Zander Hokey Cokey

When canals are really busy, you end up putting a Zed bait in, then you take a Zed bait out, in, out, in, out, but the only thing shaken about is the occasional double or single digit at grumpy boat captains that don't like anglers using their water.

It's mostly Zandering that's been on the angling calender over the last couple of weekends. I've tried to keep the sessions as late in the day as I can to avoid all the boat traffic but you can never plan these things and we've had to dance the Zander Hokey Cokey for an hour or so at the beginning of each session. With Autumn upon us I was hoping that the temperatures would start to take a tumble so that I can approach my fishing with Winter in mind but it looks as though we are in for a bit of a warm one for the next few days and possibly a week, I've even heard that snow has been forecast for October, talk about extremes!

Saved from a blank!

The Oxford canal has seen a few small Zander on the bank but nothing that's going to improve my current score on this years challenge board, Long Itchington has seen a few better fish but nothing really big. 

3lb 11ozs not including branch!

This fish came after I had a good bounce on my bobbin just as the nearby lock was being emptied, the water was churning all over the place and I was convinced that this was the cause of the dancing bobbin, I lifted the rod to find myself stuck to the bottom but it also began to move, I felt something give and then felt a good kick, fish on. I had to net a branch as well as a Zed, the fish must have wrapped the line around a sunken branch after picking up a quick snack.

There's a few spots I've yet to fish this year but as soon as a touch of frost starts to replace the morning dew I'll switch over to these venues and try for a biggie, that is until these spots become frozen solid like they did last year!

The joys of winter fishing approach!

'Area 51'

I had a disaster of any early Autumn session for Pike last week but a couple of weeks ago, 'Area 51' was given a good seeing too with a good selection of baits over a two session stint. There were plenty of fish caught including Chub which can be added to the species list for this pool. (now six species) Fish banked were mostly Roach and Rudd with a few Perch thrown in, Carp were seen but avoided capture. When float fishing I experienced several quiet spells and put this down to predator activity, after seeing wounds to a fish on the last trip, something toothy. 

Much to Barry's annoyance, he'd been fishing a small dead bait all day on a sleeper rod, I caught a very small Pike on a large bunch of worms,

Pike on worm.

I thought it was a Carp the way the tip slammed round and couldn't believe it when the fish tail walked across my swim, great fun.

The highlight to the two sessions was was an increase to my Roach weight for this years challenge. I fished a sleeper rod at the bottom of a depression that was full of silt, worm was the bait and I had several slightly bigger fish to this rod, I was hoping that the fading light would bring out something a little larger and I wasn't to be disappointed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a couple of quick taps to the tip before it pulled round, I was on it in a flash and the nerves kicked in when the fish surfaced, I haven't been so nervous about netting a good fish for a long time but I was so happy to get this one into the safety of the mesh.

New PB Roach.

 

 

It's not as big as some that have been caught but it's a new PB Roach for me at one pound five and a half ounces, (not sure if the challenge chart will take a half ounce)

I think a winter/Spring visit to this pool might have to be made!