.

Talk about hard going....