30/08/2012 - Forth & Clyde Canal

Looking towards Kilsyth Basin

Time -
Water - Darkish but clear enough
Weather - Very nice
Method - Jelly Minnow/wire trace
Total - 3
Species - Pike (8.5 & 14 inch), Perch (8 inch)
Companion - H (inter-blog madness)

Three different locations were attacked: Falkirk Wheel, Kilsyth Basin & Banknock Lock.

Falkirk Wheel - Started off with a recent purchase of Jelly Sandeel on a weighted hook, but two factors elicited a change. Firstly I wasn't looking like taking anything, secondly, H sprinted quickly into a 2 fish lead using a wee Jelly Minnow. Borrowing one of the offending lures, I didn't take long to take a small Jack of 8.5 inches, probably a smallest ever!!! In the meantime I managed to lose an even smaller one as well as getting a little bit of interest from smallish Perch. The (bottom) basin itself held an impressive amount of Roach with some Perch in amongst them, although it wasn't until we ventured along the jetties on the opposite side that we started connecting with some regularity. Probably lost a couple of Perch & Pike each, one of the Perch extremely amateurishly, all no bigger than anything I successfully landed.

Inflow near Kilsyth Basin

I've used Jelly Perch's in the past on the Union Canal with a little bit of success, however their price and their (lack of) longevity curtailed their use. But I was well impressed with the minnows H gave me. The way they sit in the water when just suspended looks outstanding and I wouldn't be surprised if they would work simply suspended under a float, almost like a cross between livebait & deadbait, but with no baitfish being harmed.

H switched lures regularly and had much the same mixture of success and loss.

14 inch Pikey

Kilsyth Basin - Like the Wheel at Falkirk, I'd also fished here once before. Two guys were already in situ, one had a Perch livebait on but didn't appear to have much success whilst the other guy had apparently taken a Pike of about a pound and a half on his first cast. As they were at the inflow, we worked towards the basin itself. Access was a bit better than I remembered, but still a pain in places. H was working through his entire lure box including using some floating efforts that stirred a lurking Pike or two in the far margins, but couldn't add to his two Falkirk fish. With a smallish lure I wasn't able to cast too far, so worked the near reeds a bit. At the end of a retrieve I was dangling the minnow a bit from a reed overhanging the water when I though I'd snagged. However the lift produced a slightly more respectable Jack of 14 inch.

8 inch Perch

After working back to the inflow, we also tried the opposite side of the road bridge, which looked good, but didn't produce.

Banknock Lock - H had fished here previously on the advice it was stuffed full of Perch and naturally him and his mate had filled their boots with Pike.

On approach we passed an Artist painting at the picnic bench who enquired after the time. What a delight to be spending some time in such a lovely spot without having to worry about such trivialities as a timepiece.

View towards Banknock Lock

The canal was narrower than at Kilsyth and after a few fruitless casts, I fancied there might be a Perch or two staying close in to the lock wall. So I dropped the minnow down and slowly 'walked' it about no more than a couple of feet from the brickwork and hey presto, I was into a Perch. Then it was off. The same tactic almost immediately paid off again and a perfectly respectable (by my standards) 8 inch Perca was on the bank. We worked along to the 'bridge' spotting some Roach and both getting some interest. Almost done on the way back to the car, H had one last hopeful cast and was into a Perch. 3-3 and an excellent way to finish an excellent days fishing.