MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL

MONTON · Feb 28, 2006

Last year i did a bit of research into the Manchester Ship Canal to try and find out if the canal held any fish and if they were worth fishing for. I spoke to several people who had fished it and also a professor from one of the manchester uni's who all convinced me that there are decent fish stocks in the Ship canal. One guy fished the cadishead section quite often for silverfish. I also had lots of reports that pike are in there and several for Bream although i got the impression that these were very sparse as they tended to shoal up. Also if you consider several fish holding rivers - the bollin, mersey and im sure also the irwell all flow into the ship canal we can guess as to what other species might be there. The proffesor was convinced that some of the migrating trout would "get lost" on their way up river and inevitably be in the canal too.

So heres my questions....

has anyone else got any info on the fish stocks in the manchester ship canal - however insignificant it may be...

And also does anyone fancy havin a crack at it?

I tried fishing it last year just the once and blanked, partly because i just didnt realise how deep it was (40ft plus) and wasnt really prepared for it properly. I would however love to get a fishfinder out there and see if we can locate any of these shoals of fish.

im particularly interested in the Barton swing bridge - cadishead/Irlam locks section but if anyone else has another preference...

EC · Feb 28, 2006

I know a local carp angler who reckons he has caught carp out of there in the 80's mate!

Where are the sections you intend to fish? Are they city centre type places or in the sticks?

I might like to give that a burst, would fishing be allowed in the old closed season?

MONTON · Feb 28, 2006

I am thinking of the Irlam Cadishead section along the new link road, it looks great and theres loads of features like weirs etc if we can get to them, only prob is the road is no stopping so would have to find somewhere to park.
I dont see why the closed season would be an issue as its a canal not a river but i could call the EA to check.
Just been having a look at some info on the web, the canal actually runs through a section of the river mersey in that area.

stuart clough · Mar 1, 2006

The canal does have good fish stocks, but still suffers from low dissolved oxygen at times. Areas like Salford Quays which have been separated off and fitted with oxygenation equipment also have good fish populations.

Phil Hackett Manchester Granitewith Pride · Mar 1, 2006

I think you?ll find the Ship Canal is like the Weaver navigation i.e., its classed as a river.

Johno · Mar 1, 2006

sorry to change the subject, any one got any info on fish in the weaver navigation Runcorn / frodsham streatch. any carp in there ???????

MONTON · Mar 1, 2006

Do you reckon the closed season applies then Phil?

matt · Mar 1, 2006

Monton get in touch with the E.A in your area they may have done some surveys. And I'm sure they'd give you the info.

MONTON · Mar 1, 2006

I asked a few questions last year, not specifically to the EA though so might try that, if i find anything i'll pst it here.

Is there anyone that fancies a couple of sessions , maybe only feature finding to start with?? - looks like fishing may have to wait til June.... If we can find some shoals of fish i think it will be a water that benefits from prebaiting

Chris Bishop · Mar 2, 2006

If you contact your local EA fisheries office, they'll almost certainly have surveyed it and have a good idea what's in there.

I've always found them quite helpful whenever I've asked for info.

BAZ (Angel of the North) · Mar 3, 2006

A lot of the ship canal has dangerously high banks, any youngster that falls in there will not get out. Those that do are usually washed up on the mud flats two weeks later.

FLUKE · Mar 4, 2006

There are a lot of chub coming out around Salford Quays, and not from the basin`s!

MONTON · Mar 6, 2006

how the chub being caught fluke, any ideas? baits , method etc

Phil Hackett Manchester Granitewith Pride · Mar 7, 2006

Quite right too Baz to point that out!
Those who know me and know me well will tell you I?m pretty adventurous when it comes to fishing inaccessible places. However, the main banks of the Shippy is not one of the places I?d ever consider fishing for the reasons Baz has stated.

If anybody fell in, let alone a child, you?d find it bloody difficult to get out! The average depth of it is 60 ft, deeper in places. Remember this canal takes ocean going ships and the ones that come up it now, to the ones it use to take in the 1900s are much smaller.

As a teenager in the 1960s, one of my first jobs was working for a timber Company as a drivers mate and we spent weeks each year unloading timber from huge ships from Russia. P&O also ran Liners to the States from Manchester at that time, the draft on them had to be 70-100ft deep.

Last summer I watch in amazement as a container ship came past one of the water my club controls next to the banks of the canal. The bow wave it created had to be 6 ft high.

I?d seriously ask you, given the dangers and the turbulence a ship creates, is any fish, no matter how big, worth putting your own life at risk to catch?

Personally I don?t think it is!

EC · Mar 7, 2006

Are there any areas where the bank is fairly level with the water Phil?

Or is it like near the clubwater you talk about where the water level of the canal is a good way below the bank?

FLUKE · Mar 7, 2006

Method float fishing in the edge with maggot.

Blunderer · Mar 7, 2006

I was told that there is a way for fish to escape Salford Quays and enter the Ship canal.
Apparently there are pockets of good carp around - I was even told where they had been seen but can't remember where.

Ric Elwin · Mar 7, 2006

Phil I think I know the water you refer to. I was night fishing there once and I'd forgotten all about the canal until this bloody horn went off, nearly scared me into the drink! Went to have a look, the boat was trully massive, proper ocean going liner size.

No way would I fancy being anywhere near the wake from that!

I never understood actually, with the high levels they have in that water, why they didn't tunnel into the Ship Canal, rather than mess about with pumps.

BAZ (Angel of the North) · Mar 7, 2006

Apparantly, the level of the ship canal is higher than the level of the water you are talking about for most of the time, although it does not look it.

I think the problem water levels on this water will be with us for all time.

MONTON · Mar 7, 2006

I get your point on safety guys, but there are several sections of the ship canal where the bank is flat to the water and one part i am thinking of just south of barton bridge there are houses behind that are only a stones throw at the same level so i cant imagine any "tides" from ships to be of tsunami proportions otherwise half of barton wouldnt exist !
Interesting point on the carp, ive also heard a lot about good size pike suggesting a good head of bait fish too. First time ive heard of chub though which is interesting.
Ive still never seen a picture of any fish caught from the canal......

Just a point though the section near barton is full of needles so might be better if it was wiped out!

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