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