Raking canal swim

Asus1

Anyone doing this or has done this how did it work out.Im in kildare and alot of the canals are really overwhelmed with weed on the bottom of the canal.I have miles of canal that is so weedy no one fishes.I know for certain there is fair size tench and plenty of other bream and hybrids in it.
Is it a case of raking and then feeding for a few days or can I take one day and fish the next.Thanks.

Bogwoppit

Asus1 wrote: »

Anyone doing this or has done this how did it work out.Im in kildarel and allot of the canals are really overwhelmed with weed on the bottom of the canal.I have miles of canal that is so weedy no one fishes.I know for certain there is fairl size tench and plenty of other bream and hybrids in it.
Is it a case of raking and then feeding for a few days or can I take one day and fish the next.Thanks.

Both work but the longer you keep a swim clear and fed the more fish will get to know it (as will other anglers).

Asus1

Bogwoppit wrote: »

Both work but the longer you keep a swim clear and fed the more fish will get to know it (as will other anglers).

Amazing isn't it, I'll rake out the swim and turn up next morning at 6 and low and behold there will be sat 2 anglers who I've never seen before sitting in my swim.
I think I'll do 2 swims a bit apart to give myself options.

Super-Rush

Best thing to do is to not dump what you've raked on the bank, bag it and dump it (legally)

A lot of lads will drive the canal banks looking for raked swims.

This is a great way of making a new swim and you will catch. I usually do it in the evening, just before dark and then be fishing for daybreak the next day. Look for little bubbles on the surface the next morning, that will be the Tench feeding

Put in plenty of particles after you have raked the area.

Hemp, dead red maggots, caster and sweetcorn. You can use groundbait if you want but i never bother.

Best of luck

onelastcast

All of what super-rush was saying.

I would rake it the night before if you could. But if you can't rake prior do it before you fish. You will be surprised how quick tench will move in on a raked swim.

Try not leave all the weed on the bank as it is a dead give away someone has been preparing a swim. If you can leave it in the margin without making it too obvious do so. Alot of food items in that weed.

Dont rake out a huge patch either, just wide enough for you to fish and safely net a fish.

Asus1

Super-Rush wrote: »

Best thing to do is to not dump what you've raked on the bank, bag it and dump it (legally)

A lot of lads will drive the canal banks looking for raked swims.

This is a great way of making a new swim and you will catch. I usually do it in the evening, just before dark and then be fishing for daybreak the next day. Look for little bubbles on the surface the next morning, that will be the Tench feeding

Put in plenty of particles after you have raked the area.

Hemp, dead red maggots, caster and sweetcorn. You can use groundbait if you want but i never bother.

Best of luck

Since you've done it how hard is it to pull a rake through the bottom weed I'd say it could be 2ft in most of the canal I've no idea what it's called.

Super-Rush

Asus1 wrote: »

Since you've done it how hard is it to pull a rake through the bottom weed I'd say it could be 2ft in most of the canal I've no idea what it's called.

It depends on the size of the rake. A normal sized rake head wouldn't take too much effort, but bring a friend to help just in case.

I've seen a van needed to pull a rake out before but the rake was way too big for the job.

Asus1

Super-Rush wrote: »

It depends on the size of the rake. A normal sized rake head wouldn't take too much effort, but bring a friend to help just in case.

I've seen a van needed to pull a rake out before but the rake was way too big for the job.

Ah jasus a van I'd say that was both hilarious and dangerous.Yeah I've just rigged up some nylon rope and a rake head.Thanks.

Super-Rush

Asus1 wrote: »

Ah jasus a van I'd say that was both hilarious and dangerous.Yeah I've just rigged up some nylon rope and a rake head.Thanks.

Best of luck. Keep us posted on how you get on.

gumbo1

Asus1 wrote: »

Ah jasus a van I'd say that was both hilarious and dangerous.Yeah I've just rigged up some nylon rope and a rake head.Thanks.

Try put some box cutter blades os Stanley blade between the prongs, that way if ya do hit some deep weed it'll help cut loose!

twin_beacon

I fish the canal a lot, I rake a few swims out every year. Three important things I will advise:

1. Buy a proper rake designed for the job. You can pick them up on ebay. If you have lots of weeds to clear out, don't get anything wider than a foot, and get it as heavy as you can so it will dig into the weeds to remove them. If you get a rake that is too wide and very heavy, they can be a disaster to pull out of the canal. I've seen people use two metal garden rakes cable tied together, this will work in some instances, bit not where I fish as the weed is way too thick. You don't need to clear a massive swim either.
2. Take a fork with you, or some other tool to remove the weeds you have raked from your swim to hide the evidence of a raked swim. Otherwise "opportunist" anglers will flock to the freshly raked swim with no regard for the person that put in the time raking it. What I do is 20 yards wither side of my raked swims, I dump the weeds in a very visible position, then give the canal a few throws of the take there to give the impression that the swim has been raked. I've often walked past people fishing my decoy swims, while my actual swim is left empty. Best option is to remove the weeds from the canal altogether, bit its not always an option.
3. DO NOT TELL ANYONE WHERE YOUR SWIM IS. If they ask, just lie and give them a different location. If you put pics on facebook/instagram blur out the background, or don't show the canal in the pics. I just say "few tench from a random midlands lake".

Best of luck with it, nothing more rewarding than putting in the effort and reaping the rewards.