Forgotten canals

[Leveller]

I have had a couple of sessions on an out of the way canal, following a story of a gent who told me he caught big perch there as a child, (60 plus years ago) ,
So far we have caught five perch up to 2lb.
He tells me these fish were standard in the old days, this is new ground to me, it's wonderful fishing and it tells a lesson that if the fish are not there, you will never catch them, however when they are there , you have a chance.
He tells me the biggest from the golden age was over 4 lb! That's scary!
Canals have miles of untapped potential!!!



Lucky strike, modified barbel reel, 22hook 1lb line. Lovely perch mmmmmmmmm,!

[Ryeman]

When I lived in Stafordshire I did a lot of canal fishing, mainly at Tixall wides, on the Staffs and Worcester. Excellent tench fishing there forty years ago...

Alan

[Leveller]

Another beastie today, 2lb 5oz mmmmmmmmm





Had the rod bent right over, scared me to death when I saw it and my 18s hook just connected to the slightest slither of skin,

[MGs]

Cracking fish

[Tengisgol]

Wow, you're having some great sport here!

[Aquaerial]

Lovely fish Leveller.. what a joy. Its also comforting to know that Perch have made a great comeback everywhere from the disease that decimated the populations in the '70's...my formative years as an angler. They became a rare beastie at that time and you now have only bigger fish to look forward to...good angling-superb Stripeys well done

[Mushy]

Great Perch.

[LuckyLuca]

Goodness! Lovely sergent!

[Hovis]

Fantastic fish.

I do love a canal.

[Rutland Rod]

Cracking fish's and well done, I reckon that the 'match guy's' moving onto the 'commercial's' has been a good thing as it free's up not just our rivers but canal's, if you look at the sheer water volume in canal's and the fact that access on some canals means a lot of people can't or choose not to walk far means that you can have miles of often untapped fishing, I know some have boat use but a lot don't plus the surroundings are often as nice as anywhere else. My own favourite which I fished for years before moving was the Ashby Canal, the nearest one's to me now are a short stretch of the Oakham canal and the unspoilt gem of the Grantham canal, neither of these I have visited yet but I intend too, keep up the great 'stripeys'.