Can anyone offer some advice to this novice..... Have only started course angling earlier these year. I have fished my local Rivers (Severn and Stour) and the Staffs-Worcs canal which is just 25 metres from my house.
So far I have caught fish on every trip! all be it only upto a couple of pounds but strangely I seem to have more success in the size stakes in the canal. Last trip there I bagged a 2lb Perch which I am told is pretty good for a canal. I have bagged a reasonable Tench in there also but have recently spotted some pretty sizeable ones, could anyone advise me what the best tench bait is likely to be for murky canal tenching at this time of year. I caught my only one in August on red/white maggots on a size 16 in the margins but have had no luck with them since. Thanks
demon

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bit cold for tench mate,they noramlly slow right down this time of year,altho ther are exceptions,i would ask the other local anglers if any get caught during the winter.if not then as soon as it warms up a bit mate,try sweetcorn or breadflake, cockles(size 8-10 hooks) or go back to good old maggot.

[ 11. December 2004, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Ratty46 ]

Hello Tatty, and welcome to the forums

I agree with Ratty, tench are one of the first fish to go off the feed once winter sets in (but don't give up).

Plumb the depth and find the deepest area, that is where the fish will tend to congregate. Drop in a little bit of groundbait but no loosefeed, and fish slightly overdepth. Don't just wind in when you decide to recast either, instead twitch the bait a few times. Sometimes doing this can trigger the feeding instinct even in the most lethargic of fish. Stick to maggots or sweetcorn (imo maggots are preferred) and you could be on to a PB

Tight lines

Hi Tatty,cant really add anything constructive to what has allready been said but welcome to AN.You will find you will always get a good range of good and helpfull advice here.

If you have a handy bit of deeper water that isn't the main boat run, fish that.
If there is a tree overhanging it, definatly fish that.
If you are only 25m from the cut, do you have access to fish from the side that isn't the towpath ? If so, fish into your your own bank because boats will naturally try to steer away from anglers and usually plow through your carefully built up far bank swim in the process. If you can fish in close without spooking the fish, do so.