First fishing in Leics

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Rutland Rod
Arctic Char
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First fishing in Leics

Post by Rutland Rod »

I moved up from London in the early 70's to work in the print trade, due to settling in moving house etc it was sometime before I started fishing again, Mick a workmate started telling me about the Ashby canal around Shackerstone and took me as at that time I had no car, Micks approach on our first session together on a hot afternoon was to fish very fine with 3lb line and size 16/18 with magotts which resulted in him catching small roach but losing what were good fish, I used 6lb maxima, size 8 with flake and failed to get a bite ! very soon after I got a car, I bought a season ticket and decided to fish from 4 in the morning and rush into Leicester to start work at 8am.

These mid week early morning sessions were great and I could always catch at least a few tench up to 5lb, a long glass rod, my speedia reel fishing directly under the rod tip with flake or worm would result in the float moving away or lying flat until it sunk....gentle lift and fish on, as the sun rose higher and the first long boat chugged along I would hastily pack up and hit the rush hour traffic on the Hinckley road into Leicester, when I got to work I would hang my landing net out to dry ! I always fished the Shackerstone/Congerstone stretches apart from a few years later when I started to fish near Measham, I'd varied my methods a bit and used to ledger with corn using 2 rods, one morning I hit on a large head of tench up to the 4lb mark and ended with a net full totaling 60lb, I should add it was a king sized net nearly the width of the canal !

I have not fished the canal since the late 70's missing out on the carp/zander explosion which came later but those were happy times indeed, I saw my first ever badger and numerous fox's. Another occasional sighting was the odd 'guest angler' from the nearby river Sence who would come by me on the towpath carrying 'poached' trout !!!

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Mark
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Re: First fishing in Leics

Post by Mark »

Still a lovely canal to walk along and fish Rutland Rod.

Bridge 47 Shackerstone, near the Horse and Jockly pub.
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Sitting on the bench with bridge 52 just to my left.
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Mark (Administrator)

The most precious places in the English landscape are those secretive corners,
where you find only elder trees, nettles and dreams. (BB - Denys Watkins-Pitchford).

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Loop Erimder
Wild Carp
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Re: First fishing in Leics

Post by Loop Erimder »

A nice read that the dangers of fishing a few hours before work could result in not actually going to work
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish

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