Make The Most Of The Shoal

Rive’s Simon Willsmore looks at how to catch quickly and keep them coming on the canal in the cooler months when there are fish in front of you.

- Steve Martin

  

As less and less boat traffic passes through our canal system as the warm weather leaves us behind, the water becomes crystal clear, and as a result the silverfish start to shoal up as a means of protection against predators. Swim selection becomes a lottery if you are looking for a good day’s sport on the cut, and when it comes to a match, you are either on them or you’re not!

One positive, however, is that although many of the boats are moored in marinas, you will find parts of the canal where they line the far bank. The extra cover that they provide is where you are most likely to find a few fish. Also, if the fish are there in numbers, they often give themselves away when the odd one tops as it investigates a possible morsel of food.

That last clue was clearly the reason why Rive’s Simon Willsmore chose his swim when we joined him for a session on the Grand Union Canal on Dickinson’s Pound near Watford, in Hertfordshire. The fact that there were also a number of boats moored on the opposite side was also a factor.

“It’s always a good sign to see fish topping when you arrive, as it’s a clear indicator that there are fish in the area,” he pointed out, as two fish splashed to his right.

Simon then went on to explain that his plan for the session was to catch fish early on a short line, while keeping a longer line primed, closer to the boat across from him, so that he could look to fish there once the first line started to peter off.

When the water is clear, I find it’s best to try and start short, even if it’s only for a limited period,” he added. “It’s possible to catch a lot of fish from the near shelf, and the longer you can leave the far line it allows the fish to gain more confidence the feed over the groundbait.