This is a difficult one is this as canals vary. Take the North Sea Canal in Holland where it is one mile wide (car ferries go up it) and well over 30 feet deep, - it also rises and falls as you fish it. On the Kinda Canal in Sweden (another one that flows) you have to fish the slider on one length, - it was that deep and CIPS Rules. Scaling down a bit you have the Gloucester, New Junction and a few other that need a different approach owing to their depth and fish content.
Also today canal anglers specialise on certain baits and tactics, they also specialise geographically, you can not blame them with fuel costs.
If we mean all round "narrow canal anglers" it is slightly different. When Dave Berrow was practising (on a daily basis) he was the best. Pete Hargreaves was another one that sticks in the mind, totally different style but equally as effective.
Unfortunately lots of canal anglers had really good spells for fairly short periods, it still goes on today, for some reason the bubble then bursts, - maybe some want a change of scenery!
In very recent years, in my book, your best two canal anglers, for narrow canal work, have been Mark Pollard and Paul Ross.
There are some excellent canal anglers out there at this very time but as good as they are I see nobody that gets anywhere near Rocco; nobody did any more to get the best out of his draw, no matter how good or bad his peg was.
If I had to pick any all round canal anglers today I would go for Darran Bickerton and Polly.
There are some very interesting suggestions on this post but not too many 'all round; canal anglers.
Where's me crash hat?
darren lewis is a cracking canal angler
