Pole fishing is the first approach that comes to mind when fishing on a canal, but there are plenty of these venues where a feeder would be even more effective. The shoals of bream and skimmers often sit well beyond the pole line on deep and wide venues such as the Aire & Calder and Gloucester Canals, making a rod and line set-up the obvious choice.
Boats passing through your swim and lock gates opening will keep the water moving for a good portion of your session, and your tactics must take this into account. Get to grips with the necessary rigs, baits and terminal tackle, and a netful of bream could be your reward next time you’re out on the towpath.
Rotate your feeders
Start with a four-square wire cage that will empty quickly, leaving a cloud in the water. If you catch a fish, switch to a Preston Innovations Hexmesh plastic cage that will keep half of the bait in until it hits bottom. If you start bagging, use a Hexmesh with fewer holes. These lock the bait in, only releasing it when you wind in.
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Carry on casting
A good percentage of bites will come within a few minutes of the feeder going in, so it’s pointless leaving it in place for much longer. Bream don’t live exclusively on the bottom, and they’ll only go down to it if they have a reason. Food coming past them provides that reason, and that is why casting every five minutes is so effective.
THE BEST FEEDER RODS WILL ENSURE YOU CAN CAST ACCURATELY TO HELP CATCH MORE BREAM!
Make the magic mix
A 70/30 blend of SonuBaits Sweet F1 Dark and So Natural Sweet Skimmer is a brilliant groundbait mix for use on canals. Introduce just four dead maggots or the tiniest pinch of chopped worm with each feederful. A sprinkling of Fluoro Rocks can be added as well, as the flash of colour adds a visual element to the dark mix.
THESE EXCELLENT TIPS WILL HELP YOU CATCH BIGGER BREAM ON THE FEEDER.
Incorporate a shockleader
Use 0.10mm braid mainline to help magnify bites. A 4ft shockleader of 8lb mono is tied to this to assist with durability. When unhooking fish or rebaiting, the mainline will rub on your side tray or keepnet, but 8lb mono won’t suffer damage. As a bonus, it adds weight to the rig, pinning down the business end to reduce the likelihood of line bites.
MAKE SURE YOU USE THESE BAITS IF YOU WANT TO CATCH MORE BREAM!
