stevetheangler

Friday 1^st January 2016 and I opened my new year of angling with a short spinning session on the Staffs-Worcs Canal with me fishing from 0700 until 1000. The time was fixed really by having to drop Liz into work at 0630 and collect her again at 1100.

I had originally decided to fish the stretch of the canal at Wombourne between Awbridge (Ebstree Lock) and down to below Bratch Lock – and then realised my Wolverhampton AA card expired on 31/12/15. So I decided to bring my new Birminham AA card in to play and fish from Botterham Lock (Wombourne), where the water changed from WWA control to BAA, and down to Swindon village.

I did actually arrive at the canal at just after 0700 but it was far too dark to fish and so I decided to walk to the far end of the stretch I wanted to fish and then fish my way back up to the car – and I did this and walked down one more lock length to the next lock after Swindon village – but even then I arrived there in darkness. So out came the flask and a 15 minute coffee session ensued until it became light enough to actually fish at 0800.

A nice morning with overnight temps of around 2C having given rise to a nice frosty covering on the bankside vegetation.

So, fishing an 8’6” (10-40g rated) spinning rod with 30lb BS braid and 30 wire trace, I started with a small blade spinner and worked my way up a couple of hundred yards of the canal without sight or scale of a fish and then changed to a slightly larger (heavier) spinner on the grounds that maybe the original was fishing too high in the water despite adding a 2SSG shot to the upper trace.

Anyway, to cut a long story short – I blanked – again.

I did see fry scatter twice in one place – firstly as I approached and secondly after I’d passed by 50 yards or so – and on both occasions I went to the area and spent 5 mins or so casting around but to no avail…

And I also saw a fish (probably a carp or bream though) head-and-tail by an overhanging bush and that had me spend 5-10 minutes casting around the area – again to no avail.

Other than those sightings the canal was still and undisturbed – and I only saw 4 people in all the time I was there – 3 walkers and 1 jogger.

Anyway – as I maintain, for me it was a 70% day – just being on the water makes a session 70% perfect in my book – with additions for any fishy stuff! LOL!

My next session is planned to happen on Tuesday 5th Jan 2016 – a day on the Shropshire Union Canal – a piking with deadbaits (jacks, sprats and blueys) session in essence…

BTW… I mention ‘jacks’ in my blogs – but these are not ‘jack pike’, they are more like miniature skipjack tunas of 3”-4” in length. Extremely tough – you can get through a whole session with one (obviously if not taken by a pike), take it off the hook(s), re-freeze and use again on the next session … and the next… and the next… :) Bought from Birmingham Fish Market in bags of around 20-30 per bag at £4 per bag or £6 for 2 bags.