Another Session On The Canal!

All this week I have been planning on where to go for a days fishing! I thought about maybe a commercial like Gold Valley or a Farnham Angling water, but I just had a feeling about going back to the Basingstoke Canal to the swim I have fished a lot lately! So I went with my gut feeling.... Basingstoke Canal it was!

As per normal I was already to go the evening before with the kit and bait ready! However, I wasn't going to take the chair this time, I took the seat box! It's great to be sat on the chair, its comfy and very relaxing but when sat up on the box its business time! with all the attachments hanging off and everything so easy to access its a great bit of kit!

Matrix Box All Ready!

 

I arrived at the canal around 7am and with the box easy to set up with attachments like the feeder arm and bait table I was ready to go within minutes!

 

I was going to float fish for the Perch up close to the tow path as the area dark and had lots of cover for the Perch to hide out from other predators and to ambush there prey!

 

Drennan Loafer Float I was Using!

 

For hook bait today I was using Prawn soaked in Bait-Tech Predator Plus, I have caught a few Perch on this so I am confident in it! I did have a back up hook bait which was dead red maggots in Marukyu Krill. Every minute or 2 I would feed a pinch of maggots and ever 10-15 minutes I would also feed and prawn or 2 chopped up!

 

Todays Hook Bait!

 

Pinch Of Maggots Every 2 minutes

 

Chopped Prawn Every 10-15 minutes!

 

Area I Was Fishing!

 

I was looking forward to getting out today as I had a few new bits of kit I wanted to try out! One was my 4 meter Maver Competition Landing Handle, but can be used at 3 meter too and that was the length I was using it at today. I had a Daiwa Net too and the only way I could try these out was by catching and netting a fish!

 

Daiwa Net!

 

Maver Landing Handle!

 

It wasn't long before I started to get indications on the float so I was happy there was something in the area, so I just waited to see if the float would go right under. While waiting I spoke to a few other anglers. One bloke was catching a few Pike roving the canal on dead baits and another older gent, he had fishing the local rivers and canals for nearly 60 years, amazing I thought he's been fishing twice my life time! We must of been chatting for about 45 minutes! but I didn't mind he had some great stories about fishing the canal!

 

After the older gent left the float went under! I lifted into the fish and it was hooked! sitting on the box made playing the fish a lot easier the on the chair specially when netting the fish! when it surfaced I could see it was a Perch and when it was safely in the new Daiwa net I was very happy! It weighted in at 1LB 5 Ounces, not a big Perch but it was very wide which I think gave it it's weight!

 

Todays Perch!

 

Nearly Ready To Go Back!

 

When returning the fish I always like to make sure there ready to go, as there are Pike in the area and a fish not quite ready and still a little shocked could be easy prey for the Pike in the area, but the Perch shot off once released from the Net.

 

Well the rain continued and I was totally soaked but that didn't matter as I had caught the target species! But not long after I started to pack up and get home to get dry!

 

Todays Conclusion:

 

I thought today maybe I should of brought worm!! I hear time and time again that Perch and many other fish love worm... and in all honestly only a fool would ignore that, so next time worm will be the hook bait of choose! I have also been coming to the canal now for the last 3-4 weekends and not been going anywhere else. In the week leading up to the session I think where shall I go this weekend? But I always end up back at the canal so maybe I should expand to other waters! But I have to say the canal is a great place!

 

Thanks for Reading.......

 

Tight Lines & Wet Nets!