Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)
Moderator
As promised (threatened) in another thread (I Tried and Failed) -Spiders and I drove through the lanes to the Macclesfield Canal full of hope and anticipation. Equipped with chocolate bars, crackers and Shropshire Blue,flasks full of hot water with the milk and teabags separate, our new Xmas chairs, and.....err..some fishing tackle.
Getting there we were stopped in our tracks....t'cut was still frozen!! The only clear water was in t'area near t' boatyard. Th water was as clear as we've ever seen the canal. Still the air felt warm.
This was soon revealed to be as a consequence of walking the 200 yards to the chosen swim and carrying gear. Within half an hour Spiders blue bubble wrap over-suit was proving to be inadequate in deterring icicles. His float shuddered twice..a bite or a sympathetic reaction to Spiders increasing realisation that it was too cold for any sane persons. A view reflected by the looks we received from the various walkers along the tow-path.
During a conversation with one of these walkers, a shout of "It's going under" from Spiders resulted in Poshers lifting the 3 metre wand and landing a splendid roach of 1oz. How nice of Spiders to watch my float whilst I'm in conversation!!!
No further action resulted in Poshers reaching for his lure gear. Now this normally refers to the leather harness, mask and other implements necessary to entertain the wenches of Edgeley as they pine for the return of Elwin. However, as it was far too chilly for this, he had brought along his lure rod and a few temptations. More in despair than hope a shad was cast into the few gaps of clear water. Nothing!! Nothing!!
"Try casting along the length of the canal" said Spiders, eyeing the route back to the car! The length of the canal being the 30 clear yards of water!!!
Poshers impressed Spiders with his deadly accurate casting, dropping the shad inches from the far bank foliage and jigging it back with an action reminiscent of Alf Ippytitimus. The skill with which he idly tossed the lure into the far bank tree, casually walked along the bank and with a little twitch the shad plopped back in the canal.
Suddenly Poshers quietly stated, "I think I may have something on"! Thinking it was a small jack pike he started reeling in. As the quarry came up from the depths (o.k so it's only 4 ft deep there but...)....Spiders exclaimed..."I'll get the landing net."
The perch didn't have the sharply defined colour of a clear water fish but the reds, oranges and vermilions of it's fins made up for that and more.
It was initially weighed at two and a quarter pounds but a second weighing on Spiders super accurate scales revealed it was close to 23lb!:wh
So to paraphrase our Claudia...we tried and I succeeded.
I've got to say thanks to Derek...and I hope he's got some feelings back in his extremities!!
Getting there we were stopped in our tracks....t'cut was still frozen!! The only clear water was in t'area near t' boatyard. Th water was as clear as we've ever seen the canal. Still the air felt warm.
This was soon revealed to be as a consequence of walking the 200 yards to the chosen swim and carrying gear. Within half an hour Spiders blue bubble wrap over-suit was proving to be inadequate in deterring icicles. His float shuddered twice..a bite or a sympathetic reaction to Spiders increasing realisation that it was too cold for any sane persons. A view reflected by the looks we received from the various walkers along the tow-path.
During a conversation with one of these walkers, a shout of "It's going under" from Spiders resulted in Poshers lifting the 3 metre wand and landing a splendid roach of 1oz. How nice of Spiders to watch my float whilst I'm in conversation!!!
No further action resulted in Poshers reaching for his lure gear. Now this normally refers to the leather harness, mask and other implements necessary to entertain the wenches of Edgeley as they pine for the return of Elwin. However, as it was far too chilly for this, he had brought along his lure rod and a few temptations. More in despair than hope a shad was cast into the few gaps of clear water. Nothing!! Nothing!!
"Try casting along the length of the canal" said Spiders, eyeing the route back to the car! The length of the canal being the 30 clear yards of water!!!
Poshers impressed Spiders with his deadly accurate casting, dropping the shad inches from the far bank foliage and jigging it back with an action reminiscent of Alf Ippytitimus. The skill with which he idly tossed the lure into the far bank tree, casually walked along the bank and with a little twitch the shad plopped back in the canal.
Suddenly Poshers quietly stated, "I think I may have something on"! Thinking it was a small jack pike he started reeling in. As the quarry came up from the depths (o.k so it's only 4 ft deep there but...)....Spiders exclaimed..."I'll get the landing net."
The perch didn't have the sharply defined colour of a clear water fish but the reds, oranges and vermilions of it's fins made up for that and more.
It was initially weighed at two and a quarter pounds but a second weighing on Spiders super accurate scales revealed it was close to 23lb!:wh
So to paraphrase our Claudia...we tried and I succeeded.
I've got to say thanks to Derek...and I hope he's got some feelings back in his extremities!!
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