Final session on the Ship Canal

Final session on the Ship Canal before switching to the Tench and Bream on NAFA waters. Arrived around 2.00 p m to find it lovely and warm which makes a change as my last session at Town Parks mid week was in driving rain and a cold wind. Set up with 3 rods, freelined smelt just over the shelf close in, a popped up mackerel on the far banks and a little livebait set to roam the near bank, once I had caught the bugger (took a while). Listened to the footie, Colin a regular and bailiff down there came along for a chat, usually brings a run with him and sure enough a little bleep followed by a steady run on the smelt rod resulted in a fish. It went really well hugging the bottom and ploughing through the new weed growing there - was a real bugger to get up off the bottom and lots of strong runs over about 5 minutes. By this time there was quite a gallery - passing cyclists and the like, most embarrassing especially if it wer to get off. Finally Colin netted it and it was a beautifully marked fish somewhere in the region of 10 to 11 lb . The hooks were right in the corner of the mouth and it was easily unhooked but it seemed to be bleeding a lot which I couldn't work out so thought I had better return it straight away. Just as I was about to do so saw a wire trace coming out of its mouth, Another angler had deep hooked and lost the fish previously, anyway got those hooks out and returned it. Sorry guys no photo for this reason. Later on had another jack around 3lb on the livebait. Not bad and when I did my sums managed 7 pike in 8 short sessions on the Canal this campaign which reads better than I thought. I'll be back after that 20 in the winter.

Hi Ian, thanks for the report and well done on the capture and relieving the pike of those trebles. I hope that next winter brings you a twenty and that this seasons Tench & Bream play ball for you.

See you soon.