Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Welcome to canal heaven
Long before the advent of commercials, the Industrial Revolution gave us canals. And this one has no equal, asserts Dan Squire
GAZING into the crystal clear water and watching large black shapes cruise between the weedbeds, I had to remind myself I was stood on a canal bank. Generally speaking, canals are renowned for being murky, with anything living beneath the surface well and truly out of sight.
The backdrop is often fairly unappealing, even offensive, with the urban sprawl of surrounding factories and houses hardly ideal eye candy.
But the venue I had the pleasure of visiting had very little in common with the stereotypical canal.
The only similarities I could draw upon were its width and the towpath.
I had come to the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal in Somerset and local expert Dan Squire had assured me I was in for a treat.
If first impressions were anything to go by, the 300- mile round trip was certainly going to be worthwhile…
Big- fish paradise
Stretching almost 15 miles, the venue runs between the two towns it is named after.
There are hotspots throughout but today M5 Anglingbacked Dan has brought us to a picturesque zone in the tiny hamlet of Huntworth.
The stretch has been largely left to nature, with the controlling angling club intervening on occasion to create disabled- friendly pegs and fashion swims among the tall reedbeds.
Boats are a rarity and, as a result, the water is pretty much crystal clear. Despite being up to 7ft deep, it is possible to see halfway down or even to the bottom itself in some swims.
That clarity instantly gives you a flavour of what could end up on the hook.
Thousands of rudd ranging from an ounce to well over a pound are immediately noticeable but creep along the bank and you’re likely to encounter much bigger specimens on your travels.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times I think I’ve clocked eyes on a big weedbed – until it starts to move and you realise it is actually a shoal of big bream,” said Dan.
“There’s also double- figure carp, tench to 7lb and perch to 3lb and there’s plenty of big examples of all those species to go at.”
Commercial tactics
Parking in a layby just off the bridge on Huntworth Lane, it was a short walk with a loaded trolley to Dan’s chosen swim. A period of gardening to make the swim accessible was required before his platform was placed to get him in to a suitable position.
“There are swims with concrete platforms but I’ve spotted a shoal of bream moving around just up from here so I’m hoping they’ll soon swim down and I can get amongst them.”
Maggots and casters weren’t going to play any part in his attack, with the resident rudd certain to smash every single one of them as they drifted slowly down through the water column.
Instead, 6mm and 8mm pellets were tipped into a bait box, with a couple of balls of Sensas 3000 Tanches also going in at the start to lay a flavoursome bed for the fish to home in on.
“Drip feeding or using a catapult doesn’t work as it just makes the rudd more active,” he explained.
“It is best to dump in lots of pellets with an occasional ball of groundbait and top up whenever bites dry up.
“I do this over two lines – the first three- quarters of the way across and the other tight to the far bank weed because there is still plenty of depth in both the near and far margins.”
“Both the bream and tench show no mercy, ploughing off at a rate of knots towards some scary snags”
Perseverance pays
Although there are a steady number of locals who fully understand the potential of the venue, the stocks are largely left to their own devices.
They have retained their wild tendencies, feasting on the natural food stores and regard anglers’ bait as a bonus meal. Once hooked, both the bream and tench show no mercy, ploughing off at a rate of knots towards some scary- looking snags.
“The moment you hook a fish you have to keep the pole high to try and get them up off the deck well away from snags.
“It is then a matter of shipping back quickly to get them into open water where the majority of the danger is then alleviated.”
The initial dose of bait went forth and a fairly heavy rig aimed at getting to the bottom was layed in. The float didn’t even have time to cock before it drifted off on an awkward angle – a tiny rudd having made the bold decision to snatch at the 6mm pellet as it sunk.
This happened several times on the bounce, with the upper layers clearly teeming with tiddlers that were of no interest to Dan.
It was soon substituted for an 8mm version and that did the trick, with the float settling in the manner required.
Although an occasional dark shape could be seen frantically paddling through the swim, there seemed to be a lack of quality fish on the deck and Dan knew he needed to bide his time.
“It’s not the sort of venue where you will catch one every chuck all day but when the float does go under it could be a special fish on the end.
“You can go a long time without any signs of fish and then suddenly a big shoal shows up and it’s frantic action.”
Despite a couple of top- ups and trying both lines, more than 90 minutes elapsed without any action.
Confidence still remained high and another ball of groundbait went in. It was like flicking a switch with a bite on the very next drop over the top.
Zipping the pole back through a gap in the bushes, the fish tried its best to burrow down to the deck but the aggressive movements soon petered out.
“This will be a bream. They give it their all to start but soon tire.”
He was bang on and a 4lb fish that barely had a mark on it was soon banked.
A tench and another slab came in quick succession before another lull.
There was time for one more feeding spree in the dying stages and Dan ended the day with more than 25lb comprising just six fish.
“For me, this really is canal fishing at its best. If targeting wild fish in a rural location tickles your fancy then the Bridgwater & Taunton should be high on your hit list.”
“You can go a long time without any signs of fish then a big shoal shows up and it’s frantic action”