''Back where I started''

Sixty three years ago my angling began on the Worsborough canal near Barnsley, where I enjoyed catching small Perch.

As my angling developed, my horizons widened as the passion increased. Over the years it took me the length and breadth of the country in search of various species. During that time canal's were ''never'' given a thought. That is until about six or seven years ago when an old injury began to make its presence felt. When negotiating those steep flood banks that were so often a feature of my regular haunts, often arriving home in agony. So as you can imagine I had no choice but to adapt to the circumstances. The logical solution seemed to be canal's with their manageable towpath's, which is where I came in so to speak, and very fortuitous that decision was.From my very first visit the particular canal in question has exceeded all my expectations, producing fish that would have been undreamed of for me sixty years ago. For many anglers canal's seem to be the cinderella's of our sport, as they were for me in my hayday, but not anymore.

I accept that not all canals offer the quality of sport of the canal I fish, but I am primarily seeking bigger fish. I hope that some reading this may have a similar situation within reach of them, and are not discouraged by the usual gossip, ''Nowt big in here mate'', as I was told.

Canals have been my salvation from an angling perspective, and kept me from retreating from angling.

Derek, glad you have reached a good decision re venues. I seem to remember you musing on here a while back what action you should take.
Tight lines.

I too have gone back to my roots has it were.
My fist choice has a kid was because it was on my doorstep, I fish the same venue now. Who'd have thought it, certainly not me..

I am glad that the venues of your earlier exploits are still being good to you, most of the venues I started on have been filled in (old quarries and clayholes) but the canals are still there and within reach even for me so when the weather warms up I might just give them a go for some of those big Chub that live in it.

My old haunts - many of them little more than bomb holes - are either filled in, off-limits or devoid of fish. Some have been "improved" out of all recognition and filled with bait hoovers; another succumbed to deoxygenation following a colossal algal bloom.

The only place that retains most of its old flavour is an old park lake that hardly sees any heavy angling pressure but can still throw up a good specimen or two for those in the know.

I'm pleased that you've found a comfortable niche, Derek; it's always sad to see a man deprived of his passion through poor health. Here's to the times you have left. :w

As a very young kid I used to go roach fishing on the Thames with my dad. As I grew up I became obsessed with fishing for big carp. Luckily for me, after around 38 years of mostly carp fishing I have returned to roach fishing - I absolutely love it, it's so interesting, so difficult to find the bigger ones. Like Derek I also enjoy fishing canals, the K&A and the Basingstoke canals with forays onto the river Kennet.

Derek, I fished the same canal as you as a nipper, maybe a year or so later but not much.
later when I started my apprenticeship the five pence an hour wages opened up the wider world of rivers far away where I travelled to on either train or coach, the Witham, Welland, Trent and many a fen drain.
Fortunately I can still travel to them all on occasions but mainly the Trent as it offers me so much choice, be it Barbel, a bag of roach, whatever I fancy.
I do tho still use my local early days venues , and, as you say many of them are far far better than they were all those long years ago, amazing transformation for us south yorkshire anglers, who would ever have thought they would change so much

I would love to go back to where I started but fishing is now banned on some or greatly restricted, others are now filled in. The river Roding is only a shadow of what it was due to pollution and over abstraction. I have new waters now to fish so the others will have to remain distant fond memories.

Its something I need to do.
Happy youth fishing hemp bridge at Rickmansworth and for the cracking perch at Croxley Green and the Gade..Silkweed from the weir accounted for some good fish.....another forgotten bait.

Even 30 years ago they had started to change with good chub and a few carp showing. The sections even get the odd barbell from the Colne.

Wheat was THE bait for the roach.

Happy days.

I still fish the same waters now that i fished as a kid.

I have, and do fish new venues aswell, i like the challenge of new venues.

The canals near me don't see that many anglers now, in the day, you would struggle to get on them at weekends, so many matches, not now.

Some very good fish in the canals, some anglers don't know what they are missing, but i am not telling them.

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:

I still fish the same waters now that i fished as a kid.

I have, and do fish new venues aswell, i like the challenge of new venues.

The canals near me don't see that many anglers now, in the day, you would struggle to get on them at weekends, so many matches, not now.

Some very good fish in the canals, some anglers don't know what they are missing, but i am not telling them.

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Like you Ray, I'm not naming the canal I currently fish, but it is not the one initially mentioned. But that should not discourage anyone from giving them a crack, you could be in for a few surprises. I was.

Derek Gibson said:

Like you Ray, I'm not naming the canal I currently fish, but it is not the one initially mentioned. But that should not discourage anyone from giving them a crack, you could be in for a few surprises. I was.

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Drains, too. Seen some amazing catches from even the narrowest of them.

Derek Gibson said:

Like you Ray, I'm not naming the canal I currently fish, but it is not the one initially mentioned. But that should not discourage anyone from giving them a crack, you could be in for a few surprises. I was.

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Derek,

I wonder how many anglers try near venues each year ?? New thread coming along.

I agree anglers should give the canals a go, some cracking Tench and Chub around here.

I started my fishing in the lakes and ponds on south London and north Surrey as well as the Royal Parks, but I am not too sure how safe many of those venues might still be these days . . . . .

Early on and by the time I was about 12 I graduated to the club trips to the Hampshire Avon and was soon "hooked" on that river, and for the last 10 years I have lived right opposite that lovely river, about 12 miles north of Salisbury.

Locally and down to the city it is mostly trout and grayling fishing but below Salisbury then the coarse fishing comes into its' own.

I did once, some years ago, journey back to the pond on Tooting Bec Common and was surprised at how "small" it really was as when I was a kid I thought it was huge.

I would dearly love to take a trip back to the Longwater at Hampton Court, where I caught my first real Tench, but I am told that the stunning old trees are sadly gone (in the 87 gales?) and have been replaced by much smaller ones . . . . .

Maybe one day I will . . . . . . if I can find or employ a willing "Sherpa"

Good point Peter,

I fish the Lea Navigation Canal, but there are area's that I would not fish at night any more ?

The northern end is okay, but I would rather fish with a friend than on my own, it's a funny old world we live in now ?

Bob