The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I have an allotment at Alrewas and this time of year I often spend an hour there watering and gathering produce then go on to the canal for another hour up to dusk. Tonight as I arrived on the towpath a chap and his young son were packing up a few yards from the main road bridge, an area I haven't tried before. They had caught quite a few little Perch and Roach so I made a mental note and walked on up to the lock, and my chosen swim. Here I had a handful of Roach to six ounce but the strong breeze was difficult so I decided to double back to the bridge to fish the spot the father and son had vacated, hoping the fish may still be hanging around. I wasn't disappointed, a bite a chuck for half an hour, mostly small Roach and Perch but a twelve ounce Perch broke the sequence in a lively manner. Next cast a little Gudgeon, only the second I've caught here in nearly two years, a real rarity since the Zander have proliferated. Local anglers, even those of no great age, tell me that once you could catch several pounds of them in matches. Now the matches are as rare as the Gudgeon!

I can remember catching gudgeon in those matches all the way from Rugeley up to Stone most weekends some forty five years ago. They were the main target for match anglers along with the chub that were consistently resident under a few well known bushes. Great days.

I did have a copy of a scientific paper of a study looking into the effects of zander on the indigenous fish population in the Oxford canal. The only species the scientists had found to be adversley affected were gudgeon. They are now as rare as hen's teeth around here in the canal, whereas roach, bream and hybrids have seen their average sizes increase dramatically since the days where matches were won with dozens of tiny fish for a pound or two.

EricW wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 5:42 am I did have a copy of a scientific paper of a study looking into the effects of zander on the indigenous fish population in the Oxford canal. The only species the scientists had found to be adversley affected were gudgeon. They are now as rare as hen's teeth around here in the canal, whereas roach, bream and hybrids have seen their average sizes increase dramatically since the days where matches were won with dozens of tiny fish for a pound or two.

Exactly that here too. Fewer but better sized fish, not really match water any more.

Maybe they are making a comeback,we have caught several in last few weeks on a small fishery near us.
Many years ago on the river Trent I remember fishing a club match at Caythorpe which was won with 5 1/2 lg of Gudgeon caught on Bloodworm.kevin Ashurst reckoned it was possible for 15 lb of some pegs which I believe he did once achieve.