Tuesday 22 September 2015

Canal Slabs, Another Cut PB.


 The "Blogger's Challenge" that started back in May has really given me the impetus to try other water's for I feel I have benefited handsomely through doing this, the chances are there to be taken but I hadn't really targeted them thoroughly enough to assume nothing existed, normally I love to fish miles from the nearest human, but here on what couldn't be called anything other than a sprawling urban landscape there are some lovely fish to be tracked down, I've already caught monster Carp and good size Bream for a canal but there is something else in there worth having if I could only find it.

 The application is right and the Zander will surely become unstuck at some point in the near future but the Bream have been at the forefront of my mind for quite sometime and the possibility of a double figure canal Bream has my angling mind working overtime, but can they be located??, the question has been asked before and certainly answered it with a resounding yes!, can I find more was the new question. So on a sunny and very pleasant Sunday afternoon I was joined by hoards of joggers, narrow boats, passer by's and annoying dog walkers for a stalking session for a leviathan Slab.

 I think I now know the best section for stalking and all falls within just 1.5miles of what is an enormous canal which makes the location part simpler, all I needed was the sun to stay high and find the black, ancient bodied Bream basking sub-surface whilst simultaneously scooting around for an opportunist bit of food, I hoped I'd find one in a feeding mood and get my piece of camouflaged duck food in ones path, the theory was great and after finding some Bream around halfway up I had executed the plan to absolute perfection, the crow quill float and 4lb line (invisible in water) was perfect for the job and a large Bream played the roll of a semi-conscious plastic bag out in the track, a crowd assembled itself in almost a heartbeat to witness a fish being played in what 99.9% of the population would class as dead water, I just hope that figure doesn't increase although I firmly believe the studying I have done to be successful on here won't be emulated by many, this stance isn't a one of ignorance or arrogance but the sheer fact that people just want easy fishing and on such a sparsely populated water time and patience would be needed by the spade full.

 As the old relic breached the surface on route to my net I enlisted the help of a photographer, who didn't do a bad job (can't be chossie) to take a couple of snaps of what's turned out to be a new PB canal Bream of 7lb 11oz which I was very chuffed with!. Bream aren't everyone's cup of tea but as an all rounder I seriously enjoy the way I've had to angle what I have caught so far from what isn't the best canal in the country but it's my canal and I love it.

A great fish for a canal.

 After releasing the fine specimen back to annonimity I continued with the hope of catching another, remaining mobile I followed and followed until they became very weary of me, with the game almost up as I was looking to call it an afternoon a rogue Bream came from some bankside vegetation and made a bee-line for my bread and nailed it for which I inexplicably missed - thus spooking the portly sized Bream away, I then called it a day with another canal best in the bag. Happy angler for sure, back for those Zeds too.

10 comments:

  1. Top work - that is tough, tough fishing.

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    1. Cheers Brian, it was not easy at all but I did it and I really want one of those monsters, saw one easily over 10lb what a capture that would be !

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  2. Proper slab mate, but even more so from a canal. Could be 20 years old!

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    1. I know mate, that fish was a stunner the fish was black as anything, the next challenge is to better that. Zander tomorrow !

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  3. 120 years old more like! It looks like a fossil!! Great achievement, James. In broad daylight fishing gin clear water I agree with Brian. Tough it must be, but you seem to pluck them out.

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    1. Cheers Jeff, they are old and very pleasant to catch, the fights aren't great but at least they give you a chance to set up the net. If your ever in London give me a shout or we can arrange something.

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  4. Great effort James.

    Not the canal fishing we know and try to love round here!

    What a fish...and you reckon they go bigger too?

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    1. Certainly is mate, those Bream are very nice but larger ones do exist and I'm hoping before it gets too cold that I can winkle one out, if not I'll head there in April/May with a view to catch them at top weight. Only time will tell. But in regards to other canals I'm lucky that the boat traffic isn't too heavy or I wouldn't be able to do what I do and the gravel bottom does help as there is less substrate to wash up off the bottom when they needlessly rev there engines when coming past!

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  5. Hey James, nice to see you in a monthly mag rather than the usual faces...

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    1. Cheers Mick, quite surprised by it, very nice surprise when I found out!

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