Wednesday 19th April - 4th session Bristol Feeder Canal

I cannot speak highly enough of this free to fish venue. OK it's not pretty nor is it quiet and to fish during the week you need to get up early to park. BUT .... loads of fish.

So up early again (05:30) and heading into Bristol at 06:30 after loading the car and getting some fuel.

The Bristol Feeder Canal has its on Facebook page and I knew from reading Will Gibson's posts over the Easter Weekend the fish were definitely entering the Canal to spawn in greater numbers from my previous weeks visit. As I had a few big skimmers down by Manor Scrap that was where I was heading.

I was parked up by 07:00 and loaded the trolley, then simply wheeled the gear across Feeder Rd when it was safe, down the slipway and turned left. Walked 20 meters or so and I was at my peg. Car to peg 2 minutes.

It was a lovely morning, not too bright and not cold either although you need the fleece. A few fish were topping here and there along the Canal's length, as I was getting the gear off the trolley a kingfisher flew towards Bristol City Centre just above the waters surface.

lovely old buildings grace the far bank

I was always going to fish more positive today and had squat, caster, worm, pinkie, maggot, leam and dark F1 left over from the Gloucester Canal match.

My ground bait was pre mixed so just had to wet it and add about 1/2 kilo of the leam then run through the riddle.

Two top 4 rigs were set up each with 1.5 gram floats size 18 hooks. The only difference between them was below the bulk. One had 3 number 10s spread out the other had 3 number 10s as bulk 6 inches from the hook.

Plan was to fish the track again and nowhere else.

My ground bait mix was split in half and I added a good helping of chopped worm, caster and squat plus a few dead pinkies. Five big balls were cupped in at 11 o'clock.

Looking at my watch it was now 08:10 and a maggot was put on to see what was about. Like the previous week it took a little while to get a bite and it was right on top of where the ground bait went in, I was just fishing off bottom. A very rough little roach was swung in and I was up an running. 

Usually the dace are more prolific than the roach but it was roach after roach more or less every other put in. The bites I missed where probably dace as the maggot was just nipped.

At around 09:00 I decided to cup in another big ball to feed off the smaller fish if possible.

I put on 2 casters on the bulkier rig and fished about 2 inches over depth holding back a little, the flow was very moderate towards the City.

After 10 minutes I hooked a good fish and the no. 3 elastic just kept coming out but done its job. I had 5 sections on when I netted the decent bream around 4lbs. Last spring when I fished the canal I did not have one that big so was well pleased.

I had two more bream in the next 30 minutes and bumped one. It was nearly 10:00 and I thought I was on a big shoal of them so fed a few more balls.

I continued to catch roach and dace plus a bull head and a perch so a real mixed bag. I also had a few 8 oz skimmers but no more proper bream.

As I packed up around 13:15 an Office worker came down the Canal with a camera so I thought he'll do for me and he kindly took these photo's for me and also took one for himself as he was amazed there was fish in the Canal.

 

Great session and lots of interest from other anglers since posting on Facebook.

Well thats it fishing wise for me until the 4th May (fishing Cadbury Anglings evening match at Acorn Fishery, these are being held every Thursday in May and June, draw 17:00 book in at the shop) due to other commitments.