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Afternoon all, I spent the close season fishing the canal, after fishing the rivers for a season, targeting the perch mainly, with some good catches of perch around the 2lb mark, with loads of fish over 1lb. During a later session, torrential rain for most of the morning, after a succession of smaller perch, which were causing me some issues swallowing the hook ext, I thought il target the better fish, out comes the size 10 hook, 4lb bottom with 5lb line on the reel, bunch of maggots fished at 1 1/2 foot over to the far margin, shortly after I cast in the float shot under, upon striking the bite a scaley mirror shot out of the water, with it only being 18inches deep over the far side, I jumped out of my chair and was in connection with a carp, after getting caught up in vegetation above me, several branches were uprooted from the bottom of the canal during the battle, I managed to land the carp. It turned out to be a cracking little mirror, had no scales on me but I estimate maybe around the 15/16lb mark! This got me thinking, would it be worth putting a bit of time down there and go out to specifically target the carp with proper carp gear. I didn't act on this at the time and me and my dad were back down the same strip of canal a few weeks later, again targeting the perch, looking to have a little match. We had both been fishing for about an hour, both catching a few perch each, I was just edging it with a slightly better fish. A short while later I look over to see my dad in connection with what I thought was a large branch, or large snag on the bottom, I laughed to myself, turned back to my own swim, he then shouts over " I'm in to one, carp " obviously he's joking due to me hooking that carp the other week. A few minutes later I look back over and he's still hooped into something, he was actually in connection with another carp, I went over to assist with the netting, playing it very gingerly due to the light match tackle, he did manage to get the carp to the surface, we both saw the fish, it was a cracking common, much larger than the mirror I had last time, it shot off again in search of a nice snag in hope to free itself, the battle continued for a few minutes, he managed to play the fish back towards the bank where I was patiently waiting with the net, I got into position, the fish was surfacing, it then took one last searing dive and it was off!!!! Gutted! After seeing that common on the surface and then looking at the fish I managed to land, we were in agreement that the common was easily a 20lb fish!! It was now time to take this a bit more seriously, iv always overlooked that canal, even tho I do drive past it daily to work! What are the chances of the only 2 carp in that stretch of canal being hooked by us in the space of 2 weeks!! Im not sure of the numbers in the canal but it has to be worth a go!! Anyways, there's the scene set, now lets get down to the fishing! Iv done 2 sessions now, on the same strip with nothing to report, not too surprised as I knew from the start it would be a challenging campaign. Im happy that my stretch of canal is the right choice, the first 3 miles of the canal stretch is a baron strip, no cover, very open and industrial, not to say the fish don't make there way up here, I don't think its the place to target, the part im fishing is very accessible for me to trickle a bit of bait in to some likely areas, which may or may not be beneficial? Both carp have been hooked on maggots, bream are present so would it be wise to pre bait with a mixture of maggots and boilies, I strongly believe them carp were drawn into the swim due to us spraying maggots around, catching bream, roach and perch. its a sheltered part of the canal that runs though a residential estate, its the first bit of cover ( treelined both sides, overhanging cover ) This may prove well during the winter months also, just providing that little extra cover. So im happy with the location, im happy with my gear, im not sure about rig choice? Due to the location it is extremely snaggy in all areas, bar going down and raking a section im not sure what to do? Its littered with binbags, crisp packets, branches, old tow ropes ext, proper canal. I would of liked to be a little less conspicuous than raking the swim really, maybe fish, long multi rigs with 2" popped up sections to keep the bait free from the silt? My bait choice is the pacific tuna boilie with the matching white popups? Don't think it matters? Maybe introduce some maggots or breadcrumb just to create some disturbance when baiting? Cant wait to hear some feedback from you, canal carping is brand new to me, I know the concept is the same but its a whole new ballgame for me! All the best, anything you can think of that will help me will be much appreciated. Cheers Dan

Where the plastic fails, is in it ability to remain straight at distance , which Carbon does with ease .