New sub forum for Canal fishing?

[tommos16]

Hi all, not looking to hijack those with run this fantastic forum, but I was wondering - would a new sub forum or sub category for Canal fishing be a good idea? It's quite a specialised subject, oweing to the fact its largely "wild" fishing (tow path's can be crazy places) on mainly unstocked venues. Just an idea.

I've fished commercials a lot but I still fish the canals nearly every day and it's a great way to hone your fishing. If you can catch on canals, you'll certainly catch on commercials..

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[no-one in particular]

I suggested one for commercials a while back but there are no commercial fishers on here and they wouldn't be seen dead on one; so they tell me!! I have a suspicion they love them really and sneak onto one now and again like sneaking into a house of ill repute and hoping the wife doesn't catch them so not much hope of a section but some of those supposed estates lakes and club waters look decidedly dodgy to me, not hard to hide the tackle shop and café out of the photos!
There are more canal anglers on here I think so maybe they will go for it but a negative response so far. We have some sections that have not had a post or thread for months or even years, I think it is time they had a sort out and a canal and commercial section would be a lot more interesting than those defunct ones that no one looks at.

 

[steve2]

Why were people against a commercial fisheries post, many if not most people on here have and still do fish them. So why not a canal and a commercial section.

 

[markcw]

I fish both canals and commercials, in fact leading upto last year nearly all my matches were on a commercial fishery.

 

[103841]

I personally don’t think there’s enough traffic to warrant separate sub forums for canals, the same can be said for lakes, commies and rivers.

 

[sam vimes]

I find that the various sub forums are largely superfluous without adding more. I always click on the "new posts" tab or icon and read whatever takes my interest. Which section of the forum it's in barely registers.

 

[rayner]

Me being nailed on to commercials I would love to fish the local canal just for a change if nothing else.
I used to enjoy my time on canals, not anymore though just too much of struggle for me. A dedicated space for both canals and commercial fisheries would be good.
A space to cover commercials would interest me but the way things are on here. I doubt many would post apart the few that do now. I get the idea commercial fisheries are mostly taboo with some and others just fall into line.
There's no doubt commercial are popular waters but not on here, there are quite a number of canals anglers but very few post for the number of members we should have more posting traffic, why we don't I don't know, anything to create interest can't hurt.
Folk make sure to mention where they fish so as not to be branded a commercial angler because who'd like to be looked down on by their contemporaries.

 

[mikench]

I'm not bothered either way. Any news, tips, recommendations can easily go into general or course fishing and I'm sure still will even if a canal subsection was created. It's all fishing.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

My personal view is that we have sufficient forms already, and to add to that number only seems to dilute the views any one will get.

I will mention this to the owners though.

 

[sam vimes]

A space to cover commercials would interest me but the way things are on here. I doubt many would post apart the few that do now. I get the idea commercial fisheries are mostly taboo with some and others just fall into line.

I think that you might be taking it all a little personally. It's little more than the way things have developed organically over many years. This forum has always been populated by mostly non-carp specialist types and general coarse anglers that favour rivers and (more) natural stillwaters. There are a relatively high proportion of centrepin users and a dearth of pole, match and commie anglers. It's never been remotely representative of angling as a whole. At times it can seem like the Traditional Angler's forum minus the obsession with antique gear.

I've got nothing against full on carping, match fishing, pole fishing, or commies. I've done all of them at times and will no doubt revisit some of them in time. However, if any of those things became the main focus of this forum, I doubt I'd be especially active on it. As it stands, if I wish to get a fix of any of those topics, I'm likely to go elsewhere for them.

 

[steve2]

I flit in and out of Traditional Anglers forum and like here there are very few new posters and whole sections that are not used.
There is nothing to stop any commercial fishery angler or canal anglers posting their catch and reports on on here, they just don't do it.

 

[rayner]

I think that you might be taking it all a little personally. It's little more than the way things have developed organically over many years. This forum has always been populated by mostly non-carp specialist types and general coarse anglers that favour rivers and (more) natural stillwaters. There are a relatively high proportion of centrepin users and a dearth of pole, match and commie anglers. It's never been remotely representative of angling as a whole. At times it can seem like the Traditional Angler's forum minus the obsession with antique gear.

I've got nothing against full on carping, match fishing, pole fishing, or commies. I've done all of them at times and will no doubt revisit some of them in time. However, if any of those things became the main focus of this forum, I doubt I'd be especially active on it. As it stands, if I wish to get a fix of any of those topics, I'm likely to go elsewhere for them.

No far from it, I'm not taking anything personal it just the way I see it, I don't see any topic that overpowers this forum, that's the beauty of it to me.

 

[103841]

I don't see any topic that overpowers this forum, that's the beauty of it to me.

spot on, look at me, HDYGO posts from sea, river, lakes and canals and I can still blank on the lot of them.

 

[sam vimes]

No far from it, I'm not taking anything personal it just the way I see it, I don't see any topic that overpowers this forum, that's the beauty of it to me.

People talk about whatever interests them. It just so happens that the majority of regular posters aren't that interested in the things you are. The only way it'll change is if enough folks start talking about those other things. It's already happened with lure fishing, there was very little of that when I first poked my nose in here. I'm not particularly interested in it, but I wouldn't even try to stop them. In that respect, commies and canals are no different. However, I don't really see the necessity for dedicated sub forums, not even the ones that already exist. If any particular topics genuinely do overpower this forum, it's simply because it has attracted more folks interested in those topics. There's no conspiracy, no effort is being made to suppress any topic.

 

[no-one in particular]

I don't mind the forum as it is in any way but 6 sections have not had a post for around 3 months and two have not been used since Nov 2016 and Jan 2018. One section for canal and/or commercials in their place might go down well or it might not and as an experiment would it not be worth a try, if it proved a dud go back and re-replace them. I don't necessarily think we need them but it would just be interesting to see if they would work. I cant see it would be a lot of work for the administrators to do that but I don't know for sure.

 

[tommos16]

Yeah that my thinking Mark. This forum has been a major help for me, and the canals are often the very first access to fishing for a lot of people - young and old alike - who will hopefully use this great forum for advice to get better and grow and sustain our sport. But it was only an idea, as others have said - the info is already here and all posts will generally be seen. (no offence was intended)

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[David Rogers 3]

I regularly fish my local Macclesfield Canal, but the Covid era has seen an exponential increase in boat traffic at all times of the day. There are also now a number of kayakers, who take no notice at all of anglers and who paddle so fast that you have very little chance of getting out of their way before they've ploughed through your line. The increase in the number of moored boats means you often don't see them coming until it's too late. Sadly, I think I'll be doing much less canal fishing until the situation normalises (if it ever does).

 

[rayner]

I regularly fish my local Macclesfield Canal, but the Covid era has seen an exponential increase in boat traffic at all times of the day. There are also now a number of kayakers, who take no notice at all of anglers and who paddle so fast that you have very little chance of getting out of their way before they've ploughed through your line. The increase in the number of moored boats means you often don't see them coming until it's too late. Sadly, I think I'll be doing much less canal fishing until the situation normalises (if it ever does).

I've only had a couple of days fishing since the lockdown, the furlough has had fisheries full of folk with their work lay off.
Full fisheries equate to poor fishing because of pressure on the fish. This I've banged my drum enough about. Had I been in a similar position I'm sure I would have been with the furloughed, without the thrashing of water that new anglers caused I hope.
Boats on canals have a similar effect to anglers on commercials when it comes to numbers.
The fishing is so bad locally since this epidemic hit us that I refused to go. I'm with you Dave I'll wait to see if things settle before I wet a line.

 

[Keith M]

I've only had a couple of days fishing since the lockdown, the furlough has had fisheries full of folk with their work lay off.
Full fisheries equate to poor fishing because of pressure on the fish. This I've banged my drum enough about. Had I been in a similar position I'm sure I would have been with the furloughed, without the thrashing of water that new anglers caused I hope.
Boats on canals have a similar effect to anglers on commercials when it comes to numbers.
The fishing is so bad locally since this epidemic hit us that I refused to go. I'm with you Dave I'll wait to see if things settle before I wet a line.

Isn’t there any good clubs around you where you don’t get boats and hoards of other anglers spoiling it for you? and where you can fish in relative peace?

Both of my clubs have private waters that are not crowded and one of them has around 20 still water and running water venues to choose from including a couple of canal sections (plus fishing on a commercial for those that like those); and all have decent fishing. I think that that’s one of the advantages of belonging to a decent club; you can get away from the throng if you want to.

Keith

 

[rayner]

A shame Keith but no not that I can find, there was one that looked promising, I then discovered the water is owned by a boat club who use the venue for water skiing.
Locally there's enough water to emulate a swamp but all are day ticketed commercial types.