I suffer from a weak back which limits how far I can walk, and have been looking for a good perch swim on the canal that doesn't involve too much of a walk. I decided to try out the far western end of a main NAA stretch which ends just below Benham lock. The main aim was reconnaisance, but I took my tackle along. Hmm, not ideal in my view. Although you can park near the canal, there were no near swims which looked to my non expert eye as being particularly perchy. Still, I walked as far as the nearest 'canes', which were on the towpath side of the canal. It involved fishing 'under my feet', but there was work going on dredging etc just below the lock which made the water quite coloured, so I hoped at least I wouldn't be seen. But then a boat came along towing one of the quite deep barges carrying the excavated silt, and the water became like chocolate, and not surprisingly sergeant stripey didn't turn out to be interested in his 'dindins'.