GUIDE - · PDF filebuild the fastest boat. Make sure a grown-up launches your leaf boat into the water! s a peg? ... These little berries are a great bait for roach,

Our `Let’s Fish!’ guide will

get you up and fishing.

Do you know your pike

from your perch? Or how

to find bait for free?

LET’S

FISH!

GUIDE

#LetsFish

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, your local canal is a great place for a family fun day out. Canals are brilliant places to relax, fish and watch the world go by. What could be better than being outside by the water discovering the different creatures that make their homes there.

Try angling on the canal

– we call it canangling!

Prep your fishing kit:

You will need: • rod, pole or whip• bait• floats, line, hooks and weights • landing net

And remember your: • wellies• sun hat• cold drink• patience (catching fish can

take some time!)

Weils Disease – why is that important? If you’re fishing on canals and rivers you’ll be handling wet tackle and fish. So always remember to:

• cover up any cuts with a plaster

• avoid rubbing your eyes, mouth or nose when your hands are dirty

• wash your hands as soon as possible once you’ve finished fishing and before eating

If you feel unwell (especially flu-like symptoms) it is important you visit your GP.

“Most canal fishing is managed by local angling clubs, so be sure to check canalrivertrust.org.uk/fishery-list to find which permit you need in addition to your rod licence”

“The fish in canals belong to the Canal & River

Trust, so once you’ve caught them don’t forget

to put them back as they form part of a healthy

balanced ecosystem.”

But first let’s get ready to fish…

Don’t forget your rod licence

• anyone aged 12 and over must have a valid Environment Agency rod licence• a rod licence gives the legal right to use a fishing rod or pole, but you also

need a permit which gives you permission to fish the water• available from www.postoffice.co.uk/rod-fishing-licence or 0344 800 5386

Let’s Fish Guide #LetsFish

2Remember the SAFE message: Stay Away From the Edge

GUDGEON CARP

PIKE PERCH

CHUB BREAM

ROACH TENCH

Basic biology of a fish

What will you catch?

Vertebral Column

IntestineStomach

Swimbladder

Gills

Mouth

LET’S FISH!

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Carefully look under logs and stones to

see who can spot the weirdest-looking

creepy-crawly. Remember, bugs are

our friends, so make sure you don’t

hurt any of them!

Quest complete? Draw your weird bug here!

GUDGEONPIKECHUBROACHPERCHCARPBREAMTENCH

G S W X A Y G O I Y B S K S HV G F T O N M U A M H O X O IN U F W T L S C H U B C W K OZ D I O L R G I R M Z O N O ZC G N S N D Q C H O E M A E LF E T O G R A S C M A M L J TX O O H F R V G D B Z C T S DR N G E P D P Z N W L W H S CJ X K T X B R E A M W M N O ET H Y J P I K E A Y F F Z V TQ N C F A F H Z A W R K Z Z SE N C C U C V H Y S F R W T LV V U Q R L Q R G K U I G U KF S G E Q K T F M R Y V D C ES M P R V D Z S F K E J X F U

Word search

You will need:

To do

• a clean empty tub (a large ice-cream container is good)• a fine net• somewhere you can safely sit, kneel or stand. Remember don’t lean too far forward or you might topple in!• an adult you know to help you scoop• something to wash your hands with

• half fill your tub with pond water• scoop the net in a figure of 8 to pick up tiny creatures• empty the contents into your tub

Check out what lives in your local canal or river

Here’s some clues...

The best places to pond dip are at purpose

built platforms!

www.jackperksphotography.com



Now make an underwater viewer to see what you’ve caught.

Find a big, strong leaf and fold one end towards the centre.

Quest complete? Draw a trophy for the winning leaf boat here!

Rip the folded part into three equal sections.

Tuck the two outer sections tightly inside the longer, middle section.

Have a race to see who can build the fastest boat. Make sure a grown-up launches your leaf boat into the water!

What’s a peg?Anglers talk about their ‘favourite peg’ being the place where they like to fish the most. But did you know the word ‘peg’ came from when anglers would hold fishing competitions. They would stake out a section of the canal or river with numbered pegs to show where they were allowed to fish. This was their match peg – and the term has stuck ever since. Why not look on our waterways map for a place to be your favourite peg?

When you’ve finished release any

creatures back into the water. Then wash

your hands to get rid of any germs.

You will need

To make

• a large milk or juice carton• a piece of clear polythene about 20 cms square• a thick rubber band or sticky tape

1. Cut off the top and bottom of a carton2. Stretch the polythene over the bottom3. Fasten with a rubber band or tape4. Lower the viewer into the water and look

through the open end of the viewer



Free fishing bait!

Just head outside

Did you know that you can get bait for free? All it takes is a little hunt in your back garden for worms or slugs or on the towpath on the way to your peg for blackberries. But make sure you watch out for the thorns.

Here are a few of the best baits you can find outside:

These little berries are a great bait for roach, dace and chub, you will often find them on the sides of towpaths in the hedgerows and may even have a tree in your back garden. They are soft and best presented on a small hook just nicked in the skin. Fish will also be eagerly awaiting the berries dropping off the bush.

Not everyone will have these in their garden

but fish love their strong sweet smell as much as us,

just think of how many pellets and boilies are strawberry flavoured. The biggest challenge with these is resisting eating them yourself, but if you do manage to keep a few for fishing they work best as smaller chunks on the hook or bigger bits for larger fish, carp will happily swallow them whole.

If you’re picking blackberries you may

well eat as many as you pick! Also, if you get more

than a day’s fishing worth they are great in a pie or a

crumble, the perfect treat to come back to after a long days fishing. These work for a wide range of fish although, they may need to be cut down if you are going for smaller ones.

This is one of the best baits you can find in your garden. Worms are great for most fish, but no matter what you will probably catch a perch. Damp mornings or

evenings are good times to find worms, and make sure to check under stones in your garden as this will often be the best place to find them.

When you see them the first thing you think might not be “I could fish with that”, but slugs are a good bait for chub. Hook them straight on a big hook. Slugs often fall in the water from the bank, so fish are used to eating them, making them a good bait.

Elderberries

Worms

Slugs

BlackberriesStrawberries



Sign up for our

newsletter and get regular

updates and offers from the

Canal & River Trust.

Simply go online and search

for ‘canal newsletter’.

Find out more at canalrivertrust.org.uk/lets-fish

T 0303 040 4040E canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us

#LetsFish

Charity number 1146792July 2017

Fishing is a great way to spend time together and discover the waterway

on your doorstep – you can relax and watch the world float by as you

wait for your first bite, and no two days on the canal are ever the same.

Did you know?The Canal & River Trust is a charity that cares for and brings to life 2,000 miles of canals, rivers and reservoirs across England and Wales. We believe that life is better by water and our dedicated teams work hard to ensure that people are able to lead happier, healthier and more connected lives through our 200-year old waterways. Find out how you can get involved canalrivertrust.org.uk


GUIDE - · PDF filebuild the fastest boat. Make sure a grown-up launches your leaf boat into the water! s a peg? ... These little berries are a great bait for roach,

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