Fishin' in the cut (Locations in general)

Member Name: ray_moth

Product:	Locations in general
Date:	27/08/02 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, challenging, can be very convenient

Disadvantages: Can be dangerous, limited fish

The Cut: a.k.a. canal, inland waterway.

In Wolverhampton, W. Midlands, where I spent the first 18 years of my life, there is a dearth of good fishing waters. The nearest river is the Severn at Bridgnorth and, for me, that was a 20 mile bike ride that included a couple of long, steep hills. There are a few large pools, notably, Patshull and Pool Hall.

One alternative, close to where I lived, was the Shropshire Union Canal. The trouble with canals is that they are very narrow and can be frequently disturbed by passing barges and small boats. This particular canal, however, seemed to be less disturbed than most and, at my favorite spot near the Boulton Paul factory at Pendeford, there was a wide place known as The Basin (although, thanks to the local accent, I thought for some years that its name was The Bison, which puzzled me).

I could get from my house to The Basin in about 15 minutes on my bike. I would try to make an early start, so as to be on the tow-path by sunrise. Being on a bike, I didn't have room to lug a big fisherman's basket and all my tackle and bait was in an ex-army canvas haversack, with my rod and landing-net tied to the cross-bar.

The Basin was very shallow and there was no current, although there was some movement of the surface if it was windy. The only fish in that particular canal were small roach: a half-pounder was considered a big fish! Those roach were particularly nervous and any incautious movement on the bank could scare them off or put them down for half an hour or more. Weather conditions could also put them off, especially if it was unseasonably warm.

There was no need for heavy tackle nor was there any need to cast very far. Indeed, the finest of tackle was necessary to avoid alarming the fish, which had all the time in the world to examine the bait. I fished very light, using a single maggot on a #16 hook to nylon, a 2lb breaking-strain trace with one or two tiny split
shot far away from the hook, and a float made of 2 inches of peacock quill. The shot was just enough to cock the float.

My main line was 5lb breaking strain nylon monofilament, although it could just as well have been less. For a reel, I used a small fixed-spool although any center-pin model would have done. Long distance casting, rapid retrieving and high stress are not called for in canal fishing.

Canal fishing involved a lot of waiting and I needed to have something to sit on. There was an old bottle crate that I found useful. It was tempting also to use a rod rest but that could cause bites to be missed, so I always hand-held the rod.

I found it best to fish at a depth that would let the maggot come to rest about one inch above the canal bed. To judge this, I would attach a plummet weight to the hook and adjust the position of the float so that it just dipped under the surface with the plummet weight on the bottom. (Naturally, I removed the plummet before attaching the bait!)

Since the split shot were fixed some distance above the hook, the bait was allowed to drift down slowly but the float would cock quite quickly. When a roach did take the bait, it would do so very tentatively and a bite could be sometimes be indicated by the peacock-quill float merely turning around in the water, rather than bobbing or going under. Roach have telescopic mouths and will suck and blow a bait several times before taking it finally all the way into their mouths. Striking had to be done gently but firmly but, mainly, it had to be done at exactly the right time. Fast reactions were called for, hence the need to hold the rod rather than leave it in a rest. The line between the rod and the float had to be kept tight; it’s useless trying to strike quickly if you have a big loop of loose line between yourself and the fish.

While catching a canal roach is tricky, landing it is no big feat. A landing net is a good idea, tho
ugh, to prevent having to hoist the fish out of the water only by the hook and line. A disgorger or doctor’s forceps is necessary to remove the hook without damaging the fish’s mouth.

Instead of returning the fish to the water immediately, I put them in a keep-net until I was ready to leave, on the basis that a released fish can alarm others in the vicinity and spoil the fishing. Once, I wrapped a small roach in a wet towel and took it home to release in my Dad’s fish pond. It lived there with his goldfish for years until the pond became frozen solid in a particularly severe winter and all the inhabitants perished.

Canal fishing is an acquired taste and can be dangerous these days: there have been many instances in the last few years of tow-path muggings. In the 1960s, though, it was relatively safe – you just had to keep away from teddy-boys with air rifles and other nut-cases!

Summary: