You Can Always Rely On A Perch

On a mild Saturday early in the month, I decided to fish at Findern on the canal with my A Carter split-cane rod and Hardy Altex reel. I made my way along the towpath and found a nice spot, and threw in some maggots before tackling up.

After moving my float around for a while, I still hadn't had a bite, even though I'd seen fish topping. A couple out walking their dog asked about the fish in the canal, if I had to put them back, and the tackle I was using.

Following a coffee and a bite to eat, I moved back towards the bridge and tried there. As I moved along the bank, the tip of my rod caught the ground, snapping the end guide, leaving it hanging by a thread like a miniature swing tip. Discouraged but not defeated, I continued with my day's fishing, casting into the water.

Undefeated, I continued my day's fishing. It wasn't long before I caught my first fish of the day, a reliable Perch, followed by a few more.

Towards the end of the month, I went to Robin Wood with a Shakespeare Omni rod and a Mitchell Match reel, float-fishing maggots over boillie crumb.

It was a cool day with a chilly wind, and the maggots didn't deliver any fish, so I hair-rigged a boillie and cast out towards the middle of Lake 3. Not long after, an angler parked on the opposite bank and fly fished on the surface.

I watched for a while as he threw in some floating bait. Nothing happened with my bait, even though I'd cast where I'd seen fish topping. Suddenly, I noticed the fly angler strike; he was into a fish, and it wasn't long before he netted a Carp. I didn't catch that day, but it was interesting watching someone fly-fishing and catching a fish!