Trent & Mersey Canal with Jed the wino

Friday 3rd April 2009
I decided to fish the Trent & Mersey Canal near Branston water Park on a tip off about some large perch. After a bit of research I found the peg that had been described to me and decided to set up the feeder rod first so it could fish for itself while I set the pole up. Soon after the feeder was cast to a small bush on the other side sporting a monster lobworm on a size 6 hook with loiads of juicy lob pieces and red maggots in the feeder. I even used a back lead to stop the many passing barges from causing me too many problems.

I set up the pole with a light bristle float to 2lb main and 1.2lb bottom on an 18 barbless hook. I had been feeding maggots steadily since arriving and so placed the float to this position. It was probably nearly two hours before I finally caught something, but as it was a cracking Dace (for me) of about 4 or 5 oz at a guess, & it was worth the wait.




Not long after the Dace, a chap stopped by to talk (Jed the wino), who turned out to be the local drunk! just my luck as I couldn't get rid of him and he stayed till I packed up.






While he was standing there talking shit at me though, I did manage to catch a clonking fat Chub of about 3.5lb and a nice Roach of about 1/2 a pound
That ended the sport for the evening and there had been no positive takes on the feeder rod. However on the walk back to the car I stopped to talk to another angler who turned out to be Zander fishing using two rods on alarms and deadbaiting a roach head and a headless smelt.

'Lip hooked fatty '

He was quite informative and said that this was his first foray on the T&M canal too, but he had caught a nice Perch of 1lb 8oz earlier on quivertipped lob to a light link legder, fished tight to the far bank under a tree. He said that the Zander reportedly go to about 6 or 7 lb in here and he had seen some pics of one or two fish. He also said the the sea baits do work especially for the smaller schoolie fish ! 

So I will have to give the Zander a try soon , maybe on my next session. I wished him luck and carried on back to the car.



Water temp was around 12.5 deg C