Tags
birmingham, canal, coventry, fazely, lucioperca, plugs, spinning, Stizostedion, zander
I have become more of an opportunist angler these days with a young family restricting my fishing time, so last bank holiday weekend was a good example of a few hours spent by water on a short session and on an unknown canal… the Birmingham and Fazely canal.
At present I quite enjoy using short spinning or bait-casting rods with a multiplier and a few lures. I like the simplicity, the roving aspect plus I am a bit of a sucker for a new (or vintage) lure, a habit I need to keep an eye on! Back in 1984 when I was fourteen I picked up a copy of ‘Tight Lines’ the catalogue published each year by Swedish tackle manufacturer Abu from the counter of Penfolds of Cuckfield my local tackle shop. This little catalogue left a lasting impression on me but like most fishing catalogues of that time I could not afford any of the tackle featured within its pages. But what I didn’t have then I have since made up for and I now own a small collection of Abu rods and reels from the seventies and eighties perfect for pike, perch and zander.
Back to last weekend and the Fazely Canal, Fazely is a small town east of Birmingham which is where the Fazely and Birmingham canal intersects the Coventry canal, a fairly quiet junction with very little towpath or boat traffic, just the occasional dog walker and jogger. Kitted out with my little Milbro bait-caster rod (the main importer of Abu rods in the sixties and seveties) and Ambassadeur reel we set off up the Coventry canal from Fazely in search of pike or zander quite early. After a pleasant two-mile walk we had nothing to show so we returned back down the canal towpath casting every few yards but as the day got brighter and warmer I was only really expecting a young jack.
As we returned back into Fazely and the intersection my luck changed with a sudden burst of energy from just below my feet as a zander hit my Big S plug just under the surface, erupting straight out of the water and making me jump. After a short battle while I single-handedly managed to assemble the landing net, a zander of 4 to 5 lb was carefully netted and returned.
the tuesday swim... 
Nice – good result.
Did I read somewhere that Zeds could disppear as something (Signals? Mitten crabs?) was eating their eggs? Oh the irony.
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Nature finds a balance…the human race are part of that balance! Keep an eye on those insects… I have money on them, all hail the ant!
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Hi Jeff,
I was half expecting to bump into you last week.
Yes I was surprised, and just below the surface.
I fancy a dusk session now with a float fished live bait.
Do you know much about the carp in the Coventry and Fazely canal?
Nick
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Well I’ve caught one! And just one, though I know from observations at opportune moments when they actually show themselves ( they are the most secretive fish in the canal, easily) that they can be very large — I saw one last year that I estimated in excess of thirty pounds, and that’s no wild exaggeration — I put in fifty hours after her and I don’t do that lightly when my average canal session is three hours maximum and four getting on for long stay!
Now the weather is warming and looks like staying that way, I’m planning another crack. Fingers crossed…
On the way to that lump I’m also hoping for a six-pound tench. Five eight was my best last year — a serious tench from any canal so you never know…
Jeff
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Thirty? Blimin ‘eck lad!
Good luck with the pursuit, I look forward to reading your danglings.
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I’ve tried lures on the Coventry Canal but only ever had small jacks for my efforts and all from right under the near bank. No zander, though it’s crammed with them. I know of three fish caught after dark on lures though, so was surprised to see you nab one in bright sunlight. Not that that stops them feeding. They’ll take baits at high noon under a cloudless midsummer sky I’ve found.
Jeff
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