Lunchtime Snack

I've finally been convinced to start up a blog. It seems like a great way to find out what's going on, share some ideas and generally become jealous that everyone else is catching more and bigger fish than me!

Fluorescent yellow Kopyto did the damage

Monday to Friday, nine to five. This is a familiar working pattern for most people in England including me and this really restricts fishing in the week, especially in the winter.
One time when I can get out for my fishing fix is at lunch – a golden window of opportunity. Me and my mate Steve jumped in my car and two minutes later we found ourselves at the bank of the Grand Union Canal.
Carrying just a rod and a pocket full softies we fished about ½ a mile’s worth of water, casting to the far bank and twitching the 3 to 4 inch baits back along the bottom. We were struggling. Not a touch. And it was bitterly cold. This was a slow way of covering the water and with only 40 minutes of fishing in front of us and the fish most probably packed up tight we decided to change tactics.
There was a bridge about 300 yards along the towpath and it looked like it might hold a few fish so instead of casting to the far bank we flicked our baits over into the near margin and walked slowly towards the structure. With our arms out-stretched we could just about fish the baits alongside the near-drop. This means that we could work a known fish holding feature quickly.
The mood was glum as we approached the bridge. Not a sausage. We passed under the bridge, still nothing. Then bang, my rod tip wrapped round and the tell-tale ‘jag-jag’ of a big stripy signaled a take.
A short but spirited fight concluded with this perch on the bank. It looked big, Steve reckons it was about 2lb 6oz, I agreed. A nice fish on any day but it somehow felt more satisfying taking the fish on a lunch break. Beats going to Waitrose.