Canal Fishing Tips | Everything You Need to Know

As an angler with a passion for exploring different types of waters, I’ve spent countless hours Fishing in canals. Canal fishing is often overlooked, with many preferring lakes, rivers, or the sea. But for those willing to explore these narrow, winding waterways, canal fishing can be rewarding. I’ve gathered a lot of experience and developed solid techniques over the years, so here are my tips on how to maximize your canal fishing experience.

Understanding Canal Fishing

Canals are artificial waterways designed for transportation or irrigation. While they may not have the natural beauty of rivers or the vastness of lakes, canals offer excellent fishing opportunities. They are usually calm and contain a variety of fish species, including Perch, Carp, Pike, Bream, and Roach.

One of the great things about canal fishing is its accessibility. In most places, canals are easy to get to, and you can often find spots close to urban areas. However, to fish successfully, you need to understand the characteristics of these waters.

Know Your Target Species

Canals are home to a wide range of fish, but knowing which species are present in your local canal can help tailor your approach. For example, Carp Fishing in canals is very different from targeting smaller fish like roaches or perch. Based on my experience, here are a few popular species you might encounter in canal fishing:

Carp: These can grow to impressive sizes even in canals. They are often found near features like bridges, locks, and overhanging trees.
Bream: Bream is another common canal fish. They travel in shoals, so if you catch one, chances are there are more in the area.
Pike: These predatory fish are often found lurking in the shadows. Look for them around submerged structures or in areas with slow-moving water.
Perch: Perch are aggressive predators, and they love canal environments, especially around weed beds, locks, and bridges.

Gear for Canal Fishing

One of the things I’ve learned from canal fishing is that you don’t need super heavy-duty gear. Since canals are generally shallow and narrow, light to medium tackle works best.

Rod and Reel: For most canal species, a rod in the 9-12 foot range is ideal. Match your rod to the species you’re targeting. For carp, a sturdy 10-12 foot rod with good action is perfect. For roach or bream, a lighter rod will do just fine. I recommend a 2000 to 4000-size spinning reel for most situations, but if you’re after larger carp or pike, you might want something beefier.
Line: I usually go for a 6-10 lb test line for most canal fishing, but if you’re after bigger fish like carp or pike, you may want to go heavier.
Hooks: Use hooks that suit the fish you’re targeting. Size 12-16 works well for smaller species like roach or bream. For carp or pike, you’ll need larger hooks in the size 6-8 range.
Float Fishing vs. Ledgering: Canal fishing often requires subtle techniques. Float fishing is excellent for targeting smaller species while lingering with a bait feeder can be effective for carp and bream.

Choosing the Right Bait

Bait choice is critical in canal fishing. You’ll want to match your bait to the fish you’re targeting and the water conditions.

Maggots: These are excellent for catching smaller species like roach and bream. I often use them in combination with a small float rig.
Worms: Worms are versatile and work well for perch, bream, and even carp. I like to use a large worm when targeting bigger fish like perch or bream.
Corn and Bread: Carp loves sweet baits like corn and bread. I’ve had a lot of success using a small ball of bread or a few kernels of sweetcorn on a hair rig.
Pellets and Boilies: For targeting larger carp, I recommend using pellets or boilies. They release scent slowly and are perfect for attracting fish in canals.
Live Bait: If you’re after predators like pike or perch, live bait like small fish or minnows can work wonders.

Location is Key

Canals are relatively uniform, but they still have distinct features that attract fish. Here are some crucial areas to pay attention to:

Bridges and Locks: These areas are always a good starting point. Fish often congregate near the structure, as it provides shelter and food. I’ve had a lot of success fishing under bridges, where the shade keeps the water cooler, attracting fish like carp and bream.
Overhanging Trees and Bushes: Fish love cover. Overhanging trees and bushes offer protection and are great spots to find species like perch and roach.
Weed Beds: While they can be frustrating to fish in, weed beds are great for finding predatory species like perch and pike. Just be sure to use a weedless rig if the vegetation is thick.
Depth Changes: Look for sections of the canal where the depth changes. Fish often hold near drop-offs or shelves, where they can find food and avoid predators.

Timing and Weather

Canal fishing can be good year-round, but there are specific times when it’s more productive. Early mornings and late evenings are typically the best times, especially during the summer months when the midday sun can make fish less active.

In my experience, cloudy days with a slight breeze are ideal for canal fishing. The fish are more likely to be feeding, and the surface disturbance can make them less cautious. Avoid fishing on extremely bright and still days, as the fish tend to hide in deeper water or undercover.

Stealth and Patience

One of the most important tips for canal fishing is to be as quiet as possible. Canals are often narrow and shallow, which means fish can spook easily. Avoid making loud noises, and try to keep movement to a minimum. I’ve found that staying low to the ground and casting quietly can make a big difference, especially when fishing for wary species like carp.

Patience is key in canal fishing. Don’t expect instant results, especially if you’re targeting bigger fish. It might take time for the fish to come to your bait, so be prepared to wait. Sometimes, I’ll set up multiple rods with different baits to see what works best on a given day.

Float Fishing in Canals

Float fishing is one of my favorite methods for canal fishing because it’s versatile and can be used for a range of species. Here are some tips for perfecting your float fishing technique:

Setting the Depth: It’s essential to get your bait at the right depth. In most canals, fish are feeding close to the bottom, so make sure your float is set accordingly. A plummet is useful for finding the correct depth.
Shotting the Float: The shooting pattern can make a huge difference in presentation. If you’re targeting roach or bream, use a bulk shooting pattern to get your bait down quickly. For perch or other predators, a more spread-out shooting pattern allows your bait to fall slowly, mimicking injured prey.
Watching the Float: In canal fishing, the bites can be subtle. I’ve learned to be patient and watch the float carefully. Sometimes, the float will only slightly dip or bob, but this can still indicate a bite.

Ledgering in Canals

Ledgering, or bottom fishing, is another effective method in canals, especially for larger fish like bream and carp. I typically use a feeder or a simple running ledger rig.

Feeder Fishing: A small feeder packed with ground bait can attract fish to your spot. I like to use a combination of ground bait and maggots or pellets to draw in bream or carp.
Hair Rigs: For carp, I recommend using a hair rig with a boilie or pellet. This rig allows the bait to sit just off the bottom, making it more visible to the fish while reducing the chances of the fish spitting out the hook.

The Mystery of Canals

Canals are captivating fishing spots, full of surprises and unpredictable moments. Their connection to rivers, lakes, drains, or gravel pits allows fish to move freely between them, particularly when locks are operated or when streams bring in water from nearby reservoirs. Sometimes, a canal may seem lifeless, only to reveal a thriving ecosystem upon your next visit. Your fishing approach matters significantly, as canals can be finicky. Fish might be lingering near the shore, congregating in deeper boat channels, or nestled in features along the far bank. Exploring different areas and using various techniques is crucial to maximizing your chances of success. Adjusting your bait frequently is also key to unlocking a canal’s hidden potential, as switching your offerings can often stimulate fish activity, revealing an entirely new world below the surface.

The Importance of Bait

Of all the fishing locations I’ve experienced, canals present the greatest challenge when it comes to selecting the right bait. In my early match fishing days, I quickly learned that without squats—tiny maggots that had a knack for awakening the fish—success was hard to come by. These, much like bloodworms and jokers before they were banned in many competitions, were essential for attracting fish. By feeding squats either directly or mixed into ground bait, you could stir up activity in otherwise quiet areas. After establishing some action, you could switch to more substantial baits like maggots, casters, worms, or hemp to entice larger fish. Bread was another effective bait, especially in certain stretches where fish would only respond to punch tactics. In venues with a healthy population of larger fish, casters were indispensable, especially when targeting chub and bream. Hemp was another bait that could magically transform a poor swim into a fruitful one, drawing in quality roaches if they were present.

Locating the Fish

Though some canals have fallen out of use, efforts to restore others have been promising. This was the case with the Grantham Canal, where I spent several years unraveling its secrets. Many anglers had given up on it, but persistence paid off as I uncovered pockets of fish. Location is one of the most critical factors in canal fishing. Long stretches of canal, especially those with minimal boat traffic, can appear devoid of life. In clear water, fish often seek refuge in areas where they feel safe from predators. Hotspots aren’t always obvious, but I discovered one near a lock, where a small feeder stream flowed in. The movement of water attracted fish, and the lock itself offered shelter. Another productive feature along this otherwise barren stretch was the dense reed cover on the far bank.

The Power of Bread Punch

Bread punch has a remarkable ability to spark immediate action in even the most challenging canals. I recall a stretch of the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire, which was rarely fished because it was narrow and tough to navigate. However, I knew it held a good stock of fish, as I had observed large roach shoals before the daily boat traffic began. After experimenting with various techniques, I stumbled upon a winning formula quite by accident. I had some leftover liquidized bread, a method being used with great success by London anglers in urban areas. On a section I had nicknamed “Dead Man’s Straight” due to its unresponsiveness, I decided to give it a try. To my amazement, the results were immediate—the float came alive, and the fish started biting nonstop. It appeared as though a switch had been flipped. Interestingly, the larger the bread punch, the bigger the fish I caught.

Peaks and Valleys

Canal match fishing used to be huge, and I once found myself drawing an unwanted section during a 300-entry London Anglers Association Canal Benevolent event. It was the same stretch where I had discovered the power of punch and liquidized bread. While everyone else played it safe, I attacked my swim with my special ground bait and fished a large piece of bread punch under a light waggler, aiming toward the far bank. I cleaned up, catching quality roach and winning the section by a wide margin. I eventually placed second overall, enjoying a significant payday. On another occasion, I uncovered a winning bait on the Oxford Canal when I bought red squatted out of necessity—white squats, the preferred choice, were sold out. I won the following major match plus a few more thanks to the red squats. Not all experiences were as successful, though. A Midlands canal, heavily infested with pike, proved too much of a challenge.

The Versatility of Worms

Worms are a popular bait choice for canal fishing, particularly for perch and skimmers. However, I use them sparingly, as it’s easy to get carried away with chopped worms, which often lead to a quick flurry of bites before the action dies down. Unless you’re fishing a particularly productive swim, worms should be kept as a backup, away from your main feeding lines. Worms can disrupt your efforts by attracting too many predators, such as pike and zander, which you’d rather avoid. Though big perch are welcome catches, pike, and zander are not. Therefore, I only use worms as my main bait when fishing in areas where the likelihood of success lies in targeting big perch or tench. I learned a clever trick from locals on the Fossdyke Canal: they feed worms along the nearside pilings, where the depth prevents interference with other feeding zones.

Classic Floats for Canal Fishing

Started by elite canal anglers from the Luton region, the Image brand helped make one of my all-time favorite canal floats popular. This float design features a beautifully tapered body, a wire stem, and a highly sensitive fiberglass tip. It’s ideal for quick action, cocking immediately due to its heavy stem, and performing well when the water moves with lock operations. It’s perfect for fishing squats, pinkies, hemp, and bread punch. Although many floats have been modeled after this design over the years, there’s nothing quite like it. Lately, I’ve switched to using floats with titanium wire stems because standard wire tends to bend out of shape and is difficult to straighten again. Titanium, on the other hand, springs back after being bent. Smaller versions of this float work well in shallow water on the far ledge, while larger capacities are better suited for fishing close in or down the main boat channel.

Targeting Skimmers

Although large breams do make occasional appearances in canals, smaller skimmers often provide the best catches. When squats were commonly used, a great way to find skimmers was to feed your peg with plenty of these tiny maggots, attracting smaller species like gudgeon, perch, and roach. These smaller fish would pave the way for skimmers to move in. Though squatts are rarely used today and are harder to find, pellets have proven to be a similarly effective modern alternative. Feeding a mix of micro pellets in-ground bait and using a banded 4mm pellet on the hook can work wonders, bypassing the smaller fish and attracting larger skimmers, bream, and even the occasional bonus tench. Another effective method for targeting skimmers is to feed pinkies in-ground bait and use larger red maggots on the hook. In colder months, or when fishing in clear water, large punched bread over liquidized ground bait can also produce excellent results.

Prime Bridge Spots

Bridge swims are always excellent fishing spots on canals. After work was completed on a newly restored section, I quickly found that the pegs on either side of a bridge started producing solid weights of rudd, roach, and perch within weeks. It was remarkable, especially considering that I used to walk this stretch regularly and never saw any signs of fish activity. Even more astonishing was how rapidly nature reclaimed the area—just a year later, the pound was densely lined with Norfolk reeds. I always considered a feature peg like this a blessing during canal matches. Big fish are drawn to the cover provided by bridges and can often be caught right underneath them. Perch are particularly fond of bridge swims, but you can also find roach, skimmers, rudd, carp, and even chub in these shaded, sheltered areas.

Caster Patience

Casters, while effective, are a bait that requires patience when fishing canals. They rarely work immediately and should be fed in areas where larger fish are likely to reside—typically along the far bank, where overhanging branches, moored boats, lilies, or thick reed cover provide ideal conditions. The key to caster fishing is to feed small amounts regularly but wait to cast until the fish are confidently feeding. Rushing in too soon may yield a few bigger bonuses, but patience often pays off in the last couple of hours, when the session can transform into a bonanza. Species like bream, chub, tench, and quality roach can turn up, and even carp are a possibility. Start fishing close in, where you may experience a quick burst of action, before moving toward the far bank once the main channel slows down.

Elusive Chub

Chubs are present in many canals, but they are notoriously difficult to catch. They tend to stick close to far bank features, hiding under bushes, trees, moored boats, and landing stages. The caster approach I mentioned earlier can work its magic, but only after the chub is confidently feeding. Canal chubs are incredibly cautious, so you need to allow them time to settle before targeting them. On wider canals, the waggler is often the best option, while if the water is flowing, a small maggot feeder or light bomb rig can be very effective. The long pole is another possibility, but when the water is clear, it’s better to use

Final Thoughts

Canal fishing offers a unique and often underrated fishing experience. It’s accessible, relaxing, and provides the opportunity to catch a variety of fish species. Whether you’re targeting small roaches or hunting for big carp, the key to success is understanding the water, choosing the right gear and bait, and being patient.

With the tips I’ve shared, you should be well-equipped for your next canal fishing trip. Remember, every canal is different, so it’s essential to adapt to the conditions and learn as you go. Happy fishing!