Felt like an Eskimo

[rob.i]

i stand corrected .maybe the net was camera shy in pic 2 ..rob

[Del_R]

I'm a little concerned about the width of Pango's canal, too. Especially just in front of the bridge. Must be hell of a funnelling effect when they open up those lock gates just beyond.

 

Del

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

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Originally posted by rob.i:

i stand corrected .maybe the net was camera shy in pic 2 ..rob

---

rob

 

No need to apologise, mate; you were quite right to point-out that Pangolin did have a landing-net ... and yes, I did miss it because I only skipped over the first pic, being more interested in the pike than the canal it came from Just puzzled why the pike wasn't either in a net or on a mat Normally you can quickly unhook them (if the hooks don't get tangled in too-small-a-mesh) and then gently lower them back into the water in the net, and then gently flip it over to let them swim away with the minimum of handling. Best bloke ever, IMHO, for fish-handling = Matt Hayes ... don't like the bloke, but admire his fishing.

 

DG

[Peter Waller]

Can't see the likelyhood of much boat traffic Del, looks frozen! If I'm on a cut then I would aim for just the same spot. That funnelling effect creates a deeper area, and stirs up the food! In practical terms it hasn't created a problem for me yet. Why do you see it as a problem Del?

[Del_R]

Peter, I don't see it as a problem - the narrowness of the canal at that point just stuck out to me. I'm quite jealous, actually. I'd like a nice narrow and reasonably shallow canal to go fishing in. The Gloucester-Sharpness canal, which I frequent, is vast in both depth and width. At one of my favourite places (a turning bay) it's impossible (for me, I'm sure others could manage it with ease) to cast even a decent sized spoon to the far bank, and the amount of boat traffic gets terribly frustrating. Come the light evenings in a month or two and hopefully I'll have the chance to get a little further afield after work.

 

Del

[kleinboet]

Del - have you fished tanker bay? It'll be closed soon.

[Del_R]

Kleinboet, I blanked at the bay behind the cinema. An EA guy told me it was chocka with Zander. Apparantly they put electricity through it about 18 months ago and pulled out hundreds and hundreds of Z's and yet it's so deep they were sure they'd missed loads - and reportedly they're back in their masses again. Well, until I turned up anyway :-). It was a Friday lunchtime though - probably not the best time to go a-Zandering. I believe this area is the one they're going to close as they do road developments and ultimately urban regeneration.

 

The bay I referred to in the posting above is the one just along from the Pilot. The bay is much smaller, but the actual canal is vast there, as years ago it was the Shell tanker station, IIRC, and even if you stand on the corner of the bay it's too far to cast to the far side. When I get my head round deadbaiting I must have a go at getting one over there. There's forty yards of railings where folks throw bread to the ducks... I'd guess there must be lots of bait fish over there, too. Mind you, with the amount of taffic on the canal at this point it might prove to be frustrating in the extreme to fish right across it. Sunday morning's it's like Henley Regatta.

 

Regards,

Del

[Pangolin]

Hi folks, amazing debate on my pics! I do have a landing net and an unhooking mat, but the section of 'land' just beside the canal is a mat of dead reeds: feels like sponge to walk on. Thats where I did the unhooking. I put the pike on the grass, straight out of the net, for a five second pose, before I started unhooking it. You can see the single hook I used, clean in the jaw, so it didn't take long. I have no idea of the mesh size of the net but, yes, I have caught hooks in it before, and, yes, it does occasionally cause trouble. Next time I go to Park Farm (BTW, Peter, did you want to come?)I'm planning to invest in one of those big nets with a taut cord across between two fibreglass arms: I've seen the one I want. I didn't throw the rock!!! It was there already... I even tried to retrieve it, but it had been there some time and it had frozen solid to the ice.

[Peter Waller]

Thanks for the invite Pangoline, still pondering!

Re landing nets for pike, loads of different opinion on this one. Worth a thread on its own. Me, I subscribe to the Barry Rickards school of thought that a round net is preferable for pike. Masterline have just brought out a round 'pike' net. Not perfect but at £29.00 pretty darn good, I'm well pleased with mine. The bow string type is great for carp, but not so logical for pike. Plus most carp net meshes are just not suitable for piking and pike hooks.

[Pangolin]

Thanks Peter, I'll hold fire until I've seen the one you recommend. The one in the pic is an alloy-framed ABU-Garcia one. When I bought it, last year, I never thought I might need a bigger one! Park Farm is a horseshoe-shaped medieval moat: feels a bit like a canal, so I'm at home there! I'll post a pic of it, if you give me a minute. In case you hadn't realised, my digital camera is my new toy.... sorry!