Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Trent & Mersey Canal
Darren Massey
EXPECTATIONS take a dip in the minds of most anglers when winter casts its hoary spell. Having to scrape off a thick layer of stubborn ice from the car windscreen, adding countless layers of clothing and reaching for that extra- large flask are reminders of just how cold it suddenly is.
Once the time of year comes when all these tasks are conducted before each session, it is only natural that most of us feel privileged just to avoid the dreaded blank.
But perhaps we should all be a little more optimistic before we set foot on the bank? Darren Massey’s mentality is completely different to most of us. Rather than crossing fingers and toes in the hope it will lead to the float dipping occasionally, he has come to expect the best sport of the year right now on a prolific stretch of canal. The Cadence Superteam and Bait- Tech man is an absolute wizard on the canal circuit, having spent many years mastering his trade.
With boat traffic drastically reduced on many venues during the winter, the water goes gin- clear – and that is usually seen as a recipe for disaster.
It certainly can be, but head to a spot where the fish have packed in and the best canal session of the year could be about to unfold.
“Fish stocks feel more vulnerable to predation from cormorants and other animals at this time of year so they pack into areas where the wildlife doesn’t feel comfortable,” says Darren.
“That is exactly what happens on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Hoo Mill, on the outskirts of Stafford. The fish congregate close to the boats and remain there throughout the cold season. And the best bit is that they are still more than willing to feed and catches can be pretty impressive, to say the least.”
Switch for success
Controlled by Izaak Walton Stafford AA, the club owns the right to the venue between Hoo Mill and Great Haywood.
Roach, perch and skimmers dominate the sport but there are also good numbers of predators, with doublefigure pike a possibility in some areas.
At this time of year it is the roach and skimmers that mainly feature in catches in the hotspot where Darren had set out his stall.
“You can get a bite every chuck much of the time, but it isn’t just a matter of attacking one line and expecting to reap the rewards,” he says.
“It is important to have several areas to rely on, feeding each differently to find out how the fish want it on the day.”
With that in mind Darren primed four spots, each given an individual baiting treatment.
The first was at 7m down the track to his left in 5ft of water, introducing a ball of liquidised bread before planning to trickle maggots and casters over the top throughout.
Second up was at the same distance but to his right, doing exactly the same, minus the bread.
His third line was over to his left towards the boats in around 2ft 6in, where he would feed a ball of groundbait and catapult squatts over the top.
The final line was also up against the boats but to the right, and a ball of liquidised bread would include a few pinkies. There’d be no loosefeed over this zone.
“A trickle of bait going through the water tempts a reaction most of the time, but there are occasions when they prefer just to sit over a stationary bed on the deck.
“In truth, their preference can change within minutes and if bites dry up it is a case of trying a different area to find where the fish have drifted.”
Moment of truth
The canal had been frozen for three days before the IYCF cameras arrived and although the ice had melted, it was hardly ideal conditions.
“Once the ice melts it chills the water and that can influence the quality of sport on a lot of venues.
“But it doesn’t do it any harm here because of the sheer number of fish that are living close to these boats. Even if only a small proportion of the fish decided they fancied a feed, you’d still put double figures in your net in no time at all – that tells you it is rammed beneath the surface!”
A small piece of punch was compressed on to the hook before it was placed over his 7m line to the left. Most would allow their eyes to wander in the opening stages, fully expecting a waiting game before the first bite.
Not Darren, though. His eyes were trained on the finely dotted float tip from the word go and it was just as well, with a small roach taking the bait within a minute of starting.
“It’s not a case of having to attract fish as I know bites can be instant. All the loosefeed does is trigger that feeding instinct and concentrate them over the top of where your rig is.”
“It’s not a case of having to attract fish as I know bites can be instant. All the loosefeed does is trigger that feeding instinct”
Small redfins continued to oblige but he was fully aware that the clear water would eventually see them push elsewhere in his peg. In order to capitalise whenever they did move, he kept busy with the catapult, priming two lines with the relevant baits. Although the fish started small, he was confident that would soon change, and a switch to maggot to his right at the same distance produced roach that were double the size of the initial stamp.
With around 6lb in the net after an hour and a half, the action suddenly came to a halt. He was sure the fish were still nearby and he had a theory.
“They’re likely to be sat directly under that boat, being a little cagey after the shoal has been disturbed a little. If the water was a more coloured they’d definitely have a feed.”
And just then a boat appeared and plodded slowly through his swim.
Final flurry
The barge churned up the sediment and a wry grin spread across Darren’s face.
Reaching for the 11m line to his left, another piece of punch went on. The rig was lowered in and it was debatable whether it even hit the deck as the best stamp roach so far nailed it almost instantly.
That murky colour lingered for the next 90 minutes and Darren bagged at pace, taking roach to 6oz and skimmers to just shy of 1lb while rotating.
“Today has been pretty average for this part of the canal but I’ve still had around 12lb of silvers.” Darren said.
“Most anglers avoid canals at this time of year, as they fear they are in for a grueller. But do your homework and find a stretch like this absolute gem and it can produce a real red- letter session on apparently the most unlikely of days.”