Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.15

My enthusiasm is waving at the minute, because let's be honest here, I don't particularly enjoy the local canals if I'm honest and as I've mentioned before it is means to an end. It does help that ones recent results haven't been exactly been session I'd remember and I'm finding it tougher than this time last year.

Now the Hallowed stretch is a different story though because the quarry there is quite a bit different to what I've got at my disposal, well within 15 or so anyway. The reality is the short sessions I prefer is all well and good but it is now starting to limit my options a little.

The Hallowed isn't fishing that well either from those likeminded that have been fishing the stretch and the tench now showing yet, and those silver fish seemingly not in numbers like they once were.

The waters are still to be honest still a tad chilly and take this short session the temperature had actually dropped again not starting to rise like I was hoping it would, so back to early 13's again, not exactly tropical now is it. 

Anyway back to the fishing, again a roving session to try and spot some carp in and amongst the cover and then try and winkle out a Zander using a roach deadbait.

The area I hotfooted it to was covered in surface crud which looked like bush and tree cuttings and it stayed like that till the first lock was opened and the canal turned in to a river. In-fact it was the boat going by that eventually I got a bite on the Zander rod having fished 5 or 6 swims up and till that point. 

Only a small'un and clearly not spawned despite seeing them get it on in one area yesterday. I was also back to a hat as it was 5 degrees when I caught it, back to chilly mornings again like I mentioned before sadly.

Anyway I retraced my steps and out of the blue I spotted a carp after it revealed itself as I was patrolling and gazing at the cover. It was properly tucked up out of the way though so absolutely no way I'd get a bait to it. Riser pellet and bread didn't interest it whatsoever but then I know from past experience carp can be funny buggers. One more quick bite that didn't develop on the Zed rod and that was my lot. Bit bored of this now, so I might pop in prematurely to the Hallowed stretch but this time take some maggots, decisions decisions. 

Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.14

Now a game changer that I stumbled upon recently was the addition of bicarbonate of soda to tenderise chicken. Those tough and chewy supermarket offerings are now edible for the most simple of hacks.

Sprinkle a teaspoon on your chicken and mix and coat the meat and then leave for 20 minutes, wash under water, pat dry and voilà, jobs a good'un.

This rather spicy Thai red curry now full of silky smooth chicken rather than filling testers. Give it a go you won't regret it.

Now a game changer in ones canal Zander fishing was the use of circle hook and the Sakuma 440 size 1's I use not only banked my PB for 11lb 8 ounces but also my canal PB pike of 17lb and 8 ounces. Two proper tackle testers right there and my short <8 foot rods coped admirably. 

Another 11k steps covered to try and track down a canal carp but again as elusive as ever. The water is warming though and almost 14 degrees it didn't take long to spot some topping fish. After an early start and fishing an area I'd spotted some carp recently I decided to up-sticks and fish a rather featureless stretch where carp are also said to reside as well as Zander. 

Anyway at first I thought they were bream spawning or even just rolling on the surface but no on closer inspection they were in-fact spawning Zander. Quite a lot of activity too even away from the mosh pit.

The first dangle of the small roach deadbait in the margins brought an almost instant bite and after a couple of bobs of the float a decent bite developed and a fish was on.

They are can often be very angry and aggressive at this time of year and this fish was taking line after a spirited fight. Not the biggest of Zander, probably not even 4lb but still a fantastic looking fish that looked like it had been in the wars.

It had an open wound under its chin that was leaking some blood. 

A spawning injury not sure but it didn't seem to bother it in any way. With that fish retained in the landing net another quick bite and another Zander succumbed to the whole roach deadbait.

A chap walking his rather large dog stopped for a natter and was amazed I'd caught a couple of fish on this stretch as he hardy sees anglers on this bit of canal.

There is probably a good reason for that because I must admit it is a bit of a trek. That's what I like it though, away from the madding crowd so to speak.

A boat came through and the bites dried up so I left that swim rest and proceeded to the far end of the long straight where there is some nice thick cover.

No carp were spotted and the problem was any bread throw in to try and get any carp tucked away to reveal themselves was hoovered up by the greedy ducks.

The heron (Nic look away !!!) seemed to be very active indeed and took a few small fish whilst I fished and he patrolled the stretch.

A couple of decent looking swims with cover looked good for a bite from Zander but the roach deadbait was untouched so I decided in the end to retrace my steps and fish in the area that produced earlier.

Two more fish decided they would be up for a feed and again caught from the margins not next to cover.

The Zander are definitely on the move now with the water warmer but like I found today they can be very localised indeed and that can often put anglers off.

It's not easy all the time and the amount of canal I had to cover just to get a bite or four shows that it can be hard going but the rewards are there if you put the work in. 

Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.13

With the waters now warming up nicely I decided to venture over to a stretch of canal where I've seen some carp milling around from time to time.

They are hard to spot because they tend to tuck themselves away among some of the cover but there was one area where they always showed and that was a 30 yard section of reeds. 

Obviously I'd have a Zander rod out as well but it was the carp I came for really. I got bankside quite early and after hotfooting it to the reeds there was signs of fish before even putting some bait in.

Not sure they were carp though, they could well have been bream but at least I knew something was milling around the swim. An hour and a half in with the bread bomb on the surface and also slow sinking not a sausage let alone a carp or a likely bream. I also fed some riser pellet to hopefully tempt any hiding carp to show themselves, but they were suspicious in their absence. 

The deadbait rod also was untouched but this is a canal after all so I went to find some fish. A 10 minute stroll there is a nice section of thick cover where I've caught Zander before and it didn't take long to get a bite either.

The float shooting down the canal at a rate of knots and usually there is only one culprit and that culprit is a schoolie Zander. This stretch always throws up some of the smallest Zander I catch on deadbait but still after a few blank sessions at least it was a fish. 

Another one came 10 minutes after and I thought I'd stumbled upon a group of them, but no those two fish were the only ones I managed to catch.

The carp were no where to be seen either and after the group of 9 cyclists went by as well as quite a few dog walkers and gongoozlers it was time for the off as I just wasn't enjoying it. I'll be back though because not far away is an area I've spotted carp as recently as a couple of weeks ago.