How would you fish it?

[Silverfisher]

Looks like there might be a day next week that isn't wet, windy and/or very cold so if that does turn out to be the case I'm hoping to finally get back on the bank for the first time since mid December. Been so much rain that river with the "local range" will almost certainly still be flooded but the canal should be accessible again after being fairly flooded itself given they run parallel to each other.

Problem is I'm fairly clueless at canal fishing at the best of times let alone in the winter so I'm not really sure how to go about it so would be interested to hear how others would go at it? The weather having been so bad has meant it's hardly been fished so far this year so there is no recent form to go off. Waters going to be pretty cold again judging by the weekends forecast despite the day in mind being mildish and whilst it's brown at the moment it'll likely have cleared a fair bit by then.

Probably won't get any fresh bait as Sod's law if I do that the weather window will close again being such a short one anyway with the next one potentially weeks away and I haven't got room to freeze anymore! So bait options will be bread in any form really plus dead maggots, corn, hemp, various pellets and might have a bit of ground bait left. I'm thinking either punch bread over liquidised bread on the float or feeder or maybe ground bait and dead maggot on the feeder around boats or bridges as that's not that far removed from what was apparently working pre Christmas mostly for bream/skimmers and in places a few roach.

Sound a plausible plan or reckon I'm mad and should just wait for a more definite longer spell of better weather? All tips welcome!

 

[david white]

Are we on about the Oxford canal ? Haven’t fished it for many a year but mid canal or deepest water single maggot over ground bait and pinkies ( substitute dead maggots if no fresh bait ) always caught a few roach perch and if lucky the skimmers would move over the gb ) this was at kidlington where the Cherwell runs beside the canal
used to pick up some good catches on Clifton Hampden lock cut especially when the river was in full flood mode and I believe you access the donkey bridge on the cut via a road ( ? term used loosely maybe ? ) now

 

[Silverfisher]

Yep Oxford canal but further upstream. Apart from a little commercial type farm pond that's fluctuating between open and shut at the moment due to it frequently freezing or flooding and the Cherwell that's flooded the canal is the only place that's definitely within local range if we are going by the closest venues measure. Maggot over ground bait sounds promising as its more familiar to me than bread

Might get some fresh bait if the forecast improves but at the moment it's just the one day that's forecast not awful and even that isnt what I'd call good just not bad

 

[chefster]

Yep Oxford canal but further upstream. Apart from a little commercial type farm pond that's fluctuating between open and shut at the moment due to it frequently freezing or flooding and the Cherwell that's flooded the canal is the only place that's definitely within local range if we are going by the closest venues measure. Maggot over ground bait sounds promising as its more familiar to me than bread

Might get some fresh bait if the forecast improves but at the moment it's just the one day that's forecast not awful and even that isnt what I'd call good just not bad

I wouldn’t bother fishing the Oxford, if they were the only baits I had !!

 

[david white]

Hi I wasn’t sure where you are actually based but in no way was I advocating you travelled any distance, in fact from your reply it would appear we are of the mindset don’t chance passing a local venue to fish elsewhere, if only everyone had the same attitude
pay to take a few worms too used to pick up the odd big perch and the skimmers are partial to them as well

 

[Silverfisher]

I wouldn’t bother fishing it if they were the only baits I had !!

Its slightly a desperation thing just to get out the house after being holed up for weeks just trying establish if there's any tactic that might get a couple bites just to differentiate sitting on the bank from some sitting in the garden

pay to take a few worms too used to pick up the odd big perch and the skimmers are partial to them as well

Was thinking that, will have to look over the next couple days as the ground may freeze over the weekend again.

 

[chefster]

Its slightly a desperation thing just to get out the house after being holed up for weeks just trying establish if there's any tactic that might get a couple bites just to differentiate sitting on the bank from some sitting in the garden

Was thinking that, will have to look over the next couple days as the ground may freeze over the weekend again.

You’d be better off dropshotting, than to waggler or feeder fish with those baits

 

[smiffy]

It’s a good opportunity to learn how to fish buppy. If you have some punches that is.
Liquidise most of a loaf,leaving a couple of slices for bait. Fish short,little ball of liquidised, fish a light float dead depth over the top with the last few shot strung out. light hooklength,small hook,small punch. Should get one a bung
Theres not many canals that don’t respond to expanders for skimmers nowadays. Didn’t the Oxford used to be solid with Gudgeon? Should get them on maggot with tiny nuggets of groundbait to draw them.

 

[Silverfisher]

You’d be better off dropshotting, than to waggler or feeder fish with those baits

Yeah did think about that was another option. My cousin had a bit of joy on lures from pike and perch (even had follows from chub!) at the turn of the year before the rains murkied the water up so if the colour drops out that might be an option. He's a different league of lure angler to me though!

It’s a good opportunity to learn how to fish buppy. If you have some punches that is.
Liquidise most of a loaf,leaving a couple of slices for bait. Fish short,little ball of liquidised, fish a light float dead depth over the top with the last few shot strung out. light hooklength,small hook,small punch. Should get one a bung

It was that sort of approach that was working for some pre Christmas. Mostly on the pole admittedly but if not fishing tight to features it's doable on the waggler.

 

[satinet]

Here's my local canal. Finding it really hard. Been 3 or 4 times and not had a bite. Basically tried red mags or bread approach.

The canal has loads of far bank cover but it's narrow.

 

[Silverfisher]

Here's my local canal. Finding it really hard. Been 3 or 4 times and not had a bite. Basically tried red mags or bread approach.

The canal has loads of far bank cover but it's narrow.

Yeah it certainly wouldn’t be my choice of venue but with the sheer amount of rain and cold we’ve had recently it’s my only option and have been stuck in for weeks now so boredom is setting in. Rubbish time of year as it is let alone when you can only go so far

 

[smiffy]

You’ve just got to be very careful with feeding and fish as light as possible. Extra care has to be taken with presentation.
Just for reference. I might fish a 0.3g float that would be wire straight through. So the bristle would be painted wire. Bulk shot would be 8’s, droppers 10’s and 12’s. Hooks no bigger than a 20 B511. Float would be shotted so bristle grease would stop it sinking. Hooklengths of 0.055 to 0.08 dia.

Im not saying you have to fish that light. Just have that sort of mindset when approaching canals.

 

[chefster]

You’ve just got to be very careful with feeding and fish as light as possible. Extra care has to be taken with presentation.
Just for reference. I might fish a 0.3g float that would be wire straight through. So the bristle would be painted wire. Bulk shot would be 8’s, droppers 10’s and 12’s. Hooks no bigger than a 20 B511. Float would be shotted so bristle grease would stop it sinking. Hooklengths of 0.055 to 0.08 dia.

Im not saying you have to fish that light. Just have that sort of mindset when approaching canals.

Can you get wire stem wagglers then ?

 

[Silverfisher]

You’ve just got to be very careful with feeding and fish as light as possible. Extra care has to be taken with presentation.
Just for reference. I might fish a 0.3g float that would be wire straight through. So the bristle would be painted wire. Bulk shot would be 8’s, droppers 10’s and 12’s. Hooks no bigger than a 20 B511. Float would be shotted so bristle grease would stop it sinking. Hooklengths of 0.055 to 0.08 dia.

Im not saying you have to fish that light. Just have that sort of mindset when approaching canals.

Yeah not got anything quite that light. Can do the 20 hooks but about 0.09 maybe 0.08 is as light hooklengths as I’ve got and certainly no floats that extreme, not much call for such stuff for my usual river fishing. Might have to go down the feeder route if float tactics have to be that delicate, go more hit and hope

 

[smiffy]

Yeah not got anything quite that light. Can do the 20 hooks but about 0.09 maybe 0.08 is as light hooklengths as I’ve got and certainly no floats that extreme, not much call for such stuff for my usual river fishing. Might have to go down the feeder route if float tactics have to be that delicate, go more hit and hope

You don’t have to fish that fine and probably don’t need to given the pressure canals get nowadays. Just try and get the best possible presentation you can

 

[smiffy]

Sensas Eric Pole Float

Sensitive Canal Float.

www.benwick-sports.co.uk

Everybody‘s heard of the Sensas Eric haven’t they?

 

[chefster]

Sensas Eric Pole Float

Sensitive Canal Float.

www.benwick-sports.co.uk

Everybody‘s heard of the Sensas Eric haven’t they?

How’s he going to use that on a rod ??

 

[smiffy]

Alternatively. I know you haven’t got a pole but a feeder will work. This is what I would be doing. It’s always worth fishing a river with a bit of water on it

 

[Silverfisher]

It's got a bit beyond a bit of water on it at the moment and can't imagine it'll drop enough over the next few days but you never know I guess.

 

[R0B]

BALL IT IN!


Only joking, I have no idea. Tight lines if you manage to get out.