Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
The UK’s most scenic canal – Iain Swanson
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal really is a cut above the rest, says venue expert Iain Swanson
CLOSE your eyes. Now picture a typical stretch of canal. I’m not a mind reader but it’s likely you have imagined an urban area with countless joggers, cyclists and dog walkers striding within inches of your expensive pole. Not forgetting the long walk from your car that leaves you exhausted before you’ve even reached the known hotspot and the boats regularly ploughing through the central track. There’s no doubt there are dozens of stretches that match the stereotype, but there are plenty of special gems that are a world away from such a description. The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal weaves its way through the stunning Welsh countryside, starting its life in the small market town of Brecon before going on a 35-mile journey that ends in Pontymoile Basin just north of Cwmbran.
Rolling hills sit behind the towpath with only the resident wildlife and the occasional barge disturbing the rural tranquillity. In the 1980s and 1990s the stunning Gilwern stretch was a magnet for anglers, with 100-peg matches commonplace as entrants scrambled to get their chance to fish for the roach and bream. Clubs that leased stretches had booming membership numbers, and an early start was required to stand even half a chance of plonking your tackle on a known flyer. But numbers dropped off as the commercial scene began to flourish and the venue suffered a final hammer blow in 2007 when a section of banking collapsed. Local homes were flooded and the fishing was destroyed in the process as the silvers were washed out and killed. For two years the canal stood dry before it was refilled in 2009. Boating began again and a few hardy anglers that still had aspirations of fishing the venue began talking to try and build a solid future for the venue.
Gilwern revival
One of those figureheads with a passion for the fishery was Iain Swanson. He had built up a plethora of memories as a junior on the venue, winning his first-ever match there more than three decades ago. With those special achievements firmly etched in his mind, he was determined to make sure they weren’t his final memories of the site. “Despite discussing whether the canal would be restocked, we were told that this wouldn’t happen and that instead nature would be allowed to take its course,” explained Iain. “Certain areas of the canal had been unaffected and it was hoped that the fish would eventually make their way down the venue from there, spreading throughout to create opportunities for anglers.” To say the news left him downbeat would be an understatement. He was unconvinced that such a plan had any chance of working. Even if
it did, it would take decades to come to fruition. Or so he thought... Fast-forward to the modern day, and what could be seen as a minor miracle has occurred. “The once depleted Gilwern stretch is now getting back to its best, with double figure catches of roach definitely on the cards,” he joyfully revealed. “There hasn’t been a single fish stocked, and they have made their way down through the system,” explained Iain. “It’s incredible when you consider they’ve had to travel more than 15 miles to get here!” The unexpected revival has seen anglers filter back to the venue to try it in its new guise, with Cwmcelyn AC even taking control.
Stunning backdrop
With the postcode tapped into the satnav to visit Iain for a session at Gilwern, off I went from my home in Leicestershire. The usual chore of navigating the M42 and M5 was hardly inspiring, but as I left the M50 and crossed the Welsh border, the scenery became much more pleasing on the eye. As the country baked in 30ºC temperatures, the countryside was beaming. The luscious greenery was accentuated by bright sunshine and, as I parked up on the towpath car park, that vivid setting was highlighted more than at any point during the journey. A quick call to Iain revealed he was a twominute walk from the cars, and as I trekked
“Fast-forward to the modern day and a minor miracle has occurred”
past a turning bay and under a small bridge I was greeted by arguably the most stunning backdrop I had ever seen on a canal bank. There wasn’t a single cloud to ruin the clear light blue sky and cattle were grazing in the surrounding fields that could be seen for miles. Idyllic. “It’s pretty special isn’t it?” asked Iain, reading my mind. “This is the sort of venue where it is a pleasure to just be there. But add the great silver fish sport and it becomes even more appealing to anglers.” Small fish could be seen topping along the stretch, and Iain set his sights on getting among the roach with very simple tactics. Nuggets of groundbait would be introduced on a regular basis with a piece of breadpunch as hookbait over the top. Many anglers would feed liquidised bread in this instance but Iain is adamant that BaitTech Fine Lake is a much better option as it has plenty of flavour which lingers in the water, even if a boat ploughs through the swim. Loosefeed is kept to a bare minimum, with just half a pint each of maggots and casters on the side tray to catapult over the top from time to time. This will help to draw in a bigger stamp of redfins. With 4ft of depth at most, our man started the day fishing three-quarters of the way across into a patch of shaded water. Soaring temperatures were searing the whole country, so it made perfect sense to attack an area where the fish could get a little respite from the elements. It took no longer than five minutes for the first small roach to take the hookbait and regularly topping up the swim with bait kept the float dipping under. “I haven’t picked this spot for any other reason than it offers a little bit of shade, but I could have tackled up anywhere and caught fish – that’s how many roach there are in here,” said Iain as he pushed his landing net out under yet another fish. As the hours passed the bites kept coming and the stamp of fish increased, with plenty of roach between 4oz and 8oz contributing to an overall catch of 12lb. “If you’d have asked me a few years ago whether this would have ever been possible again on this lovely venue I would have laughed at the idea. “The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal has gone full circle and is on course to resume its status as one of the best canal venues in the UK,” concluded Iain.