FISHERY OF THE WEEK GUC,
GUC hotspot good for 15lb nets of roach
Nether Heyford
AFTER fears over dwindling silverfish stocks on the Grand Union Canal, there are encouraging signs that the venue has turned the corner and is bouncing back in style.
While quality bream, carp and perch had been plentiful in dozens of stretches for a while, its shoals of smaller roach and skimmers were much tougher to locate.
But the venue appears to getting back to its best on several stretches, and Nether Heyford is one notable example. To the west of Northampton, it has suddenly gained the potential for 15lb hauls of redfins, with the shoals well spread throughout the length.
Stunning setting
While catching fish is clearly our most important consideration when choosing a venue, being able to do it in a picturesque setting makes your session even more special.
Visit the canal at Nether Heyford and you’ll be drawn into your own little world as you walk the towpath. A mix of vegetation, wildlife and farm animals in the adjacent fields makes it easy for you to switch off from the daily stresses of life.
Venue regular Lee Newson has sampled dozens of areas on the GUC and admits even he was initially surprised at Nether Heyford’s comeback.
“In 2015 I fished an event there and was left devastated at the end – despite having one of the best weights in my zone. That was because my 10 miniature roach weighed in at a meagre 6oz, with almost everyone around me blanking,” Lee told Angling Times.
“After that, I had no idea how the canal would ever get back to its best, but the positive changes over the last year or so have been remarkable.
“Five years ago you’d have been lucky to catch 10oz, but there are now plenty of areas where you can put together 10lb or more.”
Line rotation
Combine boat traffic and bankside congestion with some reasonably shallow water and you’re always going to have shoals of fish that behave in a cagey manner.
This often results in them not settling in one spot for long, and means that chopping and changing is important to keep bites coming.
Start fishing at about 12m in 3ft of water with bread. Introduce a full cup of loose liquidised bread to begin with and use a 6mm punch over the top.
Plumb around carefully and try to find an area that has a flat spot at least a metre long to give you an area to lay down a carpet of feed.
Just to the right of that, at the same length, is a good spot for a groundbait line. Put in two balls of your favourite mix laced with finely chopped worms and maggots. This spot could throw up pretty much everything that swims.
Finally, a reliable chopped worm line is 4m out in around 4ft of water. Finely chopped worms are loosefed, with either a section of a lobbie or a dendrobaena as hookbait for the perch.