The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Anybody fish this these days? I had a dabble last winter and had a few miniscule perch about the same size as my lure! But I know there are definitely good pike (up to twenty possibly), and I saw a double figure carp (dead alas) at the Agden Bridge stretch in summer (just about where HS2 will go over!).

Years ago, as a youngster, I had some decent roach on cheese. I never see anyone fishing it now, and the towpath traffic has increased about a hundred-fold since those days. I never feel its right to complain about boat traffic on a canal, but...

Any TFF-ers fished it in recent years?

Ive fished it quite a bit (only for pike, in the Autumn/Winter) near Trafford Park and The Trafford Centre (plenty of nice big pike and tramps too )
I realise this is probably not your stretch you are talking about though.

Hi Eel. Thanks for responding. Yup this bit is on my ticket as a WAA member, and I used to live near Trafford Park where a stretch was notable for having a warm water outfall from the Taylor Bros factory which rendered it worth fishing in winter. But I was young then and fishing was different. I am not sure I would even feel safe, now, never mind enjoying the 'scenery'! I expect the fish may well be thriving on the neglect. (Maybe you could do an article on Pike in Dirty Places...). I live further away from Trafford Park now, and I was thinking of more rural stretches from Brooklands/Altrincham out to Lymm. Mind you, visiting someone in Salford Royal Hospital the other day lead me to recce the lake at Trafford Ecology Park on the A&DAC card -just the most surprising place I have ever seen - talk about a secret wilderness in the middle of industrial obscenity... But very pleasant and inviting all the same. I understand its full of tench and large bream and is no more the 3' deep. But it is not a canal and I am off topic now.

What results did you have with your piking in that stretch of the Bridgewater, and did you try dead baiting or lure fishing?

Hi Dodger,
I've had a few good pike, a mixture of dead and live baiting but my friends have had some really big pike from behind Kellogg's.
I've never fished the canal out towards Lymm.
I gave up my WAA membership a couple of seasons ago, it's a good ticket, have you tried Rixton clay pits?

No, Eel, I haven't tried Rixton Pits - the WAA part is beyond the commercial I believe? But from where I am its a bit of a bottleneck getting over the ship canal to get to it - either the toll bridge or the swing bridge (a 'no no' now until after Christmas soon 'cos of the Trafford Centre) or the motorway (similar!). Plus if I go the toll bridge way, I am headed out into rural cheshire , anyway and tend not to want to turn back. I guess that's why I have never tried Rixton. I have heard good reports though, I seem to recall. Perhaps a recce while it is quiet over winter is in order? Talking of motorways, the Bridgewater towpath is like the outside lane of the M6 in summer with all these macho psychpathic mountain bikers hurtling down it in protective kit - they think they own the place but in reality they should be giving way to others and dismounting at bridges (there are even signs they ignore). Is it quieter on the towpath up the more industrial stretch I wonder? O for the days when it was illegal to cycle on towpaths, but the genie is out of the bottle now...
Well done you and you friends - any sort of decent fish is an achievement in the non-commercial (can't really call them 'wild' I suppose.) waters in these parts.
I keep the WAA card for Statham pool - a small, hard 'wild' water, which usually sends others down the road to the commercial at Meadow View to 'bag up' leaving me in peace. But WAA do a cheap 'canal only' card now for about £20 which is good, I think.