"Backs" are back

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    • 09/07/2013 at 6:25 pm #55580

      TF_Tony 21

        Hi all.
        It has been many many moons since I posted anything on the internet, but I feel this is something i have to put out there in total wonder of what’s to happen ?.
        I live literally 60 steps from the Harrow Road section of the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice London.
        This venue has undergone alot of changes over the decades since I started to fish it as a kid 40 years or so ago, along with everywhere else. We do hear about theory’s such as “Fish Cycles” and yes I can understand the reasoning behind it ..in that nature tends to find a way.
        I was always led to believe that the Stickleback was a fish that populated polluted waters, and sure enough…back in the day this stretch was full of them to the point that you couldn’t put a maggot or piece of bread on the hook for Roach , Perch etc, because the float would be going under all the time due to Stickleback’s, and Hemp was the only way to get the Roach.
        Around 1980 or so the Stickleback’s seemed to just disappear, and this stretch right through onto other stretches became very popular with anglers, be it with clubs, open matches, winter leagues, LAA shield rounds even. The Harrow Road stretch was a first class bit of cut with fantastic Roach & Perch fishing, with Bream in some areas with the odd Carp thrown in for good measure. Enter the cormorants…
        Like everywhere these birds destroyed this stretch, which led to anglers just not fishing it anymore. The LAA gave it up, and matches just stopped.
        As time went by, the water clarity became greater and weed growth was promoted as a result. I guess with the absence of the “Bread & Butter” fish ..this was always going to be the case …thanks to our new feathered “friends”.
        My question is…What Now? The water clarity is higher so the Roach & Perch what are there get wiped out even faster now, and yes there are still cormorants here. This year has seen the return not only of the Stickleback…but Stickleback fry….1000’s of them. Questions that arise to me are….what now? Is this a “fish cycle” ? Is the water polluted? .. despite being so-called “cleaner”?. I can’t see that there’s a going to be a “full circle” thing happening here with the canal having a chance to return to it’s former glory, as this time round…we got the cormorants to contend with.
        Is the return of the “Backs” a good or bad thing?…I dunno.
        I can only speak for my local stretch, and i am sure you all have stories of your own. I just wonder ..What Now ?
        Thanks for reading.

      • 11/07/2013 at 10:16 am #167688

        TF_LolB

          I’m guessing your my old m8 tonyc.I think we my have fished most of the g.u.c sections in London,how they have changed.The last three years i have ventured back to them and its been a struggle to catch best by a long way was greenford, had plenty of bream no roach. Also fished kensal green and uxbridge. caught a few bits at kensal green but blanked at uxbridge. The glory days are long gone when the roach at harrow road went four to the pound and we only ever fished hemp and tares. I now live near croxely and the canals round here have gone the same way as London. So i now fish most of my matches from tring and as far out as the midlands.Some great fishing around Leighton buzzard area, luton fishing club now run matches every two weeks. anyone want their phone number message me on here. Lolb

        • 11/07/2013 at 11:34 am #167690

          TF_Tony 21

            Hi Larry…I have actualy seen a couple of very small shoals of roach and perch in the one inch bracket, and seen plenty of tiny Perch schooling with the Sticklebacks. There has to be still some mature fish present in order to have this. So far anyone that has tried to catch any Roach or Perch is comming back with zero. The big Carp have been spotted in this weather, and i actually see a dead mirror of about a pound , which is a size you just never see here..usually 10lb and up. I am guessing/hoping the Bream are still here…skimmers are probably inside cormerants. I might have a go for them next week sometime down in the basin. I wish somone could shed some light onto what has happened in a biological sence.
            Tight Lines

          • 11/07/2013 at 10:08 pm #167695

            TF_LolB

              Tony m8 Long time no see. I do remember when it happened they were spraying all the trees and bushes at sainsbury end. I was told a week later when i was fishing the halfpenny steps, by a woman taking water samples the the workers emptied all the left over chemicals into the canal also they washed all their spraying stuff with canal water.this lead to the canal losing all its oxygen but it also killed all the microscopic life as well which made the canal go gin clear as well. which i why you get all that weed growth now. O nearly forgot the the black death moved in and wiped out all the fished that were left.might be going to lalehem in a couple of weeks if ur interested fished its nuts of last season. i’ll give u a call m8.

            • 15/07/2013 at 4:23 pm #167760

              Anonymous

                the marginal weeds in my peg on the new junction canal were solid with tiny perch and ‘backs yesterday.they seemed to shoal up next to each other almost looking like one massive shoal.always been loads of perch but can’t remember seeing a ‘back in there during the last ten years.in fact my last fish on the day was a ‘back. 😮 😮

              • 16/07/2013 at 12:30 pm #167768

                TF_Anthonywaters
                Participant

                  Eels are back in numbers too I haven’t caught one on a still water for years but were catching them this year

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