Wild Canal

Inspired by my Father's Day gift of Dominic Garnett's Canal Fishing I thought it was time to search out pastures new on the Lancaster Canal. Most of my recent canal trips have been in the Carnforth area but lately it's been very tough with little reward for a lot of effort. Roach have been scarce and it's only really been a few hybrids and skimmers that have graced the bank.
This time I decided to head further North to the wild stretches where the canal is no longer navigable and is chopped into sections by the M6.
It's a completely different canal here with overgrown banks, trees creeping across from the opposite bank, lilies in abundance and weed seemingly growing everywhere on the bottom. The water is clear and due to the years without any boat traffic the silt has accumulated leaving around three feet or so of water in the deepest parts.

There's a canal here somewhere...

On my first trip I had a couple of false starts until I eventually settled in an area that seemed full of promise. There's a strong flow from left to right here as it's not far from a stream that feeds the canal. I created a space to sit in by battering down the five feet high nettles and other assorted grasses and foliage. A tricky job as it's hard to be sure where the vegetation finishes and the canal begins. I always find it's best not to fall in where you intend to fish. Once settled I began with a float but despite hooking and losing a small roach I found it difficult to control the float with both the flow and the clumps of weed on the bottom affecting every cast. Luckily I had my Hatton's Wye rod with me so I quickly made up a two swan shot link and started to explore the swim by ledgering. For bite indication I just watched the tip and found it remarkably easy to spot the bites.
Three little tremors of the tip and I'm attached to a very sprightly fish which pulls off downstream a few yards. A little careful playing and he's soon in the net. It's a perch which I weigh as I think he may be over a pound. He's just under at 15 ounces and is a splendid looking chap.

To be honest this fish has made my day. A stunning fish from any water and it just goes to show that you really can't know what to expect when you set out to fish a water like this. The sun climbs higher, the birds continue to sing their hearts out and a white duck comes along with her brood of golden chicks. She has 11 golden ones and one stray mallard chick. I'd seen a mallard on a visit to check out this stretch that had 7 mallard chicks and one golden one. Is this a genetic anomaly or do ducks do chick swap?
I miss a few bites and eventually get another perch of around three ounces before I have to call it a day and head back to Lancaster to pick the children up from school. As I'm driving back I realise just how much I've enjoyed today. My soul feels nourished by the experience and I relax with a rare feeling of contentment with the world.
The next day all is still good with the world and I can't forget the pleasure I felt so I plan another trip for the following day.

By 5am I'm in my swim with the Wye set up for ledgering. Bait is two maggots on a size 14 hook though I have brought a few slices of bread along too in the hope that it may sort out a better roach ( if they are present ). I start off fishing in the gap between the lilies and the clump of reeds over towards the far bank. As I'm adjusting my fishing stool I notice the tip tremor. My strike is far too late and the greedy culprit has removed both maggots from the hook. The next cast I concentrate and a little roach is soon in my hand.

Bites continue throughout the hours that I fish and by searching around the swim, sometimes close in to my bank other times further down to where a tree covers over half of the water's surface, and I finish the session with 10 fish in total. It's mainly been roach today, nothing more than a couple of ounces, but they are game little fish and I even had one that took a small piece of flake and did a fair impression of a chub in the way it savagely pulled the rod tip round. There's a couple of perch too with the best around four ounces.

These two days have been so enjoyable and I feel that they somehow encapsulate all that I hold dear about fishing. It's not about size or quantity but more about the experience, the time away from the stresses and strains of modern life and a chance to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside. Of course it's a bonus to catch some fish too and to use my old rods and reels and simple methods. Sometimes it feels as though I could be here at any time in the last 50 years - just like I've stepped through a door into another time.

Thanks for reading. Why not have a look at the extra pages I have added and continue to expand.