Forht & Clyde Canal Constructions

[Andy_1984]

theres been a ton of cunstruction going on at my local canal (Speirs Wharf in Port Dundas, on the Forth & Clyde Canal)

 

heres what its been like the past few months. it all began many months ago "i forget the date it started" first i noticed they had been blocking off a small portion of the canal where it ends at speirs wharf and i didnt know what was goin on "this was before i took up fishing" then they started draining this small part of the canal and before i knew it they had started building a lock gate and connecting the canal to another canal not far away, i think it may be called pinkston basin, it was used for commercial transportation of materials and things were they are connecting it to is rather stagnent but has some realy nice roach in it, anyway alot of things have been goin on at the main construction site and few months ago it was said they dumped to much dirt or somthing in the water killing most of the fish by taking out the oxygen. now they have started puttinbg floating barges with small jcb diggers in them, the barges have no engines so the jcb drags its self along using its digger on the bottom of the canal stirring up lots of bottles, cans, asda bags, and other things you find in a rubbish tip along with stiring up chemicals that had lay under the dirt you can see it on the surface as though petrol or somthin had been spilled in a puddle, they say that they are going to dam and drain the entire speirs wharf area so they can dig it up to make it level with the new canal connection, they will stun fish and move them over the other side of the canal at applecross street "where the nolly barge is"

 

ive ben fishing the canal since i started fishing and its mostly a hard part to catch anything usualy 2-3 perch/roach around 2-5oz but as the construction has been getting more and more ive not had 1 single bite in months as far down as firhill basin. other more experienced anglers than myself have been feeling the strain. one old timer springs to mind, from 5am to 9pm not 1 bite.

 

anyone any ideas ? fish to scared ? or have they probably died and floated away note that i havnt seen any dead fish although ive seen alot of roach in a very poor condition, blackness or green around the scales and covered in lice counted 6 on a single fish once

[david t]

Sounds like the fish are living in a watery building site, i like canals, but i would be inclined to try some where different, away from diggers etc.

dave.

[*Ant*]

I've noticed that small workings can actually attract fish, but going by the amount of work you've described, i'd imagine the fish have long gone. Sadly, you may find that it will also take many years to recover.

[Andy_1984]

i think you may be right ant, about the fish being long gone 4 times in a row ive blanked fishing for roach/perch/pike not a single bite on worms or maggots or tug a lure. went to check it out yesterday and they have started draining the canal at speors wharf ive been going there a few times to check the progress of the development and so far ive not seen any sign of them moving fish so i guess ill go up tomorrow when the canal should be fully drained and see if there is alot of fish left alive

 

heres some pics i dug out from last week:

this is the main construction of the gate and large basin connecting the canal to the left to the one on the far right cant wait till this is done as theres some great roach on the canal on the right (took from my kitchen window

 

aboive is the little digger that was diging up junk and pulling itsself along with its digger disturbing ancient beer cans and antique buckfast bottles

[Andy_1984]

feels like ages since i posted this, anyway good news, the works were completed about 2 months ago and since then i feel the fishing has slightly improved since they all buggered off.

 

ive been catching pike from spierswharf and i have never done so well with pike on this canal before

 

the roach are looking healthier and my brother caught a real cracker around 1lb

 

myself caught a decent 2lb perch, of all the stories i have never heard anyone catch perch over 1lb here.

 

and i cought a glimse of a mirror carp around 5-7lb on the surface.

 

ant i was suprised that only a few weeks after the construction finished i seen massive shoals of roach and perch, large perch and pike smashin into fry and so on, it was a hive of activity.

 

now winters here and all thats on the go is jacks but who can be fussy atleast its all good, and since the digging and laying of stones or what ever on the bottom, the water has been alot healthier looking aswel