PUNCH FISHING ON THE GRAND WESTERN CANAL          28TH DECEMBER 2013 

WELCOME BACK TO MY LATEST BLOG ON FISHING THE GRAND WESTERN CANAL AFTER A VERY WET AND WINDY FEW DAYS OVER CHRISTMAS SATURDAY THE 28^TH WAS FORECAST TO BE THE BEST DAY WE HAVE HAD FOR A WHILE AND WITH ANOTHER STORM FORECAST FOR THE 29^TH AND OVER THE NEW YEAR IT WAS THE ONLY DAY THAT LOOKED GOOD TO GET OUT FISHING. WITH THE NEW YEAR VERY CLOSE THIS WAS GOING TO BE MY LAST SESSION FISHING ON THE GRAND WESTERN CANAL FOR 2013 AND WITH THE STORMS FORECAST AND THE RIVERS RUNNING HIGH IN FACT MOST LOCAL RIVERS ARE READY TO BURST THERE BANKS ITS GOING TO BE A WHILE BEFORE I AM GOING  TO GET BACK OUT FISHING ANYWAY BACK TO TODAY'S FISHING SESSION ON THE CANAL.I GOT ALL MY GEAR SORTED AND HEADED OF FOR THE CANAL WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE OPENING OF THE CANAL I WAS EXCEPTING TO SEE THE CANAL MUDDY BROWN WHAT WITH ALL THE RAIN WE HAVE HAD BUT THERE WAS NO COLOUR AT ALL WHICH I WAS VERY SURPRISED ABOUT I DECIDED TO FISH ONE PEG TO THE LEFT OF THE WILLIAM ARTHER FOOT BRIDGE KNOWN TO ANGLERS AS THE GREEN BRIDGE OR THE WOODEN BRIDGE AS BEFORE THEY REPLACED THE BRIDGE WITH CONCRETE IT WAS An  OLD NARROW WOODEN FOOT BRIDGE THIS STRETCH OF CANAL IS KNOW AS THE DEAD STRETCH AND THE FIRST 2 PEGS TO THE LEFT OF THE FOOT BRIDGE IS 2 OF THE BEST PEGS ON THE STRETCH I DECIDED TO FISH THE FIRST PEG PAST THE FOOT BRIDGE WHICH HAD A LARGE OVERHANGING BAMBOO BUSH OVER HANGING THE FAR BANK RIGHT INTO THE WATER I WAS GOING TO FISH 8 TO 9 METERS SLIGHTLY TO MY RIGHT  TO THE OVER HANGING BAMBOO BUSH. I ONLY PLUMBED UP THE ONE TOP KIT WHICH WAS A MATCH TOP 3 KIT WITH A NUMBER 3 BROWNING WHITE LATEX ELASTIC THROUGH JUST THE TOP ONE SECTION I PUT A MADE UP RIG ON THIS TOP WHICH WAS A BROWNING 0.40GR SHORT POLE FLOAT ON A 1.7LB MAIN LINE TO A SHORT 6 TO 8 INCH 1.1LB HOOK LENGTH TIED TO A SIZE 22 BARB LESS SPADE END HOOK  I GOT THE WEIGHT RIGHT SO I WAS HAPPY WITH THE AMOUNT OF POLE FLOAT TIP THAT WAS SHOWING AND PLUMBED THE RIG UP SO I WAS FISHING DEAD DEPTH I STARTED BY FEEDING A SMALL CUP OF LIQUIDISED BREAD AND LEFT IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR SO WHILE I SET THE REST OF MY GEAR UP AROUND ME AND PLACED THE BAG OFF THE TOW PATH ECT . I STARTED OF BY FISHING WITH A 4MM BREAD PUNCH AND SHIPPED OUT TO WERE I HAD FEED MY BAIT WITHIN A COUPLE MINUTES I HAD MY FIRST BITE BUT I MISSED IT I PUT ON ANOTHER 4MM BREAD PUNCH AND SHIPPED STRAIGHT BACK OUT TO WERE I WAS FISHING AND I WENT ON AND MISTED MY FIRST 5 BITES ONE AFTER THE OTHER J FINALLY I HOOKE THE 6^TH BITE I HAD IT WAS A SMALL ROACH BUT AT LEAST IT WAS A FISH AND IT WAS IN MY NET I CARRIED ON AND HAD ABOUT 10 OR MORE ROACH ON THIS SPOT JUST OFF THE BAMBOO BUSH BEFORE I TANGLED MY RIG AND HAD TO CHANCE IT AS I COULD NOT UNTANGLE IT I DECIDE TO CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT RIG I HAD MADE UP IN MY BOX WHICH WAS A DRENNAN LIGHT CARO 1 4X12 WITH A VERY SHORT BRIGHT ORANGE TIP IDEAL FLOAT FOR THE PUNCH FISHING IN THE DARK SHADED WATER THIS RIG WAS ALSO 1.7 MAIN LINE TO A 1.1  6 TO 8 INCH HOOK LENGTH BUT A SLIGHTLY LARGER HOOK A PR311 SIZE 20 HOOK.I PLUMBED THIS RIG UP SLIGHTLY TO MY LEFT AT AROUND 7 METERS I DID THE SAME AS BEFORE BY PUTTING IN A SMALL CUP OF BREAD AND LEAVING IT WHILE I HAD A COFFEE AND A BITE TO EAT THEN I DID THE SAME AS BEFORE AND WENT OUT AND FISHED WITH A 4MM BREAD PUNCH I WAS SURPRISED THAT I STARTED CATCHING STRAIGHT AWAY THE FISH MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA TO COME STRAIGHT IN ON A NEW SPOT JUST AFTER I HAD PUT BAIT IN BUT AGAIN IT WAS ONLY SMALL ROACH BUT I ENJOY BEING ON THE BANK AND CATCH WHAT EVER THE SIZE OF THE FISH I

COULDN'T COMPLAIN AS I WAS NOW GETTING A FISH EVER PUT IN WHICH WAS GREAT AFTER A BOUT 10 OR 12 SMALL ROACH I HOOKED A FISH A BIT BIGGER AND MORE ELASTIC WAS COMING OUT WHEN I LANDED IT WAS A SMALL SKIMMER OF ABOUT 12 OZ I THOUGHT THAT BY CATCHING THIS SKIMMER MAYBE THE BETTER FISH HAD MOVED IN ON THE BAIT AND PUSHED THE SMALLER FISH OUT BUT ONCE AGAIN I WAS WRONG J I WAS ONLY GOING TO FISH UNTIL ABOUT 2 PM TODAY AS I HAD THINGS TO GET DONE AT HOME WITH CHRISTMAS NOW ONLY 3 DAYS AWAY SO I HAD A HOUR FISHING TIME LEFT I CAUGHT A FEW MORE SMALL FISH AND 4 BETTER ROACH NOT BIG BUT 2 WAS AROUND THE HALF POUND MARK 2PM WAS HERE AND IT WAS TIME TO PACK UP I TOOK THE KEEP NET OUT AND HAD A LOOK AT MY CATCH FOR TODAY AND I WAS VERY PLEASE AS I HAD ENJOYED THE SESSION AND HAD AROUND 30 PLUS ROACH NOT FORGETTING THE BETTER SIZE ONES AND A SKIMMER OF 12 OZ

I PACKED THE KIT AWAY LOADED IT ON THE TROLLEY AND HEADED OFF HOME THIS IS THE LAST SESSION I DO IN 2013 SO IF I GET IT UP BY THE END OF THE YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL THE READERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2014 AND THANKS YOU ALL FOR READING AND SUPPORTING MY BLOG WITH ALL YOU COMMENTS AND FEED BACK AND HOPE YOU ARE STILL GOING TO BE READING THEM IN THE NEW YEAR UNTIL MY NEXT BLOG IF YOU ON THE BANKS BE SAFE AND TIGHT LINES

LEE

3/1/14