A superb session!

Today I visited the canal at a spot near its middle reaches. The weather was overcast and a bit windy but I had a feeling that the fish would be active in that area, as it has a marina and good depth. In addition the previous sessions indicated that fish feed well right now and I should make the most of this.. I arrived around 14:30 and started fishing straight away with my UL dropshot gear. The water was stained but nothing to worry about.
Although I haven't targeted the perch on this stretch, I knew that it held good specimens along with a good number of decent jacks. I was expecting to have a mixed bag but nothing could prepare me for the action that followed!
I was working my little Savagear soft 4play along the moored barges and after the second or third cast, while retrieving parallel to a barge I got the characteristic sharp bite of a pike and after a typically vigorous fight I got it in the net.

First fish of the day.

I continued fishing but the bites dried up for a while. I moved towards a bridge and started casting next to the boats. Suddenly I got a bite but the fish didn't commit, I recast and this time it took it! I had a good fish on the end of the line and by the head shakes I could tell it was a good perch.. It came at the surface and straight in the net. It was a decent fish and among the bigger perch this season at around 2lbs. It also spat out a small roach that seems to be the dominant prey-fish in this canal at this time of year.

Beautiful hard fighter.

Food!

 I kept at it in this swim and got rewarded with another good fight, from a pike this time..

They keep coming.

I moved towards a marina and started fan-casting in order to find more fish. I could see baitfish jumping and scattering at times, so I was certain there was more to come!
Another cast parallel to a boat and I had a take but no fish, I recast and fish on. It was another big perch in perfect condition and bristling fins.

A beauty.

I made a cast towards some sunken tires next to the canal wall and let the lure sink to the bottom. As i tightened the line I felt weight and realised I got a fish on! This one felt heavy and fought like an 'obese' perch (!). As I got in on the surface I couldn't believe my eyes! It was a big bream clearly hooked in the mouth.. I knew that they get predatory but had never before caught one on a lure.
It seems everything feeds on these poor small roach!

Complete surprise!

Clean hook hold.

After the bream I kept working the area as there were still baitfish moving about.
I got a good bite few meters before the lure was out of the water and this time I was hooked to something powerful! It made several long runs and was unwilling to come to the surface, but after a few minutes of sustained pressure I managed to see it. A nice pike.. It kept moving away but soon I managed to slip the net under her. I estimated her at around 3kg, a considerable fish for the gear used.
I fished some more after that and got a couple bites, but the fish seemed to have wised-up to the lure. Being a modest man I decided to head to the pub and leave the fish alone!

Hard fighter.

Big mouth!

It was an exceptional haul for the standards of this canal and I was really buzzing after this session. I believe that fish go on feeding now to prepare for the spawning season. The small roach shoals seem to be the mainstay of their diet and so 8-9cm shiny/silver lures are proving most effective. There is always a chance of a big fish finding our lure, but by using good gear and being patient its usually relatively easy to land them. I think the use of fluorocarbon mainline really helps at this as it has some stretch and works really well with the rod in minimising the stress of the fight.

Tight lines all!

Gear used.
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Mitchell Mag Pro1000
Mainline: Sunline Siglon Fluorocarbon, 4lbs
Rig: dropshot
lure: savagear soft 4play 8cm

A sunny session.

Today the sun was up and it was a glorious day, too good to be stuck inside.. So without much thinking I picked up my UL dropshot setup and headed to the canal. I wasn't expecting much to happen early as typically in these conditions fish prefer to feed near dusk. I wanted to experiment with different rigs though so I started with a carolina rig, using a split shot and Owner slim offset #6 hook as this presentation gave me a couple fish on a previous session. I casted in a fan shape and covered as much area as possible but fish didn't wanna play ball.. I switched to my typical wire dropshot rig with 6lbs Knot2Kinky and VMC Spinshot hook. The lure was my favourite of late, 8cm Savagear soft 4play.
I kept working the lure and covering water but after a mile or so it was apparent that fish weren't active. I decided to walk slowly back to some moored barges as the fish would probably be hanging out there in the shade and take my time until the sun goes down a bit.
 By now it was around half three in the afternoon and the canal started to look more alive with a couple baitfish splashing around. I worked around the barges and soon got stuck in to the first perch of the day.

Must be the "tough" neighbourhood at this spot!

I moved to another boat and got another one straight away. They weren't that big but very aggressive.

After working the boats I saw some commotion near the opposite bank and I casted straight away. A couple twitches later and I got a bite, I struck and after a nice tussle I had a slightly better perch in the net.

The little 4play was proving irresistible and on a later cast I found out why.. I was working the lure with a few sharp jerks soon after landing (as this tends to attract fish from a distance) and felt some weight on the line, As I got the lure up, I had foul-hooked a small roach at almost the same size and profile as the soft bait. Matching the hatch as they say..

A good imitation.

I kept fishing the area where I caught the perch as it was obvious that the fish were preying on these small roach. I made a cast right next to the wall and this time I got a sharp bite and felt good resistance at the end of the line. A great fight ensued but soon I had a feisty jack in the net.

Cant get enough of their fights!

After this fish the swim got quiet and I moved to a basin where there's usually the odd perch and pike hunting at this time. Many casts later and without a sniff of a fish, I was almost ready to call it a day. I made a last cast and gave some sharp jerks as soon as the lure hit bottom, I tried to repeat the jerks but as soon as I lifted the rod I had a fish on! Another good little fight and another small jack landed.

Last fish of the day.

After the jack the light had diminished and I decided to call it a day. It had been one of the most productive sessions lately and I was a happy angler.
Even though I caught no fish using UL carolina today, it was apparent that the deciding factor was the time of the day. I have been trying carolina to present the lures closer to the bottom and still have some sort of weightless/flowing effect, making the method less attractive to pike and hope to get some smaller species. So far no pike have been caught and works well on the perch..

Another thing to note is that perch really don't seem to be put-off by the 6lbs K2K wire and its really a relief to use it in areas with high pike activity.. This week I will try to fish every day and at different places, because I will be going to a more exotic destination soon and need to make the most of the freshwater fishing here..

More to follow and thanks for reading!

Gear used.
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Tica Libra 2500fd
Mainline: Sunline Siglon Fluorocarbon, 4lbs
Rig: dropshot, carolina
lure: savagear soft 4play 8cm, Berkley Gulp fish fry 2"

Casting on the other side.

Today the weather was relatively mild and overcast with the heavy winds of late dying down, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity for some perch fishing. I have been getting sidetracked from them because of the pike and they have been difficult as well so far this season. But as I remember I had good results on them last year at about this time, thus I need to persevere!
I got my UL dropshotting gear and headed to the usual hotspots. On my arrival the water was slightly murky and at the first spot there was someone else fishing for pike with heavier gear. After waiting for a bit and while getting some nibbles on the lure, he moved on and I casted where he was fishing before. I was fishing a wire Knot2Kinnky dropshot rig with an 8cm Savagear soft 4play and it wasn't long before I got a strong bite and after a lovely fight landed the culprit. A small jack only but they really fight hard on this gear..

Scrappy jack!

Shortly after I got another good bite but the fish let go. I moved towards a bridge with lots of moored barges around it and again there were some other anglers fishing on my 'good' spots. I casted towards a boat and got some perch like bites but no hookups and knew the fish were there.
The perch on that stretch tend to hide under the barges and very close to the canal walls but the other anglers seemed to overlook these areas and were instead casting all the time on the opposite bank of the canal.. As soon as they moved further down I made a cast just under where they were before and got a solid take and fish on. It gave a good account of itself and I thought it was another jack but instead I saw a nice perch come to the surface. It was promptly netted and released.
Another cast on the next spot between two barges saw another one come out albeit smaller and roughed-up!

'Stollen' perch!

A little one.

Been in the rough areas..

By know it was getting late and I had to call it a day, but it was a very enjoyable short session and I hope that the perch get more active and numerous in the coming weeks. It was apparent that the fish wanted the slower, finesse presentation today and also the lighter gear. I was very surprised though that anglers still overlook the classic fish-holding areas on the canals and get stuck with the notion that the fish are on the other side and not under their feet!

Tight lines and fish close as well!


Gear used:
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Tica Libra 2500fd
Mainline: Toray Bottom Attacker Fluorocarbon, 3lbs
Rig: dropshot
lure:savagear soft 4play 8cm

Piking in the rain...

Today I managed to go for a session on a south Cumbrian canal that I knew for a while it held a good number of pike and some decent sized ones at that. I wanted to test a slightly different presentation that I was hoping it would give me the edge and help me get more bites. I used a 13cm Savagear soft 4play mounted on the offset hooks meant for them, but with only one of the little weights on the hook and the addition of a spinner/flasher and a treble hook. Thus I was hoping that I could fish the lure relatively close to the bottom having good control due to the slow sink rate but also gain attractiveness by the flasher/spinner and a much better catch rate than just the offset hook.

Pimped out soft 4play!

The weather was cloudy with some wind and rain coming later, so I had to hurry-up.
I started fishing near some sunken trees and vegetation by flipping the lure under the branches (very easy to flip-cast this lure) and letting it sink to the bottom. I then retrieved slowly with plenty of pauses and short double jerks of the rod tip. As I paused near a branch and the lure was sinking I felt a sharp bite and I struck into a fish. After a spirited fight I landed the first pike and weigh it at 3kg.

Not big but very welcome!

 I continued walking and casting at all the features I saw, especially the ones near deeper water and after a few more casts I got the same style of take on the paused lure as before. Once more I struck hard and I had a good weight on the end of the line. This time the fish was slightly bigger and put up a better fight but again got it in rather quickly as I was using beefier tackle. I tried to weight this fish too but discovered that the wet weighing sling had gone over the cheap scales in my pocket and got it all wet and messed up! Anyway I estimated the fish about a pound or two heavier and put her back in the water quickly..

Nice plump pike.

By this time the rain started pouring and even though I continued to fish and was determined to persevere as the fish seemed very active due to the way they took the lure, I got a call from a friend regarding business and had to cut the session short. I will definitely come back to this canal as I'm sure there are better fish swimming in it. The lure presentation seemed to work well here and I need to try again for tweaks and improvements on it.
On the Lancaster canal things have slowly started to improve as the baitfish seem shoaled up in the usual areas and some decent perch have been seen. The larger pike have been shy at my usual spots but then again I haven't managed to devote as much time for them as last year.

Slightly better fish showing.

Little jack..

Baitfish-holding features..

A nice short session that could've been more productive as the fish were very active  but it was still good to be out and catching some fish! Hope the weather doesn't get any worse so that I could go fish for longer next time..

Thanks for reading!

Gear used.
Rod: Mikado Royal Edition Spin, 2.40m, 15-35g
Reel: Shimano Stradic GTM 4000
Mainline: Daiwa Tournament 8 braid, homemade Knot2Kinky 20lb trace
Lures: Savagear soft 4play

First fish of 2014.

Happy New Year to all and hopefully it will be a good one fishing-wise..
A couple days ago on my day off I ventured on my first fishing trip for 2014. I visited the Lancaster canal on its middle reaches hoping to get some perch and pike. The weather has been horrible with constant rain but I was optimistic. The canal was pretty murky and the water high after all that rain and it kept raining at times throughout the session.  I started with the usual soft plastics but after working my way for more than a mile without a touch, I switched to a silver-white spinnerbait thinking that the vibration and flash might help the fish find the lure in the murky water. After some more casts I reached a spot that has previously given me fish.
I made a good cast and retrieved slowly above the bottom, bringing it to my feet I saw a silhouette dart and hit the lure with force! The fish was only a jack and after a short tussle I landed it.

Small but aggressive!

After this fish I persevered but got no more bites and decided to go home. I got my adrenaline hit with the savage take and also my first fish of the year so that's me happy!
Can't wait for the weather to settle a bit and go back again. ..

Thanks for reading and best wishes for a fruitful fishing year!

Dimitrios

Merry Christmas!

I haven't been fishing much lately, as a combination of bad weather, limited time and a cold kept me away from the canal. Hopefully the conditions will improve and I will manage to go out more often, but until then I wish all a Merry Christmas and tight lines!

Following are some pics of my recent catches 

A little jack at dusk. 

Nice perch from the lower part of the canal. 

Again at the 'magic' hour.

My new gloves are proving good..

Nothing spectacular with fish few and far between but at least avoided the dreaded blank!

All the best!

Hearing the drag after a while!

I 've been fishing on an almost daily basis the last couple weeks, trying to suss out the fish mood and locations but the results have been harder to come by than I expected. Nevertheless some patterns are starting to shape.
 I have been mainly focusing on perch with the UL gear and on the dropshot rig, incorporating a Knot2Kinky trace (6lbs) and although the fish don't seem to mind it, they are not there in numbers to give me more solid feedback. I have thus turned to normal jigging techniques with small jigheads and paddle/curly tails or swim/jerk baits, in order to cover more water faster and hopefully find more fish. Moreover I have been venturing further down the canal from my usual places, Google Earth has been very useful in letting me find new fishy-looking areas and Ive managed to get some fish from them.
On Friday I visited one such area that was only a half hour's drive from home, It was a nice basin with a small marina and seemed deep enough to hold some fish. Not knowing the bottom consistency (snags, structure etc) I rigged a 7.5cm Dragon Phantom shad on an offset hook clipped to a leadhead and started casting near the moored barges. I got a couple bites, missed a perch and then a nice pike under my feet! Following that session I decided to go at the same place today and try again. I started fishing around 14:00 and used the same lure albeit on a normal jighead as I didn't want to take any chances. I fished for hours until near dusk with only a couple subtle bites and no fish to show.. I had walked for more than a mile and I decided to make my way back for a last crack at the basin. I changed lure to a 9.5cm savagear soft 4play on a 4g jighead and as I was walking back I was making some casts only on the very likely looking spots for a fish.. As I approached a bridge with overhanging vegetation on its side (classic spot) I let a cast and worked the lure slowly back with twitches of the rod tip. I felt a take and struck on a fish. It fought well and made some good runs even though I had set the drag rather tight.. The rod was bent in a beautiful arc and after a while I managed to slip the net under a pretty pike.

Very welcome!

After that fish I reached the basin as the sunlight was fading fast. A few casts among the barges and I soon had another pike on, this one was  bigger but as it was caught close in it came up faster (and greener!). A couple photos and the fish was back.
I persisted a while longer but only got some tentative perch-bites without hooking the culprit and as it was really dark by now, I decided to call it a day..

Bad photo but beautiful pike.

Menacing look!

This was my first successful session for a while and even though the fish weren't huge, they did make my rod bend and the reel sing.. A sound I had almost forgotten!
As I mentioned above the perch have been tricky to locate and very finicky. They haven't shoaled up properly yet and I can only get individual fish here and there. Dropshot still remains the most effective method but small paddletails on a slow retrieve with plenty of pauses and twitches do well too. Barges and boats are the best 'features' to work around and most of the quality fish come at dusk and even after the light is gone especially in areas with artificial lighting. I had good results on the dropshot with white Storm Wildeye Finesse minnows and on jigging with Dragon Reno killers.

Among the barges..

Battle-scarred!

Well hopefully I will have some better sessions soon as I'm looking on trying some other areas and different presentations. The pike seem obliging though so I might target them more seriously on my next outings..

Tight lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Major Craft KG Evolution KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g and Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500f and Mitchell Mag pro 1000
Mainline: Spiderwire Ultracast Fluorobraid 10lbs, YGK nitlon DFC fluoro leader 10lb and 35cm Knot2Kinky 6lb trace, Toray Bottom Attacker fluorocarbon 3lbs
Lures: Savagear soft 4play, Dragon Phantom, Dragon Reno Killer, Storm Wildeye Finesse minnow.