Spotlight on in-form Lancaster Canal plus top day-ticket waters to fish now
IN THE remote Lancashire village of Garstang, the fantastic stretch of the Lancaster Canal is currently fishing exceptionally well.
To find out how best to approach it, Angling Times spoke to local match angler Mike Smith, who has fished the canal since he was a boy.
The venue is very close to his heart and, wanting to put something back into the stretch, he now organises a series of evening matches in a bid to encourage more anglers on to the bank.
He said: “I’ve always lived close by, only five minutes round the corner. It’s been an awesome year so far, and the matches my brother and I have organised have been brilliant.
“Owing to heavy boat traffic, we decided to run short evening matches, which have produced some fantastic weights – only three weeks ago the record was broken with a 51lb bag in just three-and-a-half hours.
“The last match I was lucky enough to win with 34lb 12oz, but the top six all weighed in over 20lb. We also put a lot of money into the matches – there was 22 anglers on, and I won £200. We pay the top three, and two sections, which means there is always good coin to be won.
“It really has been crazy fishing for the bream, but it has been improving for a while now.
“We want to attract more anglers. It’s such a natural canal, and we’ve been busy clearing a lot of swims, but the stretches through Garstang town have been fishing the best.
“If you’re looking to visit, I’d definitely speak to guys like Phil at Ted Carter/Angling Direct in Preston, as they will know the best current spots.
“Pole fishing works best throughout here. A 13m line will suffice in most situations, but I do occasionally use the feeder in wider spots. Generally, fishing towards cover is best, particularly the lily pads, which seem to hold the bigger bream.
“You can catch in every peg.
My advice would be to take halfa-pint of squatts, some maggots, casters, groundbait and worms.
“If you find the bream, chopped worm can be deadly, I’ve been known to use 1kg of dendrobaenas in a single session. Fishing like a match angler, feeding little and often is best.
“You don’t have to fish really
light here either. I use a 0.14mm bottom and a size 14 hook for the bream because I want to land everything that I hook.”
LOCATION: Lancaster Canal, Garstang, Lancs, PR3 1HB
CONTACT: Angling Direct, 01772 253476
PRICES: £4 per day in advance, £20 per season, in advance from local tackle shops