I know the swims well Gord! The GUC can be the most idyllic scenery in parts Mark and in others,Gord wrote:hi md the stretch i used to fish was from alperton to park royal did you ever fish the two willows near alperton bridge or a still better swim called the hole in the wall, all these memories take me back to a time you could jump on your bike and disappear for a day on a great fishing adventure it was at the time anyway since those days i have fished in russia,italy,france to name a few but i still think of those days on the cut
it felt like you were fishing in the middle of an industrial wasteland and it was in these latter areas that I've had days that will stay with me the closest, there just seemed an abundance of fish as unnatural as the surroundings.
The canal felt alive, not just a utility as it was originally designed and had as many fish in as any natural river i had or have ever fished! What I really liked about it was it was very 'responsive' if you were willing to put the work in, not everyone's cup of tea, but to me and many others was roach heaven.
As a young whipper snapper, one closed season, I once walked from King's Cross to Greenford and then caught the tube back! I don't know how many miles that is, but I wouldn't do it now!