Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Bridgewater Canal fish-in 15/11/09.



For several years now Geoff Gauton has arranged an annual 'Pike Fishing for Beginners' event in conjunction with Warrington Anglers Association. This provides an opportunity for those who are new to the sport to spend some time fishing with our members. We take the view that pike conservation is far better served by helping beginners ensure that they are using safe rigs and have the means to unhook and return pike safely, than it would be to leave them to their own devices.

This season's event on the Bridgewater Canal was a great success, with nine PAC members and eleven Warrington AA members taking part. There were two pike of 13 lbs. caught, along with three more fish around the 7 lb. mark; all taken on deadbaits. Yours truly weighed in with another three jacks, all taken on Salmo Slider jerkbaits.

The real success of the event is perhaps best measured by the extent to which it helped those who were new to pike angling. Warrington AA member Gary Poulter brought his sons Chris and Tim to the fish-in and, a week later, I was delighted to receive an e-mail from him reporting that Tim had now caught his first pike. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words and the smile on Tim's face really says it all. Very well done Tim.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Canal specimen for Peter


Canals can often be a daunting prospect, with mile after mile of murky water and relatively little in the way of features. However, the rewards are there if you are prepared to make the effort, as Peter Mancey shows with this well deserved specimen from a canal in the Cheshire area. Well done Peter.