Few Hours On The Canal

With having the flu, working extra hours and my wife's hospital appointments getting ready for her operation I haven't had much of an opportunity to get out. I had some great plans made with friends to try a few new venues but due to work I had to cancel, and if you know me I hate to let people down and cancel! However, for a few hours this morning, Saturday 5th of January this was going to be my first session off 2014, and to say I was excited was an understatement. I haven't had much drive lately to try the Basingstoke Canal as its fished very hard lately! However with a cold evening and with no rain for about 18 hours and the pressure falling I thought why not give it ago for the Perch!

As always I was ready to go the evening before with all my kit prepared, bait ready! I was going to be using some of the new Kit I had too so I was looking forward to putting this to the test if I was lucky enough to hook a Perch!

All Kit Ready To Go!

So I packed the car at 7:10am and the cold had defiantly set in for the evening as I had to de-ice the car! But have to say that when I arrived at the Canal the views was fantastic!

A Very Cold Evening!

 

My View This Morning!

 

I had chosen to fish an area very close to the Ash Vale Train Station on the Basingstoke Canal, I know there are a lot better areas but this is a 5 minute drive from the house and for a few hours this would be perfect! So with all the kit set up I was ready to go....

 

All Kit Ready!

 

Bait and rig wise I was going to keep it very simple. Feeding dead red maggots and on a 12inch Berkley Flurocarbo hook length a size 8 Drennan Super Specialist Hook with a Prawn that had been soaked in Bait-Tech Predator Liquid over night.

 

Awesome Combo!

 

I find float fishing very exciting, you can be as busy or as lazy as you wish, but once you start seeing movement on the float you start to really get into it and I don't know about you all but I start think what's down there? Is it a few roach or skimmers picking at the maggots or having ago at the Bait-Tech soaked Prawn or is it that once in a like time 4LB Perch! However, for the first 40 minutes there was no movement so I got a chance to look over some of my new kit!

 

New Korum Chair with some of the attachments, I love this, its comfy and I hate putting kit on the ground not the fact that it gets all your kit dirty but saves me treading on it! I'm Also surprised how light it is and this is going to be used a lot while roaming the canals and rivers this year!

 

New Korum Chair!

 

I wanted an all round rod and reel for float fishing and this had to be forgiving as fishing for Perch they can give a great fight and nod every so hard once at the net. But I also wanted it for all manner of fishing so an all rounder was a must and while chatting to a few guys I decided on the Maver Powerlite Match Rod and for a reel the Diawa TDR with 8LB Diawa ST Line, this reel has a very high rating and I have one for Feeder and one for Float work too at the moment.

 

Float Gear!

 

After admiring my kit and saying hello to several dog walkers/bikers I seen a sudden movement on my float, then again... then as I went to take control of the Maver Powerlite the float disappeared! I took control of the rod and reel and I was into a fish! it was nodding its head and putting up a hell of a fight with it no way giving in, the clutch on the TDR working beautifully as I had it set light as I know Perch are known for coming off due to hook pulls, but with in a few minutes it started to surface, a beaut of a Perch with those Sergeant stripes showing! I already had control of the Savage Gear Net and as I pulled gently toward the net the Perch tried one more time to get away, but with it tiring and Drennan Super Specialist hook doing a great job in the Perch's hard boned mouth the Perch was in the net! A Very excited and Happy Angler! It weighted in at just 1LB 5 Ounces, the pictures don't do the Perch justice, but I cant complain as a lady watched me land the Perch offered to take the photo for me!

 

The Sergeant!

 

Huge Head!

 

Hello!

 

The Sergeant Ready To Go Back!

 

As soon as the pictures where taken and the Perch happily safely returned  to the canal I texted Lee with excitement! I Feed the area once again, and stayed for another hour but nothing else was caught, it was nearly time to return home so feed a few areas for a free snack for the Perch, Roach and Skimmers and  then I packed up!

 

My Conclusion On Todays session.....

 

I have learnt a lot about Perch fishing lately, not just on Youtube but off guys offering advice and put a lot of that into play today. I know fishing the Canal isn't going to be as easy as fishing certain commercials with Perch in, as sometime Perch can be the main Predators in those waters, but in the Basingstoke Canal there are bigger Predators like Pike and Catfish so the Perch certainly watch its back when feeding as well as the other silver fish! A regular feed is good, even if this is just a few maggots at a time, keep those fish interested and keep them there! Find the cover, they will be hiding there ready to ambush pray and the low light levels gives them advantage with there sight working a lot better!

 

I loved the few hours I was lucky enough to have, I'm one happy angler! I hope your weekend's fishing went as well as mine!

 

until next time.................

 

 

Tight Line & Wet Nets!