Why canals are such a good place to learn

Canals are among the kindest water in Britain for a new float angler. There is barely any flow, the banks are flat and level, and the fish — mostly roach, perch, gudgeon and the small bream we call skimmers — shoal up within a rod length of the towpath. You do not need waders or a river rod, and you rarely need to cast more than ten or twelve metres. What you learn here transfers straight to a slow river or a lake, and you can do it all from a folding chair.

One thing to accept from the start: canals are shallow. Three to five feet is typical along the boat track, so the fish sit close to the bottom and presentation matters far more than distance.

A simple outfit that covers everything

A 10 to 13 foot float rod, or a whip of four to five metres, paired with a small fixed-spool reel is plenty. Load it with 2.5 to 3lb main line and tie a hook length of 1.5 to 2lb to a size 18 or 20 hook — a fine wire pattern for maggots, something slightly stronger if you expect perch. Add a small canal float taking 0.5g to 1.5g, and carry the following:

• A selection of shot from No.8 down to No.11, a disgorger and a small plummet
• Maggots, pinkies and a few casters in a bait box, kept cool and out of the sun
• A landing net, a rod rest, and a cloth to dry your hands

Keep the rig short. A float set two to three feet above the hook is often all you need, and a short line between float and rod tip gives you a sharper strike and less tangling when the wind gets up.

Setting your depth

Depth is the thing beginners get wrong most often. Fix a small plummet, or a large shot, to the hook and lower the rig in. Slide the float up or down the line until the tip sits just level with the surface: now the hook is touching bottom. Slide the float a further two to four inches up the line so the bait lies on the deck with a touch of slack. That is your starting point, and it is where most canal fish feed.

Check it again in every new swim, and if you can, check the far end of the swim as well. A canal is rarely the same depth along the near shelf as it is beside moored boats or under a bridge hole. If the float lies flat or disappears when you cast, you are too deep. If it stands proud of the surface, you are too shallow.

Shotting the float so bites show

Shot the float by adding shot below it until only the last few millimetres of the tip — the antenna — are showing. Then spread that shot down the line. Bunch the bulk of it, several No.8 or No.9 shot together, twelve to eighteen inches above the hook, and put a single small shot, a No.10 or No.11, four inches from the hook. This cocks the float so it sits properly and lets the bait sink slowly through the last few inches of water, which is when most canal fish take it.

In a wind, use a heavier float so the rig holds still. If bites are shy, move the dropper shot closer to the hook and lengthen the hook length slightly. Always sink your line by dipping the rod tip under the surface and drawing it back; a floating line drags the float about and ruins the presentation.

Feeding politely

This is where beginners lose their swim. Do not throw in a big ball of groundbait. Canal fish respond to a steady trickle of small offerings, so flick half a dozen maggots or squatts just beyond your float every cast, even when you are not getting bites. Little and often beats a big pile every time.

For skimmers, a walnut-sized nugget of groundbait at the start, with maggots trickled over the top, works well. In summer, hemp and casters will hold roach for hours. If the fish go quiet, try a second line five metres away and rotate between the two, feeding both. Feed to the same spot each time — a line of bait on the bottom is what keeps a shoal interested.

Reading the bite and striking

Roach usually give a quick dip, or lift the float slightly before pulling it under. Skimmers tend to slide it away slowly and deliberately. Perch will grab the bait and keep going, so the float sails under and stays there. Small fish will shiver the tip; wait for a definite movement before you strike. A gentle sideways sweep of the rod is enough — you are setting a fine hook in soft mouths, not hammering a tent peg.

If a narrowboat passes, lift the rig clear of the water and wait for the surge to settle before casting again. Fish the quieter margin, keep off the skyline, and stay still; canal fish are caught by stealth as much as by tackle. Take your time, keep the feed going in, and the roach will come. That first confident dip of the float never stops being a pleasure.