FISHING LONG AND SHORT

     Two years ago Pete and I spent a morning on the Grand Union in an area that we had caught many big Perch from. Most had come from a big bend below a lock which had also produced some decent Zander as well. Sadly, for some bizarre reason, this stretch along with many more of our most productive areas had been taken over by a less than local club who had immediately called for the usual pointless Zander cull. Predictably, results plummeted not just for the hated Zander either. We have often found that big fish of other species, for whatever reason, have a habit of disappearing after the contractors have been through and this big bend was no exception; however a trial fish above the lock had given us food for thought.

     On that occasion we caught a lot of smaller Perch that we had never encountered when using artificials. What was also of interest was the number of fish we caught on worms hanging in the side as the boats passed and as the locks were emptied and refilled. In conditions where there was just too much flow out in the middle, Perch would snatch at anything rushing hither and thither within two feet of the bank.

     With that in mind we revisited that spot today, prepared to grudgingly pay for a day ticket if necessary. If nothing else it would be a change of scenery. Pete was keen to fish with bread for any Roach that might be there, something we had never tried before but I am stuck in a casters and worms rut at the moment and chose to fish them on one of my Jap poles.

     My plan was to bait one line mid way across and a second close in to my left with a mixture of chop and caster. Both my lines and Pete's began producing immediately; Roach for him and a mixture of Perch and silvers for me. It was thoroughly enjoyable fishing but while the bread continued to produce even in the quieter periods between boats, the casters didn't. I had odd fish on them but the worms outfished them easily.

     With current low water restrictions still in place, the boats didn't begin moving until 10 o clock but by then a queue had formed and it was non-stop water movement until we packed at lunchtime. Pete tends to use heavier rigs than me even on the pole and he was able to cope better with a raging canal than I could with my two dust shot rig. In the end I gave up and switched to a 'swingtip' rig. No float, just a single BB a foot above the hook and watch the elastic for clues. It worked brilliantly and even produced my second large Perch of the day; both of which were an ounce or two over a pound and three quarters.

     Throw in a few decent skimmers and hybrids around the pound mark and some modest Roach totalling 40 fish between us and I'd call that a decent morning's fishing. Of course now I have found another decent Perch swim I can't get back for a fortnight. It's like bloody magic!