Spring catch up

It's been a while since I have posted. The reason? Well, I've done very little fishing. The heatwave during early May saw my son and I visit a local fishery to target some surface feeding carp. We managed five to just into double figures, all taken on dog biscuit. My assistant kept the feed going in and hung on to a few of the fish which put up a good battle. We saw a hedgehog and a deer on the way home which added to the experience. 

Next up came a trip to the Birmingham to Worcester canal. I didn't intend to fish but set my son up with a 2m whip and half pint of maggots. Sport was unexpectedly slow with a long wait before the first bite arrived and saw a small perch landed. Unfortunately, bites were not too regular but we were lucky that a family of ducklings kept us occupied. Several more perch arrived as did a beautiful looking rudd of a few ounces that added some variety. Then he hooked something altogether different. Despite hitting the bite brilliantly and hanging on, the fish snapped the light tackle and escaped. I suspect it was a larger perch but he already wants to return with 'thicker line'. It might not be a bad idea as there could be some big perch in residence.

With just two weeks until the rivers opening no doubt attentions will start to turn to running water. I still enjoy the build up and hope that we have a few more years of the close season to go before any changes are implemented. In the meantime, I have promised myself a tench session or two. I have a couple of venues in mind so I will hopefully bring some news in due course.

An afternoon down the canal

What a contrast to seven days ago. This time last week the UK was gripped by sub-zero temperatures and a covering of snow. Today was a glorious spring day and by far the warmest of the year yet. With some maggots left over from last week's perch session I decided to have a few hours in the afternoon sun. The Birmingham to Worcester canal was the chosen venue. In all honesty, I rarely fish canals these days but I fancied a change and was intrigued as to what might turn up.

I dusted the pole off, it's first outing for quite some time, and set up to fish down the centre of the canal. It was about 4ft deep. The single maggot was dropped into place and a little and often feeding approach was employed. Bites on the canal are not usually difficult to come by but today was different. After an hour, I was starting to doubt there were any fish present. However, in the warm sunshine with the sound of new born lambs not too far away there are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. I decided to go for a short walk when I noticed a 25 metre stretch of the margins was home to population of breeding toads (I think). As the afternoon wore on I was still fishless. In fact, still biteless. It had just gone 4.30pm and I remember setting myself a 45 minute target. I had still to register a bite I was going to call it a day. It was just so strange to have not encountered any fish after a couple of hours that I had begun to think the stretch was barren and maybe they had shoaled up somewhere else after the cold weather of the last few weeks. Then a couple of fish topped and restored my confidence.

The 11oz roach

At just gone 4.50pm my first bite of the day saw a dace landed. Only a few ounces but more than welcome given the circumstances. Then a steady trickle of roach appeared with the odd small chub and a solitary perch. Things were looking up at last. I then connected with a better fish which turned out to be an 11oz roach. It was in immaculate condition and much bigger then its predecessors.

The hybrid

It was heading for half past six now. The change to British Summer Time afforded me an extra hour of daylight. The sun had dipped now but was causing havoc off the water's surface meaning seeing my float was tricky. The bites continued. It wasn't frantic sport but a bite every so often kept my interest. The float dipped from sight one more time and this fish saw the elastic stretch from the pole tip with purpose. It was a much better fish but what was it? I caught a glimpse beneath the surface and it looked bream like but the fight was anything but bream like. Instead of coming to the net like a wet sack, this fish wasn't going to give up easily. Finally, it was beaten and it silver flanks showed it was a roach/bream hybrid. It was a bit of an ugly work of nature to tell you the truth but it did weigh 1lb 10oz so was a decent fish for the canal. I gave it another 40 minutes or so but the commotion killed the swim and I called a halt to proceedings on what had been an enjoyable afternoon.

Lower Seven Barbel and some good news

After managing two double figure barbel in my last two Avon sessions, I was keen to see if I could complete the hat-trick. However, although it would be tempting to return to scene of my recent success I do like a challenge. With that in mind, the enigma that is the lower Severn was my chosen venue.

I arrived just after 6pm with the plan to stay out until midnight or when I got too tired, whichever came first. Tactics were an upstream groundbait feeder with pellet together with the downstream meat rod over some droppered pellet and hemp. About 60 minutes in, the upstream rod started nodding with a 4lb bream banked. With the blank averted, it was a case of plodding on. As 9pm approached, the downstream rod showed some signs of life. By 9pm, it had wrapped around and I was into a barbel. It started slowly but woke up as it came closer to the bank. Was it going to be my third double in a row? Well, it was a decent fish as it lay in the net. I had doubts however that it would be double and so it proved. The scales read 9lb 4oz of pristinely conditioned barbel. Whilst it wasn't the double I had hoped, it was hard to be disappointed at such a great looking fish. I added a bream of between 5-6lb at around 10pm but it then went very quiet so I ended the session twenty minutes earlier than planned.

Not quite the double but a great fish anyway

An enjoyable afternoon

Before my Severn trip, my 3 year old son had asked to go fishing. I explained he couldn't come on this occasion due to it being a late night and promised him a trip another day. He replied stating it had to be 'fishing with maggots'. So the following, we visited the B'ham-Worcs canal with 'the maggots' and a 2m whip to fish the inside. A string of perch, with a smattering of gudgeon and a rudd kept us busy throughout the afternoon. It was a pleasure to share a fishing session with my son. We even lost two better fish, one to a snap so perhaps I need to return with some stouter tackle.

Finally, the reason this blog is a little late being published is because of the eventful weekend. Early Sunday morning saw the arrival of my second child, a little girl. So we are all back at home with the family complete. I'm guessing my big fish sessions may be a little thin on the ground whilst the dust settles but please continue to visit and look at the other posts that I've published since my blog started. Thanks.

A trip to the canal

My location for a few hours

With a week off work, I was determined to fit in a fishing trip. Apart from a failed tench mission a few weeks ago, it's been a quiet on the angling front. A new job, a pregnant wife and a host of other things have pushed fishing way down the pecking order. With all this mind, I decided that I would rather catch and stay busy than sit it out for one larger specimen and this mindset took me to the Birmingham-Worcester canal near Droitwich.

 It's been a few years since I last fished the canal in this style. Armed with some brown crumb and a £1 worth of maggots, I then took my pole out of its bag for the first time in years. I plumbed up to fish the bottom of the far shelf and then started fishing just after 4pm. Bites were slow to begin with and I lost a few fish due to being a bit rusty. However after about an hour the fishing became

Roach and what, I wonder?

incredibly easy with a fish every minute or so.This lasted for about 40 mins before sport tailed off again. Majority of the catch was made up of perch although roach, a couple of hybrids and gudgeon including a 2oz specimen also made an appearance. On the subject of the hybrids - they certainly contained some roach but their upturned lip made me question their true make up. They weren't bream-like in their appearance so any suggestions would be welcomed in the comments box.

I called an end to the session at 7.30 having lost count at 50-odd fish. Although none of the fish were big, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a deserted and peaceful stretch of the canal. As June approaches then my attention will begin to turn towards the opening of the river season. Meanwhile I cannot let a spring pass without a tench or two so my next trip will have them as my quarry.

A cracking 2oz gudgeon

The final catch

Back for Pike

After much deliberation, I returned to the canal in the hope of catching more of its population of Pike. Tactics were a simple float fished deadbait that would be complimented with a lure rod to keep me busy. This week's conditions were a huge contrast from the previous. The conditions were overcast and with air temperatures the positive side of zero there was no sign of ice this week.

Finally! (Pike and Perch)

With a run of 5 blanks during my last 6 sessions, my record was rivaling that of my football team, Aston Villa. Four of those blanks had come on a very unsettled Warks Avon attempting to catch Pike and Chub with the other on a lake famed for Pike. That day saw my companions and I fishing 10 baits between us for one solitary run. So I am sure I could be forgiven for being less than enthusiastic as the river once again topped the banks earlier this week coupled with some arctic conditions to boot. Therefore, as the weekend approached I my options were limited to stillwaters or canals.

The next generation and a new personal best carp

A proud nephew

The start of the week saw me take my nephew you out for a few hours fishing on the Birmingham-Worcs Canal. I set him up with a 2m whip to fish down the inside. Bites soon arrived and he managed to catch almost 40 fish, mostly perch with the odd gudgeon thrown in for good measure. He was very proud of his efforts and so he should be. I'm sure he can't wait to visit in the summer with perhaps the promise of his first river fish.

Yesterday evening saw me looking to take advantage of the recent warm weather by surface fishing for carp. I visited the same pool as a few weeks ago [here] where I managed six carp, the biggest just over 14lb in an evening session. With me looking to emulate that success I set off with hopes high. I arrived at the venue and immediately saw dark shadows sunbathing just beneath the surface. I headed towards the area I had fished last time out. Although I could not see any fish, I was aware that the nearby island represents a carp magnet so remained confident. However, a breeze had started which seemed to cause the carp to be less interested in taking surface baits. I did briefly try a bottom bait but apart from a few liners there was nothing to report so I persevered feeding dog biscuits. There were carp taking them but not with the gusto they had showed on my previous visit. By now the breeze had blown all the tree pollen that had fallen on the water into the area in front of me. This made fishing very challenging since I could not spot my bait easily amongst all the other similar shaped floating objects and it made presentation tricky. I toyed with the idea of moving but two things prevented me from doing so. The first was that although the floating debris was causing problems, it also meant my line was disguised. If only I could keep a bait in the right place for long enough I was sure a fish would take the bait. The second reason, and the one that had even more bearing, was there was a sizeable fish now taking a fleeting interest in the baits. 

With the fish remaining cautious, I knew that I was only going to get one chance and finally it came. A fish approached where I believed my bait to be and it decided to take something from the surface. I have to admit I was not 100% sure whether my bait had been taken but a mixture of intuition, luck and a vague memory of possibly seeing the line move all meant I swept my rod backwards. The rod hooped over yet the fish itself didn't seem to be aware of proceedings and within seconds it was underneath the rod tip. Then without warning, just as I was reaching for the net, it took off on a blistering run towards the island resulting in the reel screaming; a sound greeted by every angler. A few more surges followed but eventually the fish was beaten and drawn over the waiting net. It looked a cracking common carp, which I knew would threaten my modest 17lb personal best. A quick check on the scales confirmed this at an ounce under 18lb. I had hoped it might be a bit bigger but I could not complain. I fished on with the carp giving my hope that another fish might be on the cards, but despite some interest in the biscuits I could not tempt another. As the light started to fade so did my chances and I left. A PB in tricky conditions, off the surface is a good result in my book and I was very pleased as I made the short trip home.  

My new PB carp at 17lb 15oz

A trip into the unknown

With the rivers full of snow melt water I decided that this week’s fishing fix would have to be found elsewhere. I only had a few hours spare this weekend so decided on a trip to the Birmingham-Worcester Canal. With that decision made, my next dilemma was what to target. My options consisted of either pole fishing pinkies for small fish with perhaps a bonus or be a pioneer.

Of course, I went for the most difficult option and decided to go predator hunting armed with a lure rod and a deadbait set up. Now, the reason I call this a pioneering trip is because I've never caught a Pike from this canal, or indeed even heard of one being caught on the Birmingham-Worcester. I have no reason to disbelieve their existence since they manage to inhabit most waters and the canal joins the Severn meaning a population could form easily enough. I've also caught plenty of small Perch in the past and I guess they have plenty of small prey fish to grow fat on so there could be some specimen Perch present too. I left knowing the odds were stacked heavily against me and my heart sank upon arrival at my chosen stretch as I was greeted by a cocoa coloured canal, hardly the best conditions for predators. Unperturbed, I decided to give it a bash. The boat yard, which was the main reason I had chosen this stretch, was crammed with barges making fishing impossible so I walked on. I did find a turning bay and gave this a go but it resulted in no action. After trying another area I decided I was wasting my time on this stretch and with time a premium I decided to pack the car and drive a mile or so to another stretch of the canal.

My spirits were briefly lifted as the water was a much friendlier colour. Again I stayed mobile, mostly concentrating with the lure approach. I hadn't fished a canal for about a year and a game of ‘Dodge the dog poo’ kept me on my toes as I experienced a fruitless couple of hours. A sharp shower started and with that I decided to call it quits. I hadn't had a run, hit or even a follow. I have no idea whether the target fish were even present so if anyone reading can shed any light on it I’d really appreciate that. So although I blanked, I didn't feel too despondent. After all, you don’t catch sitting in your living room and the bigger the risk, the bigger the rewards. That said, perhaps I'll be reaching for the pinkies next time.