Ask any UK perch angler for a canal recommendation and the Basingstoke Canal comes up almost immediately – clear water, a strong reputation, plenty of structure. It deserves the reputation. But it also means it gets fished hard, and the perch there have seen every drop shot rig going.
I won’t name my exact stretch, because part of what makes it good is that it stays quiet, but I’ll say this: several of the less famous canals connected to the wider Midlands network hold perch populations every bit as good as Basingstoke’s, without anything like the pressure. I found mine almost by accident, fishing it originally for pike, and noticed the perch activity around bridge holes and moorings was consistently better than I was used to.
What made the difference wasn’t a secret technique – it was standard drop shot fishing, exactly as you’d fish anywhere else. The difference was purely in how obliging the fish were, clearly less wary of a lure passing close by than perch I’ve fished for on better-known waters.
The broader point isn’t really about this specific canal. It’s that the UK canal network is enormous, and the famous perch venues get all the attention while dozens of quieter, equally productive stretches go almost unfished by specialist anglers. If you’re willing to explore an unglamorous stretch of your local canal rather than travelling to a famous one, you might find something just as good closer to home.
Gear that fits this
If you’re kitting out for this, these fit.
For lures, 3D Line Through Glide Roach-Lemon Roach, Savage Gear Savage Minnow Weedless 10cm 16g Sinking Loose Lemon Back and Abu Garcia Beast Curltail 21cm 89g Lure Albino Trout are all worth a look.
Baits and bait gear worth adding: Sandeel Pencil SW-Sayoris-9cm, Holy Mackerel North Atlantic Oil 1 Litre and Pike Slider-10g.
On the reels side, Warrior Reels-3000, Savage Gear EXORUS Spinning Reel and Battle Iv Spin Reel-6000 HS.
Rods: Favorite X1C X1.1C Rod 802-110 2.44m 30-110g Fast, Savage Gear Alpha SG6 Monster Rod 2.38M / 60-120g and Warrior Jerk Rod 180cm/5.8ft 30-80g.
Rob Hadley grew up fishing the rivers and drains of the Norfolk Broads, and it was inevitable that pike would become his species of choice. He’s been targeting predators seriously for over 20 years – starting on dead baits, moving through live bait rigs, and eventually landing on lure fishing as his preferred method about eight years ago.
These days he fishes the Broads through winter, travels to Chew Valley Lake each spring for its outsized fish, and spends the warmer months working soft plastics on rivers across the East Midlands for perch and zander. He’s had pike to 31lb and perch to 3lb 9oz, and reckons both records are beatable on the right day with the right set-up.
At The River Bend, Rob writes the predator species guides, lure fishing technique articles, and most of the winter fishing content.
Covers: Pike, perch, zander, lure fishing, winter fishing, predator rigs