Staffs Worcester after roach.

[barbelblanker]

The last week has been pretty cr@p so we (Mrs BB and me) decided to just have a chill out yesterday (Sunday).

Despite a streaming cold (ohh!) and feeling like rubbish I needed an hour or two out.

So it was going to be a chubby day on the Staffs Worcs canal in Swindon (no not that one, the midlands one).

However , being Sunday and what with us having had a pretty poor level of sleep I forgot that a. the clocks went back, forward or whatever and b. the fishing shop closes at 11. It always has but for some reason my brain keeps knocking one 1 off the front. So no maggots.

Buttocks!

OK so it was a trip to Asda to get the shopping done for my darling (and it has to be said, exceptionally patient) wife.

Bought everything we needed and a loaf of cheap white bread.

Now, I am not confident in fishing a canal, with bread, for chub.

BUT I am confident in fishing roach with bread on a canal.

So a minor change in the stretch and I dropped in on the ever reliable Swindon stretch (BAA) .

Got home. Put two slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds then rolled them flat. Rolled another two slices flat without microwaving and cut a further two as they were. I cut the slices in to quarters and place them in a bag. That way I only have a little punch bread out at once.

Cut the crust off about 12 more slices and blitzed it in the food processor while I had something to eat . This gives a lovely fine feed but don't do more than two slices at once or you end up with lots of big bits. Ideal for chub but not for roach, they'll fill up on it.

Tackled up with a float, most weight down. Most of the bristle showing and trotting along just off the bottom but only JUST.

The canal was looking quiet clear and it did not look like there was much boat movement going on. The water had enough colour to not be see through so I was quite confident . A bit of a downstream blow meant the pole was the right tool for the job.

Initially I thought about running the float up against the reeds (see piccy) but a quick prod with the pole revealed it to be somewhat shallow.

If I was there longer I might have fed maggot there after the bread line dried up but I didn't have enough time for that really.

So I plumbed up and found the boat channel deep point about 5 metres or so out.

Dropped two handfuls of the blitzed crumb on the line and watched it float for a split second before cloading down in to the water.

Gear was a very old pole (Ian Heaps 9.5M), probably weighs a ton compared to a modern pole , but it works and I still like it so what the hell.

End tackle was a gaff of a hook (20) to 1.7 boat rope. Float took about 4 no 6 bulked and a few dust and micro dust for a bit of versatility.

It was about three put throughs before the first of several gonks (Gudgeon) appeared then a few small roach, then bigger , then MUCH bigger then the size settled down to about 1-4 oz or so with the odd bigger one.

It was fun .

Bites started to dry up so it was fiddle about with the shot, depth , line etc.

Then second feed of two more handfuls and about another half an hour of small fish before the swim went dead again.

Have never had a punch line come alive after more than one feed so after persisting a little longer, it was out and home.

Had a bit of a chat with one of the boat owners (in fact somone who lived on it). Fishing wasn't his thing at all but we were both water lovers so we found common ground and had a decent whinge about the mad mountain bikers and dog cr@p bag throwing scum. We also agreed the it would be a lot better all round if we all just acted with a bit more consideration. Nice to have a chat to a bloke and his wife (who turned up mid chat) and see a different perspective on life on a canal.

So message was , be considerate and DO NOT LITTER!

My soap box suitably climbed on ?


Back home and few Guiness later and I was ready for good nights kip.

Anyway , I didn't take pictures of the fish because they were small and it would just come out a bit of a silver mess.

So I took some of the canal.

Downstream.

Reeds.


Blokes boat.


Past the boat.


Blurred one of my swim. It is close as you can see the float. Of course in the picture the pole was under one of my butt cheeks so it isn't supposed to be held back that hard :)

[Jolly Piscator]

Sounds like a nice little session . Well done . Good read too . Can't beat a nice bit of cheap White bread for those roach . Not having a tackle shop near me I've been rediscovering the wonders of bread , not much that swims that can't be tempted by that or a nice worm .

[MRG2000]

Cracking report Peter , a very pleasant day out in the fresh air ...

[Cool_Duck]

Good report, I agree that more consideration should be given to other users of the canals. I have started to fish the same stretch of canal lower down inbetween Wolverley and Kidderminster.

It winds me up when dog walkers throw balls and sticks into the canal, near where you are fishing, just for the dog to jump in and retreive. How many times have the newspapers reported dogs getting into difficulty in the water, only for the owners to go in after them only to get into trouble themselves. Then for the dog to get out unaided!

I have recently moved back down here from Scotland, where there are TV advertising campaigns explaining the countryside code and consideration for others, as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtg4ANFs5ng

Think England also had one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_snpN...eature=related

I think they should be broadcast more often!

[BoldBear]

Nice report and piccies, Now that the rivers are closed I may give the Grand Union canal a go soon, haven't fished it for a few years now.

If it's as good as it used to be before the explosion of overstocked carp puddles appeared in our area then I should have a good day catching Chub tight up against the far bank, that is if my casting accuracy is still up to it (I no longer own a pole).
I had better take plenty of spare floats just in case .

Nice report, I enjoyed reading it.