I've been trying to spot dead fish in the Coventry Canal after the freeze of the last month, and with some success. This canal is, on the surface at least, virtually lifeless. I must have walked the route from Longford to Hawkesbury Junction a thousand times and always keep an eye out for fishy activity en-route
, but usually without success.
The frozen Coventry Canal at Longford
I've seen a fish roll, possibly a bream, a few tiddler roach swimming just below the surface on one very hot day last Summer, have caught one jack pike and seen one tiny, tiny jack on the surface, have seen a few areas of subsurface activity belied by little bow waves, and a few rises, but that is not a good record for the sheer quantity of time I have spent looking. I have never known an area of water, still or running so apparently devoid of fish life.
Perhaps it is because British Waterways were supposed to have removed the entire fish stock to fill their waters at Makins. I don't know, it was information gleaned from another angler, but now I see that BW are removing excess fish from Makins to restock, of all places, Coventry Canal. Perhaps they could tip a few tons into my stretch?
Anyways, I have spotted a very decent roach of perhaps a pound and a bit, floating belly up in the margins, a three pound bream and a small jack. I am very pleased about the roach, it was good size for any water, and where there is one I believe there will always be more of the same stamp and possibly bigger, so I decided to try to catch at least one, of any size, today.
A canal roach, at last!
I tried a few spots, but had no bites, and worse, lacked confidence, so I walked on and on till I found a place that felt just right. It was blowing a small gale and the wind was freezing but I did get a small roach to take my worm. A young lad informed me that he'd had a two pound perch at this very spot, and I saw no reason to doubt him. Perhaps I'll give the place a try with two rods and worms on some fine evening quite soon. I have not caught a perch in many, many years, and I'd very much like to.
, but usually without success.
The frozen Coventry Canal at Longford
I've seen a fish roll, possibly a bream, a few tiddler roach swimming just below the surface on one very hot day last Summer, have caught one jack pike and seen one tiny, tiny jack on the surface, have seen a few areas of subsurface activity belied by little bow waves, and a few rises, but that is not a good record for the sheer quantity of time I have spent looking. I have never known an area of water, still or running so apparently devoid of fish life.
Perhaps it is because British Waterways were supposed to have removed the entire fish stock to fill their waters at Makins. I don't know, it was information gleaned from another angler, but now I see that BW are removing excess fish from Makins to restock, of all places, Coventry Canal. Perhaps they could tip a few tons into my stretch?
Anyways, I have spotted a very decent roach of perhaps a pound and a bit, floating belly up in the margins, a three pound bream and a small jack. I am very pleased about the roach, it was good size for any water, and where there is one I believe there will always be more of the same stamp and possibly bigger, so I decided to try to catch at least one, of any size, today.
A canal roach, at last!
I tried a few spots, but had no bites, and worse, lacked confidence, so I walked on and on till I found a place that felt just right. It was blowing a small gale and the wind was freezing but I did get a small roach to take my worm. A young lad informed me that he'd had a two pound perch at this very spot, and I saw no reason to doubt him. Perhaps I'll give the place a try with two rods and worms on some fine evening quite soon. I have not caught a perch in many, many years, and I'd very much like to.
dont knock the coventry canal, ive lived and fished in longford all my life, years back before they built tesco there was a black gas pipe that used to span the canal and i used to fish under it with worm, guaranteed to catch big pearch all day and night. Sadly thats no more, they have replaced the pipe with a wooden post, just near tesco, i fish there now but with bread, on a sunny day theres some big bream to be had, ive never weighed one but i took soom pics to show my dad, who match fishes for jaguar, and he was very impressed, i lay them next to a 2 litre coke bottle and they were about the same length, the largest was around 2 inch longer :) all in all im never let down from spending a couple of hours on longfords canal.
ReplyDeleteSince this post I've come to love the canal, Floydion. I live right on it and fish there whenever the fancy takes me, and you're right, I'm never let down by it, just brought along by it. It isn't easy fishing, and anyone who fares well there has my respect!
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