Canal Zander – Kippers and Kakorrhaphiophobia

Come March the 15th my mind will switch to the closed season double figure Zander challenge where I will start Pt 68 of my ongoing quest for big kipper. I wouldn’t say I fear failure because the end of the day eventually one will turn up, I’m sure of it. Maybe I’ve more of a fear to what to fish for next once a double graces my hook.

A 9lb Canal Zander PB ain’t to be sniffed at and hopefully my efforts will equal reward because to be honest, it can get a bit monotonous especially when schoolie after schoolie is caught.

Last closed season I really struggled to bank anything decent. I’m not sure why either because the same waters were covered, the same tactics employed. Many of those waters were a stone’s throw away so very convenient indeed, so I think maybe I need to cast my net a little wider.

I’m always up for a reccy on less familiar pastures, so this meet up was ideal, you see for this session Sam and myself ventured over to the Coventry Canal to meet up with fellow bloggers, fellow Zed heads as the annual pilgrimage to celebrate the birthday of now painter and decorator and new language leaner Jeff Hatt of Idlers Quest , who for now anyway, has hung up his rods, frozen his maggots.

A shame really as he was one of the reasons why I started keeping a diary of my fishing exploits, Idlers Quest was an enjoyable read for many and was sadly missed when he decided to no longer put finger to keyboard, so….

Jeff, kiedy zamierzasz zacząć blogować i łowić ponownie ...?

With a carpet bombing approach, ie with multi rods in the water as part of the social, I was hoping something half decent would turn up for someone, as to be honest, my results up till now on the couple of times I’ve fished the Coventry canal have been tough.

The clarity was much clearer than I’m used to for starters and I’m sure that didn’t help but not only that but the boat traffic seemed much less which would explain the clarity. The thing is these Zander can be stubborn, in one area but not the next and the transient nature can maybe help in my situation, as, having never fished it in anger, and no knowing the swims, maybe a big fish can be caught off guard.

Our tactics employed for this meet up, I’d be manning the deadbait rods, one with roach, the other lamprey, Sam would be fishing maggot under a float.

There was a heavy frost overnight and I woke up Sam at 7.00am he bolted right out of bed ready to go fishing. Thick welly socks donned, three layers, trapper hat, you get the picture. We arrived at 7.45am with Danny already at the basin so I quickly got two baits out for a natter. The sun was barely up, around 2 or 3 degrees or so and within half an hour Sam was clearly not enjoying it, fingers like ice blocks, nose going red, even after a cup of tea he was too cold so we had to up-sticks.

I thought a short walk up and beyond the moored boats would help, but no such luck. After one bait next to some cover the other by a moored boat, Sam was shivering and complaining his fingers were hurting still and that after wearing my pre warmed neoprene gloves too.

Now I rarely feel the cold, but Sam is 6 after all but I was hoping when the sun got higher he would be fine but when Danny joined us I decided we had to go, he wasn't enjoying it and no me willing him to enjoy was going to work, so back home it was.

After getting back to the car and dumping the tackle off James and Brian were now at the basin as was Jeff with his dogs, a good turn out so was disappointing I couldn't stay, oh well, one of those things.

After a quick natter it was homeward bound.

"Dad, can we have some dance music on"

Good lad....

With the tackle in the car and after dropping Sam off I decided to go and fish a canal nearer to me, sadly despite fishing a few spots that were good to me in the past, there was nothing doing. I've found when it's as cold as this the Zander don't move around much such are the leeches they are covered with but drop a bait on their head they are usually up for feeding. There was no fish there most likely, no boats during the session either which can get them shifted from their station.

I'm hoping the lads did better than me....

Anyone recommend some pocket warmers ?

Warwickshire Avon – Wazzocks and Wagpasties

With the flag of Scotland in a prominent position on the back of this knackered old white van, the particulates belching out the back of this jalopy was boarding on the dangerous, engine clearly on its last legs.

So recirc on, damage limitation….

Luckily an overtaking opportunity is a hundred years away because the roads goes from one to two lanes as the gradient is quite considerable.

Now his offside mirror, well that’s knackered too, no glass, mechanism on show, so got to tread carefully, so in to sports mode, indicator on, throttle fully pressed, anything to reduce the time exposed to danger.

I’m alongside now, yeap, you guessed it, the wazzock also decides to pull out to overtake a car too and is headed my way, horn pressed, brakes hard on, I’ve not choice but to tuck back behind.

His window wound down, middle finger raised, the van struggling to pick up speed, black smoke a car stopper, like something out of Whacky Racers.

I can only assume he was a white cider drinker peed off with the recent Scottish parliament changes with the van laden with countless cases of three-litre bottles such was his dawdlement.

Every minute counted for this session you see because I left work a little earlier to set-up prior to dusk, to set the station out for a couple of hours.

You see I was back at an area of the Warwickshire Avon that I can fish in to dark, it’s an option that is few and far between on the area I fish, and to be honest I don’t make the most of it.

I visited it a month ago and managed a near 4lb Chub and the same tactics were to be employed for this session albeit a couple of swims down in a large flat swim. So two rods dead, lamprey and roach, one rod a big smelly glugged boilie plus a pva bag of tiny elips pellets and broken matching boilies.

Despite this being an area utterly dominated by Pike, The rogue fish, the Zander I’m sure are here, they must be, I’ve had them above and below, so no reason why they are not. The thinking was maybe here there are some lurkers to be had as smaller ones are never caught and the bigger ones don’t reveal themselves that easily.

It’s quite shallow here you see and unless it’s a weir, I rarely do any good when it’s shallow on running water, ok canals are in its makeup shallow but the water is turbid in the main, at the moment, you could be looking in a to a bottle of Tanqueray.

Air temperatures mild, an influx of warm in to the cold, I was hoping the fish were feeding.

The sky was clear to it was a nice pleasant evening to be out, rods were set for 4.40pm, half a roach to the left by a overhang, the lamprey over to the far left of the swim, the boilie straight ahead.

Dusk past then Chub appeared in the swim, a tentative pull on the boilie, a pluck on the lamprey, then the lamprey rod properly goes off and a fish is taking line, sadly I struck in to thin air.

Weird isn't it after the first hour after dusk as past, bites dry up and that's exactly what happened, time to call it a day, tail between legs.

Warwickshire Avon – Mavericks and Microorganisms

I had planned to fish with Sam for some Chub but he woke up Saturday morning having overnight had been properly been hit by a virus. His temperature over 40 degrees that wasn’t coming down with Calpol, heart rate racing. He was knocked for six.

The Wife had a chat with 111, next minute he is in Warwick hospital for 5 hours. Eventually they were happy with him to go home, so back late straight to bed.

So I didn’t know what to do Sunday morning with the partner in crime out of action so with some decent Perch turning up a one of my clubs waters it was lure in hand to try and find one or two.

Now the river is low, very low, clear, very clear so I didn’t expect much, a small tiny Jack was about the only action and that dropped off the hook, but you know what, sometimes it’s just nice to be out when everyone else is tucked up in bed.

Sam after 12 hours kip, was back to normal, so all well for next weekend hopefully, the search for big Chub must continue.