BEATEN BY BOATS

     There is little point in getting angry about the boat traffic on canals. If I did, I would spend my life living in a cloud of red mist. Boaters pay far more than I do towards the upkeep of the waterways that were built specifically for boats to get around on. Mind you, so they should, they cause the most damage and require all the facilities. The CRT do nothing for me other than make the fishing harder, removing fish, cutting the hedges and dropping oil and snags into the water as they do so. The towpaths are now almost impassable in places and positively dangerous for mile upon mile; canals, however, are for boats.

     Nevertheless I have to allow myself a little frustration now and then and this morning was one of frustration. I don't mind admitting that I have been struggling on the Ashby this winter. The big Hybrids have all but disappeared and even getting a bite has been hard work. The weather has undoubtedly been the reason for the latter but I have a nagging fear in the back of my mind that the former might be more authority related.

     Hopefully not, anyhow this morning showed promise. The weather was nice after a frosty start, proper winter weather in fact and the tip was registering interest in my bread within fifteen minutes of starting. My plan was to drop a small cage feeder of liquidised bread in the channel until the boats started and then move up the far slope afterwards; my thinking being that boats push the fish out to the sides. It paid off with worms on the short pole close in last autumn and now I wanted to try the far side with a small feeder on the tip.

     No sooner had the tip begun twitching than a boat came round the corner. Boat traffic on here usually gets going at around 9.30, 10 o clock at the weekends but today was the first nice day in an age so they started at 7.30. It killed the swim immediately so I moved further across and after a while, the tip pulled steadily round to the tune of a nice 10 oz Roach. That was more like it. Again the swim died but eventually the knocks and twitches began again. Many of those will probably have been liners due to the shallower water but it was looking good. Cue another boat and another, and another. It was time to leave, obviously. A handsome canal Roach is always satisfying and the number of indications was very positive but it was the sense of frustration that spoiled it all. If the boats had been further apart I believe I would have caught again but sadly I just couldn't keep the bait in the water long enough.

     At least it is getting light earlier and April is coming; by then I will have an extra hour or more before the boats start and hopefully the fish will be feeding better.