Tuesday 26th April - 5th visit to the Bristol Feeder Canal

Decided to fish on Tuesday this week instead of my usual Wednesday. As usual I was up early in order to beat the rush hour and get parked in Feeder Rd. It was a brisk morning withe the car temperature gauge showing 4 degrees. Parking was no problem at all in a lay by quite close to the Central Bay just upstream of Albert Rd Bridge.

A short walk down the Canal Towpath and I could see the peg I wanted was vacant. In all of my visits I have fished a different location but the Central Bay is recorded as having some good form.

It did not take long to set up my two rigs for the track both on top 4's and I had some ground bait already mixed up.

I was actually fishing by 07:40 and as I cupped in my second ball of caster and hemp an kingfisher flew past on the far side heading towards Bristol City Centre.

The water was not as clear as last week and was only just moving right to left.

Due to the light reflecting of the industrial building on the far bank I started off with a yellow bristle float.

Double red on the 18 saw a bite the 3rd trot down the track and I missed it (was watching the pigeons feeding their chicks in a broken piece of wall on the far side!

Next trot down I was on it and again the float buried resulting in a connection with a roach of around 4 ozs. A couple more followed before the dace moved in and started taking it on the drop so I move all three No. 10's together which worked a lot better.

Around 09:30 when I was using double caster I hit a solid bite and about 12 inches of the No.4 elastic came out straight away and the fish hugged the bottom. Perch I thought but then soon realised it was a bream. it did feel bigger that was it actually was but was very satisfied to catch my first Feeder Canal bream (about 1 lb 10 ozs fish). 

Shipping out again and after a trot of about 2 meters the float slowly went under and I hit something solid but bumped it!

The weather took a change for the worst with big lumps of hail coming down and it did feel very cold but I continued to catch.

A break in the weather around 13:15 saw me packing up in the dry.

A guy out on his bike and sheltering from the weather kindly took the pick below for me, he was amazed seeing the fish coming out of the Feeder Canal.

Spring balance showed 12lbs 10ozs

So the question is have the bream started to arrive? Not sure one swallow doesn't make a summer.

Having a go at the Bristol City Docks Evening Match on Thursday (a first for me).