In Praise of Canal Roach

[Derek Gibson]

So, like many of us did back in the old days, Albert created a ''caster'', before casters were even dreamed of. By the addition of a ''dust'' shot to sink the ''husk''.

 

[dezza]

If you really study the history of angling, you will soon discover that there is nothing new.

"Boilies" were being used for carp a hundred years ago.

 

[Derek Gibson]

My point exactly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[S-Kippy]

Well I am much taken with the idea of trying to see if there are any big roach still lurking in my local cut. I have a spot in mind with a bit of form [albeit from years ago] which is near a bridge,reed fringed with a big overhanging willow and gentle run off.

Even if the roach dont show with the rivers full of snow melt & salt that's got to be worth a few hours.

 

[Derek Gibson]

More power to your elbow S.Kippy. It's got to be worth a shot, for the reasons you give. Keep us posted.

 

[preston96]

Well I am much taken with the idea of trying to see if there are any big roach still lurking in my local cut. I have a spot in mind with a bit of form [albeit from years ago] which is near a bridge,reed fringed with a big overhanging willow and gentle run off.

Even if the roach dont show with the rivers full of snow melt & salt that's got to be worth a few hours.

LOL.....the times we give something a "try" when conditions ain't right elsewhere eh mate? i was thinking exactly the same! but it's hardly a fair "trial" is it

 

[Robert Woods]

When I was still at school I got dropped off at Mickel Trafford on River Gowy to fish Warrington Anglers stretch out of season after it's trout trotting worms. Saw a shoal of nice roach which I caught on cadis grubs picked out of river.

 

[peter crabtree]

Well I am much taken with the idea of trying to see if there are any big roach still lurking in my local cut. I have a spot in mind with a bit of form [albeit from years ago] which is near a bridge,reed fringed with a big overhanging willow and gentle run off.

Even if the roach dont show with the rivers full of snow melt & salt that's got to be worth a few hours.

Tomorrow, me and son of meldrew will be fishing the Grand Union canal at rickmansworth, skippy . I think our local rivers will be pony for the next few days.
I am really looking forward to some proper fishing with squatts,pinkies and bread punch behind tescos ,where the duckfeeders do your prebaiting for you,
will report tomorrow.................

 

[S-Kippy]

Peter

I know the very spot. One of my favourite old stamping grounds was the Sceptre AC stretch downstream of the lock. Used to fish its head off on the punch.

But its not the bit I'm thinking of targetting.....which I bet you'll know.

Skippy.

 

[jcp01]

I moved up to the Midlands two years ago and now live just a few minutes walk from The Coventry Canal. I hiked up and down the towpath walking the dog for months on end without ever seeing any fish priming, not one! I thought it was dead.

Then one day I had a go with a float fished worm dug from the garden, just an experiment, to see if anything would happen. Nothing did, it seemed just as poor as I imagined it would be. Luckily I persisted further and one winter day finally had a small roach on a small redworm.

Next time out I fished two rods with small worms but sat for hours, biteless. Eventually I got bored with the inaction and hooked on the only lob in the tin, a real snake of a worm. An hour later the rod top twitched and hooped around and in came a roach of a pound.

Next session I fished two big lobs and left the little redworms at home. I had just one bite in five hours but that bite was from a roach that went one pound fifteeen!

I fished the cut regularly after that, as you might imagine and to date have had a dozen pound plus roach with enough over a pound and a half to make the prospect of a two pounder a realistic one. Every one has been earned though, it's a bit of a waiting game and that's fine if you live just round the corner but not if you have to travel.

As for bait, well lobworms are THE bait in my area, nothing else seems to work at all. Curiously, the worm must be whole and not broken in two, in fact the only fish I have caught on sections of worm are perch who really do love the aroma of lobworm juices.

Also, very cold weather is just fine, in fact it really seems to be the case that those days that you would not choose to fish the rivers for roach are exactly the ones when you should go to the cut for them.

 

[slime monster]

large worms are a brilliant bait for big Roach ,I caught some beauties fishing for Perch early this season on 6lb line to a 12 eyed forged hook suspended by a perch bob float .the Roach seem to throw all caution to the wind taking this bait.

 

[dezza]

The Coventry Canal has always held big roach but you have to find them.

Tony Miles very first ever big roach was well over the pound and came from the same canal on a huge lump of bread paste fished into the evening.

 

[Derek Gibson]

I have long thought, that the humble lob worm as a bait, for both perch and roach, has fallen out of favour. It's comforting to know that this proven bait is still producing the goods. I think I just might dust off the old roach rod and Speedia.

 

[Rickrod]

This thread has got the enthusiasm going.Talking to friend on the phone and it had him fired up.

 

[slime monster]

And a Devon canal has recently produced A thirty pound Pike ..

 

[Rickrod]

They will be afew extra pike anglers on the banks this week in Devon

 

[slime monster]

Good luck to them ,that canal is rock hard .
and I dont mean Ice.

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

Good luck to them ,that canal is rock hard .
and I dont mean Ice.

With 30lb pike in residence I'm not surprised the fish play hard to get.

 

[jcp01]

The Coventry Canal roach are there in large numbers but as Ron says, you have to find them. The best way to do this is to fish long straight stretches in the evening - an hour or less before dark and only for about twenty minutes is when they show, if they show at all - and use binoculars to find ripples - if you see so much as a dimple on the top then if it was a fish that made it it was likely a roach. If you see a large ripples certainly made by fish then up sticks and fish right there because that is where a whole shoal is. Most of the ripples you do see will come from waterbirds under the far bank cover unfortunately!

You'll be glad to hear that they do feed right into the night and that's a blessing on some stretches with very heavy boat traffic.

---------- Post added at 13:14 ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 ----------

Oh, and don't wait for warm weather. Dead cold is dead good, get out there right now before they freeze solid again!

A big un' from a hole in the ice ~

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

Nice fish Rufus and a good tip, roach are more accessible now as the carp are less actively feeding in these lower temperatures.