This year for me was notable for repeat captures and although they are not uncommon I did feel these three fish have a story to tell, there's got to be something to learn from them, there has to be otherwise what's the point in logging catches, however I'm still left with more questions than answers.
1. The Roach
The back end February/early March saw the perfect conditions for trotting a small river, it was a day when the roach took over a chub swim and they were crackers, all netters and naturally one was bigger than the rest. Nothing fancy just an enjoyable day trotting single maggot under a stick float, this eventually did the job for a 2lb 4oz roach.
Midsummer was a complete contrast, the river was low and clear and I could see everything, I had already had a nice day catching a few chub and barbel on float, it was only at the end I decided to view what was still in the clear waters below, peering over the edge of some rushes like an idiot, my gear all but packed up. Cue a big roach feeding on the pellets I threw in as I watched. With a rekindled excitement, on once more went the hook, one I had only just removed, so with no float and just the weight of the pellet I chanced my luck. Ten minutes passed before I got it to take and it was the same fish at 2lb 3oz
This fish was caught in two different swims a little way apart, first time on maggot the second time on pellet, both up in the water. I had seen it feed this way a few times and it would only take one offering per cast and would feed surprisingly shallow. I am as guilty as anyone of wanting to run a float through over depth in winter, it just feels right doesn't it? But increasingly I am finding myself benefiting from fishing shallower and it sure pays to vary depths even in cold weather. In winter it was hooked around 12 inches off the bottom and in summer it was probably the same distance from the surface.
I knew that both times the roach had been feeding all along but I just wasn't good enough to get it before I did, adding the caveat of the many 10oz roach I had to get through first does not detract from the larger fish being much wiser than the others. In summer I could see this all first hand, how it mouthed the bait, or more often turned away from it and how it only fed when there was loosefeed in very close proximity. It's modus operandi seemed to be feeding mid water, most folk leger here so maybe that's why. It also knew which bait wasn't falling naturally enough so much so that I eventually tripped it up freelining a Robin Red (for visibility) whilst feeding a couple of darker pellets. Watching a 2lb roach take your bait after tweaking things to adjust to it's nuances - now that is both fun and rewarding.
What does it mean that this fish was doing all this whilst I was standing over it in full view like Captain Skyline? I have no doubt it knew I was there so was either worked into a feeding frenzy earlier whilst I was catching a mix of other fish on float, or it knew on a heavily fished water that people would always be there and that a bait under a float is a danger sign. It was finicky but not spooked, it was clever yet daft, carefree enough to tolerate my presence.
Either way it was welcome both times and I only realized it was the same fish upon getting home and looking at the pics. What struck me most was not only was it clearly the same fish but it was absolutely identical to how it was 6 months prior. Small river roach usually have a few battle scars so I was pleased to see this fish had no additional marks at all, a credit to the other anglers who have caught it in between or maybe that's a sign that the old fish hasn't been out much at all. How often do these fish come out? Some anglers go a lifetime without getting one whereas sometimes you can get the same fish twice, that's fishing for you.
2. The Bream
During the spring when the weather warmed up I roved down the canal with a loaf of bread, the voice in my head saying "Keep It Simple Stupid". I did just that in April and May and it worked with a few big chub, some lovely roach, a cracking bonus carp and quite a few bream, one of which had a massive slice along the back. What caused it? Answers on a postcard - Boat prop, over ambitious cormorant, feisty Heron, Kingfisher on steroids or someone who got a speargun for Christmas? I always conclude that anything is possible on The Grand Union Canal.
The bream battled like a tiger as canal bream can do although I did wonder what it was at first with large white slash on it's back showing instantly as the fish bent awkwardly in the water. I was conscious of this wound and keeping it scar side up once in the net, The flesh on show kind of reminded me of raw tuna and when I slipped it back the fish almost seemed articulated, I wasn't confident of it's survival so a month later I was delighted to be reacquainted with the same fish looking a bit battle scarred but with that slice starting to heal.
Both times it was caught with bread on the drop in exactly the same spot, the very first cast a month apart. There is a difference the second time with the colour, could be breeding colours in the first but I feel April was too early, so it could be stress or it could be down to the water colour changing. Or perhaps it was just sunnier the first time and the camera is playing tricks.
One thing for sure is this bream likes this spot and sure likes bread. The main focal point has to be that wound and the healing the bream shows, that open raw sushi slice is now fused although it will always be an identifiable mark. I really wanted to catch it again another month later but other things got in the way, so rest assured if I do catch it again I will chronicle it's healing rate once more.
I also like to think it's the only named bream on the canal - Scar
3. The Chub
Now this one was funny, repeats can happen in the same day usually a few hours apart but not usually minutes. You hear tales of how an angler would slip a fish back and then his mate would catch it but these are rare. The fact is I have never had a chub on this river in a few attempts so to get the same fish twice either side of lunch was quite comical, both times on trotted single maggot.
There's a bit of silt above the gill on the top pic but I had a hunch it was an identical size when caught the second time, I was still surprised to see it was the same fish when getting home, the photo's not only reveal this but the file data also gave the perfect time between the catches at just 29 minutes
I remember thinking how the fish did exactly the same fight each time, kiting across the river before I got it back towards me, but the nearside had a branch strewn undercut and both times the fish stopped just short of this snagfest, there's nothing worse than a chub getting under a rod tip snag and this one had the power to beat my gear but thankfully didn't both times. What stopped it? Perhaps a huge pike or even a catfish as this small river runs into the Thames around the corner, who knows but on both occasions this fish didn't do the obvious.
What conclusions can we draw from repeat captures, I think the main one is they are far more common than we realize, the three fish above all have tell tale identification marks so are easy to spot. How many times do we get the same scale perfect roach or dace within a session, or within two trips when revisiting the same water? How many times is a 100lb haul of barbel featuring a few of the fish twice? Even though fish like barbel often look alike you can sometimes tell as after a while you start to get fish that are a little lethargic later in the day, in such circumstances it may be a cue to pack up or give the swim a good rest rather than chase a number. Carp with their distinctive marks would be easier to log, we know many specimen carp anglers do just this, which leads to them naming the fish, (much better names than Scar of course) which makes sense, I know some anglers frown upon that but it's just a bit of fun with some knowledge thrown in as a byproduct. That's seems like win win to me.
The knowledge gained is still always a bit sketchy, some fish seem to prefer certain baits and areas whereas others are quite nomadic (during breeding time everything is nomadic of course), whether that is based on species or individual fish is variable although I do know fish like roach move around quite a bit, my local canal bream on the other hand seem quite dependable in certain areas whereas the ones on the next pound will be rovers. Territorial fish like perch and pike have their ambush points, how many pike can be in a one hotspot after all compared to shoal fish, pike anglers must get many repeats judging by the amount of hits we get from a 'nuisance' pike when fishing for silvers. I'd love to know how common repeat catches are for pike.
As for chub lets face it they can up sticks as soon as their sticks move, they do like a snag after all, just tell that to the one I caught twice as it seems to have missed the memo.
Repeats? 2022 does have a three twos after all.
