Grantham angler Toon's tench hunt pays off

After poor match returns from Bottesford and District Angling Association competitions so far this season, it was refreshing to discover Grantham angler Chris Toon enjoyed an amazing catch on the Grantham Canal recently, writes Journal angling correspondent Dave Coster.

Fishing on the club’s waters above Woolsthorpe, Chris bagged nine cracking tench. But he did not stop there, also topping up with quite a few decent rudd and perch.

The magic baits were pole-fished worms and casters, resulting in one of the best returns from the canal for many years.

Chris has spent a lot of time hunting down the often elusive shoals throughout the length of the Grantham Canal over the past few months, but even he was surprised by his big haul.

He reckoned the fish had shoaled up tightly for spawning, because a few days later on another visit they had mainly vanished, apart from a few stragglers.

Chris and another local angler have also been finding some quality rudd in the Casthorpe area, with fish averaging 8oz to 12oz and chances of the odd one-pounder.

Further down on the turning bay at Denton, another local has been finding plenty of roach and odd stray bream, but the Canal Trust is currently rebuilding the footbridge there, so access is likely to be tricky for several weeks.

The main secret on the Grantham Canal is to walk its towpath before planning a fishing trip, because surface weed is a big problem on many stretches. Once you find a clear spot, you can normally work out if fish are present because they tend to colour up the water, or sometimes can even be seen cruising near the surface.

Providing the wind does not change direction, weed-free spots normally stay that way for several days, providing there is no rare boat traffic.

Bottesford and District AA run the fishing upstream of Top Lock at Woolsthorpe, whilst Grantham AA control the water downstream to where the canal finishes near Trent Road. Day tickets are available on the bank and both clubs give full membership details on their respective websites.