|
Fishing in winter anywhere is quite a daunting prospect. I think that we all know that the closer to water that you get the colder it seems to be, but if you are warmly dressed and have a suitable hot drink with you it is possible to enjoy a fishing session on your local canal.
Firstly it is important to understand that the water becomes steadily clearer as the winter goes on and the water gets colder, it becomes so clear that it is often referred to as being “gin clear”.
Secondly it is pointless going out at dawn to fish because the fish will only feed for a short time at the warmest part of the day. So how do we go about fishing a canal in winter? The most important factor is choice of swim. A poor choice can result in a cold day with few if any fish.
Q. Where are the fish?
A. In the deepest water they can find.
I don`t think I have to tell you about the anatomy of a canal. I think you all know it. There are two main areas in all canals where fish tend to congregate. At the bottom of the shelves on both sides.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In summer we fish about a meter out from the bank on the near side and on the top of the shelf on the far side.
In winter the near side fishing is at the same distance as in summer. The far bank, however, is totally different. It involves fishing about 2 meters out from the far bank.
Accurate plumbing of the depth is essential so that the “drop off” can be found. The fish should be lying near the bottom at this point, on the Union canal in about 3ft 6ins of water. On the far bank the fish will also be close to the bottom of the drop off.
Most fish will be on or near the far bank “drop off”.
There is another consideration, however, the clarity of the water. Most fish are close to the far bank because of towpath disturbance and one of the easiest ways to spook the fish is to wave a long pole around.
This would suggest therefore that the ideal tackle would be the waggler set up.
As the winter takes hold and freezing conditions are found overnight you may find that a thin skim of ice forms in the margins of the canal.
This is the time to fish the very middle. You will find that the fish only feed for a very short period of time, usually from about noon to about three.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As well as in the middle you may find fish shoaled up in the deeper waters close to bridges. If the ice gets thicker then the fish feed better. The ice acts like a sheet of glass over the water stopping the wind chill and in fact warming the water.
This is the time when fish are to be found in the middle or close to the “drop offs”, the main problem is how to get at them. The answer is to break the ice. Do this using a heavy weight fastened to a chain. (ice quickly cuts through rope).
Make a hole where you know the bottom of the nearside shelf to be. This will be about 5 ft out on our canal and simply fish through the hole.
Make sure that you have a stretch of water to bring the fish back through.
The very best baits are bloodworm and joker, pinkie and squatt or bread punch for roach and chopped worm for perch.
Tackle should be as light as possible with hooks down to size 26 and hook lengths as light as 8oz are really essential.
|
|
