You can always rely on Perch

On a mild Saturday early in the month, I decided to fish at Findern on the canal as I hadn't been there for a while. 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 fishing for a while and moving my float around, I still hadn't had a bite, even though I'd seen fish topping. A couple out dog walking stopped and asked about the types of 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 decided to move back towards the bridge and try 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.

Discouraged but not defeated, I continued with my day's fishing, casting into the water. It wasn't long before I caught my first fish of the day, a reliable Perch, followed by a few more of a similar size.

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 started to fly fish on the surface.

I watched for a while as he threw in some floating bait as free offerings. Nothing was happening with my bait, even though I'd cast towards 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 about 4 or 5 pounds. I didn't catch on that day, but it was interesting to watch someone fly-fishing and catch a fish!