Simple Match Fishing Forum

Another canal session today - Early start for me and my brother was there at 7:15, setup all ready ect.. Todays baits were Hemp + Maggots..

My Approach was pole at 10m at 11 o'clock & 2 o'clock.

My Brothers approach was rod/reel to cast at about 10 o'clock and let the float just slowly trot down the canal whilst feeding a few maggots at a time with the catapult.. ::)

To start the session i cupped in half cup of maggots at my 11 o'clock swim, and half cup of hemp at my 2 o'clock swim. I was going to leave my hemp swim for couple of hours and keep feeding 10 or so hemp at a time every 10ish minutes..

So i start out in my 11 o'clock swim with a single maggots= on a size 20 hook and i didnt even get a sniff at all during the first 3 hours but during that i was kept occupied watching my brother pull in a few decent perch, all around the 7-8oz mark.. Then somehow it bit him haha!

So i take a look into my 2 o'clock swim with hemp on hook, Baring in mind i have never used hemp on the hook before.. hooked pretty well.. and finally i started to get bites but i wasent connecting with anything .

So i got fed up and just tried a differant rig out just infront of me on a single maggots whilst throwing a couple maggots in which was about 4m out and just behind some lilly pads.. and Yay, finally connection - To a decent sized tench!;





Had a few nibbles back their but then i decided to move back to my 2 o'clock swim and try a maggot on the hook whilst feeding maggots... I then broke my catapult which caused me pain to the forhead and then TK showed up giving me a few pointers which im greatful for, cheers tone

Then last hour or so the fishing turned on! - Couple of small bream/roach each cast... which made my day! so Happy day all in all and will definatly be returning agian next week to try give it another bashing!

Thanks for reading!

Nice one Josh - and that photo looks so much better with your beaming smile

Sounds like you are starting to get the 'bug' catching 'wild' fish in challenging circumstances

Perhaps that half cup of maggots at the off was too much? Or just perhaps too much today? Do it again on another day you could be overrun with tincas.....that's the thing with the canal - it can be a bit of enigma at times - spose that's why I tend to just trickle it on several lines

And dont forget - pretty bright conditions today again and the canal is still very clear - hardly Mr Crabtree conditions

What would you recommend on the off on the maggot line?

I only tend to fish 2 swims as im only restricted to 10m unless i go for a 3rd streight down the middle track infront..

What would you recommend on the off on the maggot line?

Remember what I mentioned the bailiff is doing You could perhaps try the same on a scaled down version

On quite a few pegs, that 10 mtrs will get you pushing up the shelf

Fish the two lines you did today, plus one up the shelf at 12 oclock

I know it's nice to have bro in tow, but dont forget he's also 'pinching' your 10am and 2pm inside lines............ plenty of fish can show down that inside shelf, particularly if you have some inside cover (weed)

Scaled down as in what?

Thursday/Friday ima go get me some smaller floats(weighted) like you mensioned earlier TK

What would you recommend 4x10? or 4x12?

And yeah i have to keep my bro company else it's a 'I WANNA GO HOME NOW' situation . But ill bare that in mind next Weekend

Brilliant again. Keep it up matey

Scaled down as in what?

2 instead of 12 

What would you recommend 4x10? or 4x12?

Both - that's .2 and .3G   

'I WANNA GO HOME NOW' situation

smaller floats(weighted)

Get some no 11 shot 

Scaled down as in what?

2 instead of 12

You've Lost me

And on a 4x12 - what you looking at bulking? 5-6 no8s ?

Brilliant again. Keep it up matey

Cheers Si

And on a 4x12 - what you looking at bulking? 5-6 no8s ?

Get some no 11 shot   

You've Lost me 

You obviously dont 'digest' your pms  ::)

Two crappity smackers instead of 12 

I get what your talkin about now!

I get what your talkin about now! 

Good I can now edit my post before anybody else spots it 

josh thats what fishing is all about well done mate

Thanks Joff!

Hopefully, will have a EVEN better session this weekend.. Dunno what days im going yet