Evening trips out have been my mainstay and I've concentrated on the basin area and the half a mile or so of canal that leads up to it. This means I'm essentially fishing between bridge 95 up to the other side of bridge 97, the turnover bridge, which is where the basin begins. About 200 yards down from bridge 95 is a metal footbridge which leads into the Haverbreaks estate. According to local sources this area contains tench. However, despite several trips there I've yet to see any sign at all of tincas being present. With lilies lining the far bank and bankside trees and bushes dipping in to the water it looks to have potential and there are even rumours of an eight year old girl having caught a 3lb specimen recently. As for me I haven't even seen a patch of bubbles when I've fished there and rather predictably it's only been small roach that have graced the bank. I'm beginning to think that if I do catch a tench it will be by accident rather than design.
 |
| A beautiful dawn and still no tench |
Other species seem far easier to target and ultimately catch. I tried for a couple of evenings to tempt a decent perch with maggots and worms as my chosen bait. Obviously less selective than say prawns, maggots have nonetheless caught me several perch of more than 2lbs. Sometimes it's just about confidence and although you may have to work through some small fish you feel there is always a chance of a decent one turning up. Remarkably it worked. It was almost 10pm on the second evening when I hooked a fish that gave that familiar jagging fight and turned out to be a splendid looking specimen of 9oz. Not as big as I'd hoped for but a great fish to end the trip with.
 |
| A lively one |
Sometimes the most unlikely fish turns up. It was a wonderful still dawn, with a light layer of mist clinging to the canal's surface on a lovely iris lined stretch. I was happily catching small roach on float fished bread and had even managed a bonus bream of one and a half pounds. The sun was warming my bones. It was t-shirt weather at last. A little later a heron appeared on the far bank. I watched it stalk along the shallows and even managed a passable photo given the brightness of the conditions and the zoom on maximum.
Bites began to slow down and I was just thinking it was probably time to call it a day. I had a few last casts as you do when really you don't want the session to end. I tidied away my unused bait and sorted bits of tackle out. A leisurely process whilst I soaked up the sunshine. Mornings like this have been the exception so far this year and I just wanted to enjoy every moment before finally leaving.
I wasn't at my most alert but looked up from my tinkering with tackle to see my float disappearing. I struck and felt a good solid contact. The fish moved away to my left in a determined way and I recognised its familiar fight. A pike on bread! Only a little one at 1lb 12oz but a few unexpected bonus challenge points.
 |
| Summertime pike |
More news of my roach fishing exploits in the next update in a few days time.
