Oxford Canal

Saturday and Sunday were both spent exploring new stretches of the Oxford Canal near Coventry searching for new Zander holding areas. It's a slow job, moving swims every twenty minutes and with the swims being only a few yards apart, you don't cover much ground. I'm beginning to have an eye for a good daytime lay for these predators and providing it has some depth, I'll put a bait on it, I've already found some good spots to put a bait in the evening and wait for a hunting fish to find and I finished both these sessions fishing one of these spots. Apart from the boat traffic this stretch of canal is lovely to fish compared to NED central where I fish on a Friday, I can have a civilised conversation with passers by that are usually accompanied by a dog and not a can of high strength lager, there's less of a risk of getting run over by motorbikes and I have a much higher concentration level as I don't have to keep one eye on my back.

Saturday was very quiet with only one of the target fish picking up a bait in the evening just as it got dark, it was a new peg that I'd not fished before so was a result. I did find a new spike on the outside of the Zed's head which I only discovered after releasing the fish, I had blood everywhere from a cut in my thumb that I use to hold they fishes head whilst unhooking, this Zed was a bit lively on the mat and did have a good thrash around.

I do carry a small roll of plaster in my tackle box and a small piece stopped the flow of blood and allowed me to carry on fishing.

Sunday looked promising, I had a small fish early on with the plan to fish a marina entrance at dark, the stories I'd heard about this spot sounded good so I had to give it a go.

That evening was a blank.