Grantham Canal has some decent predatorial pike lurking in its depths

As reported a few weeks ago, Journal angling correspondent Dave Coster has been catching large numbers of small rudd and roach from the Grantham Canal.

Towpath regular Chris Toon keeps Dave informed as to where the fish are shoaled up, resulting in both anglers notching up as many as 350 silvers in a session.

With so many small fish, it is inevitable predators will be lurking close by, so on their latest outing Chris brought his son Oliver along – armed with a pike rod.

Normally, pike in the Grantham Canal tend to be on the small side because prey fish are hard to locate on many of the heavily weeded up pounds. Small pike up to the 5lb mark are nicknamed jacks and that was what was expected.

However, casting a small dead bait close to an overhanging far bank bush, in an area where one of the rare shoals of roach and rudd were dimpling the surface, it was not long before Oliver’s float slowly sunk away. He struck into something much larger and more powerful than expected. His rod arched over dramatically as something heavy and angry at the end of his line churned up the bottom silt.

Shocked by the size of the beast he was attached to, Oliver turned down his father's offer to net the fish, wanting to claim all the glory for catching it himself. Unfortunately, his attempt to scoop the big pike out failed because the hooks lost their hold as he got it to the surface.

While Chris and Dave continued to enjoy lots of silver fish action using groundbait, pinkies and maggots with pole gear, Oliver did manage to catch a 5lb jack pike on another dead bait.

After that fish was successfully landed and returned, his next cast saw a repeat performance of something much bigger thrashing about in the shallow water by the far bank bush. This time, after a dramatic struggle, young Oliver did manage to land the predator, which was even bigger than the first one he had lost.

Carefully weighing the canal monster before returning it, the scales registered 12lb 6oz, which is likely to make Oliver’s catch the biggest fish taken from the Grantham Canal for many years.

Having walked several miles of the towpath the day before their latest fishing trip, Dave still finds it surprising the size of the pike that were discovered lurking in the waterway. In the occasional weed-free areas, the water was gin clear, making it possible to see the bottom right the way across, with no signs of life whatsoever.

It just goes to show, while the majority of anglers do not bother with the local canal anymore, it still holds some interesting surprises, providing it is given a chance to reveal them.