Calderdale micro-perch

The Rochdale

Chesterfield canal perch

Forth and Clyde Canal

I'd noticed these locks on customer visits in the past and this week had opportunity for a couple of hours fishing them and the surrounding area on Wednesday evening. I didn't get a bite but did get some useful info from a friendly local lure angler

Sprung

Grand Union Canal

Gargrave perch fishing

The Canal & River Trust run a scheme called Waterway Wanderers where anglers can buy a permit to fish lengths of canal not managed in the traditional way by local angling clubs. The canal around Gargrave is included on the permit and I've had a couple of short sessions perch fishing albeit with limited success! A friend of mine who lives near Skipton has a son who wants to try fishing and I've suggested we have a go on the Gargrave stretch, hence my recent visits. I think we shall wait a bit for the water to warm up first because fishing is hard work at the moment

Last perch of 2016

Best session of the winter

The best looking perch from my most productive session of the winter: four perch and two pike; all caught on the drop-shot last Saturday afternoon

I'm getting a real feel now for which lures are attractive to which species. The above perch was caught on one of 1.75 inch Skirt Grub from AGM on literally my first cast with the lure

This was caught on a Mad Bug Magic Fry from Ultra Light Spinning

Mid-week perch success

The first and most handsome of three fish caught on a 90 minute drop shot session on the canal. I had a hunch the fish could be moving on a very mild and still afternoon and I was right. The last two of my three fish were caught in much duller light than I had success in during the autumn. Maybe this is because the water is now very clear?

Perchless Sunday

I had a spare couple of hours this morning to nip down to the canal before going for a walk up the Beacon with Stef, Tuss and John Preston. On Friday I dug out an ancient 3-layer Gore-tex cagoule to wear over my Buffalo jacket and today thought I'd be cosy. Sadly I was very wrong and ended my session perchless and frozen. I've had a great three weekend run catching at least one decent fish per outing dropshotting small natural looking baits close to the bottom and and considering the conditions today (a bitterly cold East wind) maybe I shouldn't complain

Another Saturday afternoon perch

A surprise cold wind (it was calm and still at home) made fishing hard yesterday but I caught a perch and lost another fish that felt good too. The water is amazingly clear now the boat traffic has virtually ceased. I swore I wouldn't get into the weights and measures game but would be interested to know what these chunky perch weight. Last Saturday's had to be two pounds; this a bit smaller. They looked amazing in the autumn sun and the old adage about big perch being the biggest of fish is so true

Saturday afternoon perch

Pennine perch fishing

Bubblegum for pike

A micro pike I caught earlier this week from the canal. The bubblegum pink lures I bought are rubbish for their intended species ie perch, but every time I try one I seem to catch a pike

Pollock and perch

The pollock I caught last weekend off the beach at Seaton plus the beast of a perch I caught one evening after work in the week on the Chesterfield canal. The perch was my first ever caught on lure and wasn't far off two pounds

Drop shot confidential

Dropshot diaries canals