Grand Union Canal

[markhib]

Has anybody got any recent experience fishing the GUC around Tring? After 34 years out I'm not looking for monsters, just practice and an occasional nice fish.
Thinking about float fishing maggot and/or caster but any advice gratefully received.
Cheers Mark

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Not fished it for a while now, but you might like to try around Bulbourne. We used to phone the landlord of the Junction pub to see if it was OK to park in his car park so long as we had a drink or two after.

When you cross the road and go down the canal, fish either just before or into the wide truning area. It used to be brilliant sport there. This is it -

 

[markhib]

Cheers Jeff, I may give it a try this weekend.
Mark

 

[Chevin]

The last time I visited the GUC was in 2004 and I saw some useful looking carp near Cheddington. There is a road bridge near a boat hire company and just opposite their little bay there was a nice shoal of them sunning themselves. I actually began my freshwater fishing in the GUC near the lock at Pitstone. That was back in the '50s but there were no carp in it then. It was a far cry from the sea fishing I had been enjoying for some ten years before that, but I have many fond memories of fishing there and in Tring Reservoirs.


Pitstone

​

 

[peter crabtree]

Hi Mark, unfortunately the landlord at the Grand junction arms at Bulbourne no longer allows parking for anglers.
The Tring anglers (TTA) have literally miles of canal, not just the GUC but also the Aylesbury arm and the Wendover arm. Details are at www.tringanglers.org.uk.
Click on waters for details and maps.
Terrific canal fishing and well worth joining the club as their best GUC venue is members only.

 

[markhib]

Great minds Peter, I emailed the membership secretary for some advice and apparently the landlord of the red lion hates anglers too. It's a good job none of us ever drink alcohol.
Mark

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

unfortunately the landlord at the Grand junction arms at Bulbourne no longer allows parking for anglers.

Miserable begger! That's the last time I drink in his pub.


What Chevin suggests is a nice place too, up by Cheddington. Good parking there, but I'm not sure if it's still a restricted opposite the boat marina area. I'm sure it used to be so check first. (I'm sure the carp used to hang out there, as Chevin says, because they were protected )

 

[Chevin]

Miserable begger! That's the last time I drink in his pub.


What Chevin suggests is a nice place too, up by Cheddington. Good parking there, but I'm not sure if it's still a restricted opposite the boat marina area. I'm sure it used to be so check first. (I'm sure the carp used to hang out there, as Chevin says, because they were protected )

Yeah fishing is not allowed in the boating pool, but the carp do come out, and can be reached with a fairly short cast. Indeed, it would be possible to cast into the pool from the opposite bank. Perhaps it wouldn't be practical during the day, but it would probably be possible early morning and late evening. Perhaps even going close to the place may not be necessary as I have no doubt that the carp will patrol the adjacent area. I little pre-baiting plan may well produce the required results.

 

[markhib]

Thanks again for all the info, I'm not quite ready for chasing big carp around yet, after 34 years in non-fishing purgatory. Just landing a few roach and perch (can't get used to calling them silvers) will do for now.
Mark

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Well, you will still find Cheddington and, if you can find somewhere to park, Bulbourne very good spot for fishing. There's also around the reservoirs, they're short-ish pools, but the car parking is good - must be the price they charge these days.

 

[peter crabtree]

The pound from Cheddington to Marsworth lock house is members only.
The easiest parking and short walk is at the startops carpark at Marsworth , the canal is at the end of the carpark , very good fishing on a day ticket available on the bank.

 

[markhib]

Many, many thanks for all your replies. Membership sec at Tring has told me to try Marsworth, so I'll give that a go. If it's good I'll join the club so I'm sure he'll have put me on to a decent swim. If I blank, you'll never hear from me again.
Mark

 

[peter crabtree]

Ther membership secretary will insist you join GUGGS - Grand Union Gobio Gobio Society
It's free to join and if you don't catch a gudgeon at Marsworth you are doing something wrong.....

 

[markhib]

I did catch a gudgeon or ten. Also roach, perch, a couple of large skimmers (small bream) and something I didn't recognise. Oh, and a tree. Great day, thanks again everybody.
Mark

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

something I didn't recognise.

Sounds worrying, native or alien?

Did you land the tree or did it slip the hook?

And where, which section?

 

[markhib]

I think it was a dace but I haven't seen one for thirty odd years and I didn't expect to see one in a canal. It was Marsworth, red lion bridge. There were 4 people about 3 feet apart on one side of the bridge, probably chasing a carp, so I went underneath it and along about 20 yards. I had about 30 fish in all, mainly small but the skimmers were about 7 or 8 inches deep so I wet my landing net.
Mark

---------- Post added at 04:45 ---------- Previous post was at 04:43 ----------

The tree got away. It was massive.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

It was Marsworth, red lion bridge.

White lion, in fact. I used to drive my little bus past there every day at one time! Had clients in Vicarage Road and The Crescent, just a few hundred yards away.

It's a nice stretch. When you say you went underneath the bridge, did you end up fishing on the lock side or on the pub side? Both are good, but the lock side is only a short pound and last time I fished the other side I was plagued with crayfish, did you have any?

 

[markhib]

No, it was the red lion. They have both in Marsworth. I missed quite a few bites, is that crayfish? Didn't have those in the seventies.
Mark

 

[Chevin]

No, it was the red lion. They have both in Marsworth. I missed quite a few bites, is that crayfish? Didn't have those in the seventies.
Mark

The GUC has always been full of crays, I used to catch quite a few at Leighton Buzzard in the '50s. Not far from that little pub (Globe Inn?) on the canal bank.. Actually I bought my very first beer there. Perhaps the natural crays have gone from there now and they will be the signal crays that seem to have taken over in UK waters

 

[markhib]

So how can you tell if it's crays? Do they hang on to the bait with their claws and get caught, like crabs, or just steal it and remain unseen?
Mark