There ARE fish in the Regent's...

Ralph....Are you talking about the Regents Park canal ?

If so, some old threads / posts may be worth a read........In times gone by, always the very best bags of very good roach came from the
' bend ' swim where the canal turns through 90 degrees just along from the Zoo section and goes under a very low bridge heading toward Camden Town direction. Many big bags came to a type of stret-pegging method in the almost negligible flow...

In summer hemp/ berry caught them and winter, but very tough going, caster was the bait !

All a long time ago, though...........Held some enormous gudgeon and loads of sticklebacks which I used for perch fishing elsewhere - happy days !


ps Someone on FM said it wasn't the safest place to fish............................

The area certainly looks a lot more salubrious than it was when I used to fish opens and Winter Leagues on it. Had some lovely bags of roach both up past the zoo and around the wides at York Way among other places. Did also once come third in my section in a Winter League with a stickleback, but that sort of day was the exception.
The general rule of thumb there in a match was that you didn't want a peg with a bench behind it as you never knew what would come and sit on it. Most often someone with several cans of Tennents and optional lighter fuel chasers.
To be fair, the GU a bit further up at Harrow Road was always even dodgier and the Southall sections had their moments as well; once fished a match at Havelock Road and had a bloke with a Samurai sword running up and down the towpath shouting about how he would cleanse the world with its blood...

Good to see someone still fishing it.

Tee-Cee said:

Ralph....Are you talking about the Regents Park canal ?

ps Someone on FM said it wasn't the safest place to fish............................

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Yes, sort of. The Regent's Canal runs from Paddington (through Regent's Park) and on to the Thames at Limehouse Basin in the East. I have been fishing the section from Kings Cross to the Pentonville tunnel.

To be honest, I don't have the in-built fear of the urban environment that is propagated to 'make' news. I have lived here in London my entire life. It really is not that bad, we have only had three murders down our road since we moved here. These days, none of the public places are good to fish alone. Not so much for personal safety reasons but if you are fishing alone there is always someone who wants to talk to you (endlessly!) Then the kids arrive sorting through the gear asking "What's this for mister?" The problem today is that the parents get upset if you chuck the little horrors in the Canal/river/lake...

The regents canal is a very different place today. look at the pictures on my blog HERE. It has, and is still being redeveloped around King's Cross. I don't recognise from what it was. The old run-down industrial landscape has been transformed.

Ralph.

Nice one Ralph, I knew you'd catch. I can direct you to a couple of favourite drop shotting swims (and where the submarine shopping trolleys are) on that part of Regents if you're interested.

Losing gear is part and parcel of fishing the canal. Try the "twanging the braid" method described on these forums. It's not a dodgy euphemism but a useful way of retrieving a stuck lure or lead.

qtaran111 said:

Nice one Ralph, I knew you'd catch. I can direct you to a couple of favourite drop shotting swims (and where the submarine shopping trolleys are) on that part of Regents if you're interested.

Losing gear is part and parcel of fishing the canal. Try the "twanging the braid" method described on these forums. It's not a dodgy euphemism but a useful way of retrieving a stuck lure or lead.

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Yes please, I would be interested in where the good swims are - or at least one! I do like hunting them out but it would be good to get a start...

Losing gear I am fine with. I need to just be a bit more considered before I just drop the weight. I tried 'twanging' the braid but both times I think it was the hook that had grabbed something. I am going to try the weedless hooking method for the jigging next time and will have a go at protecting the point of the drop-shot rig - not quire sure how just yet.

I have invested in a bunch of cheap weights, loosing those posh Fox tungsten pillars and bullets makes my eyes water...

Loosing a bit of tackle has to be a running cost but as there is no day-ticket to pay it is still a cheap way to fish. Just catching something makes all the difference, I can't wait to get back.

Ralph :thumbs:

Totally agree, losing the weights is a real PITA; must be fantastic business for Fox et al. I've got the cylindrical ones but am thinking of changing to the round ones. I reckon if you accidentally cast into underwater branches or trolley the round one is less likely to snag. I've also tried with old nuts and bolts which I had lying around and that works.

As for some spots, try this link (hope it works, just worked out how to do this in Google Map)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zXwOFn3iE2p4.kYts6iqbzrRs&usp=sharing

qtaran111 said:

Totally agree, losing the weights is a real PITA; must be fantastic business for Fox et al. I've got the cylindrical ones but am thinking of changing to the round ones. I reckon if you accidentally cast into underwater branches or trolley the round one is less likely to snag. I've also tried with old nuts and bolts which I had lying around and that works.

As for some spots, try this link (hope it works, just worked out how to do this in Google Map)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zXwOFn3iE2p4.kYts6iqbzrRs&usp=sharing

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That's brilliant! Thank you for taking the time to put that together. Some of what you say I have experienced myself and it is great to have our thoughts confirmed. You are right about the area around the steps and pontoons, canal 1, me 0. That is where the hero was sitting on the far bank. The first spot you highlighted, going towards Camden Lock, is somewhere we had highlighted for next time, so again it is good to know that we are getting something right. I am really enjoying this light, mobile urban fishing. I will let you know how we get on next time we get to go.

BTW, The Google Maps thing works fine!

Ralph.

Glad it worked. I'm hoping to go over the Xmas break and I'll post on the "how did you get on" thread.

qtaran111 said:

...I'm hoping to go over the Xmas break...

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Me too, it I can find a gap in domestic visiting calendar.

Ralph.