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Have you fished the Grand Union canal around Watford Ken? If you had then you will know how easy it is to spook any fish worth it’s weight in the near side shallows. The shallows in front of the Angler on the GU canal around Watford is shallow, gin clear and and totally featureless and unless you are fishing near to a bridge or lock (where it narrows and the nearside shelf is no more) the nearside shelfs are virtually devoid of anything but gudgeon and a few small Roach. However the far bank is another story completely, as are the areas around the locks and bridges on both the near side and the far side. The far banks there have overhanging bushes and trees and the fish are not spooked by bankside traffic or anglers unlike the barren near side bank. I used to be our clubs team captain and we used to fish loads of team matches against other clubs along the G.U canal north and south of Watford, and do well, and I can promise you that it’s not like the average lake or pond in most places. You get someone walking past on the noisy gravel towpath, or someone zooming past on their bikes and the only thing you’ll stand to catch from the near side shelf is gudgeon and minnows. Which is why we used to catch our Chub tight against the far bank where there was little bankside noise or movements and the Chub (and Carp) could wander up and down feeding tight up to the bank without being disturbed. Typical Canal Profile It’s a different environment completely around our club lakes and rivers, not only because of the increased water colours and the different depths but also because of the bankside vegetation on the nearside banks allowing you to keep fairly concealed and able to sit well back if needed. Keith

Chesters - think the author of that WAS a Brit... C.

Upto press our chancellor is throwing the charterboat and leisure boat industry under the bus with no grants available for there businesses. Yet his present scheme which allows businesses who get rate relief can claim a grant of upto £25,000 most will receive the £10,000 grant .Just how is this right when somebody who has a second home have it as a holiday home at the seaside then register it as a holiday let to save on council tax, and then put a few quid through the business to make it look legit and then get a lovely £10,000 grant off the chancellor for just filling a form in ..When genuine businesses are struggling like mad and many won’t come out of the end of this pandemic utterly shocking no other word for it .And for the chancellor to say you haven’t been forgot it’s a load of rubbish .