Hi DaveM,DaveM wrote:I know the swims well Gord! The GUC can be the most idyllic scenery in parts Mark and in others,Gord wrote:hi md the stretch i used to fish was from alperton to park royal did you ever fish the two willows near alperton bridge or a still better swim called the hole in the wall, all these memories take me back to a time you could jump on your bike and disappear for a day on a great fishing adventure it was at the time anyway since those days i have fished in russia,italy,france to name a few but i still think of those days on the cut
it felt like you were fishing in the middle of an industrial wasteland and it was in these latter areas that I've had days that will stay with me the closest, there just seemed an abundance of fish as unnatural as the surroundings.
The canal felt alive, not just a utility as it was originally designed and had as many fish in as any natural river i had or have ever fished! What I really liked about it was it was very 'responsive' if you were willing to put the work in, not everyone's cup of tea, but to me and many others was roach heaven.
As a young whipper snapper, one closed season, I once walked from King's Cross to Greenford and then caught the tube back! I don't know how many miles that is, but I wouldn't do it now!
...... you are perfectly correct about "putting a bit of work into it to reap some rewards".
These canals were not much more than a ditch in section with very few features other than a shallower ledge on either side of the boat channel. The fish were always there, but unless there was a natural bankside feature, you had to create one to attract and concentrate the fish. I never went far without my home-made, folding grappling hook to either drag something out or at the very least rake and stir the bottom up. I still have my grappling hook (much preferred than a rake as you can't haul old motorbikes out with a rake!) which just consists of three stout bent lengths of steel bar, held together by a couple of "jubilee" clips and attached to a rope. It did the trick every time!
One big bonus, as you say, there's nothing like a nice walk along the "Cut" with always plenty to see!