Beukers Canal - Steenwijk- 3rd October 2023 

Today, I'm fishing on the Beukers Canal with one of my old RAF colleagues Dave Hampson. Dave fishes now and again, but is mostly to be found on the golf course at the old RAF Bruggen - now called Golf Club Elmpter Wald, where I play golf as well.

This is a lovely canal and the bank here is perfect - flat with short grass. Top venue.

The Beukers canal near Steenwijk is a well-known match venue, hosting many federation matches, as well as loads of club matches. It's around 3.25 m deep at 11 m, and is full of fish. You can catch on the pole, the feeder and the match rod.

Fishing with a small cigar in your hand - Dave's got this game sussed out already!

I'm going to fish the pole, and I've also set Dave up with an 8.5 m pole as well - he's using the Preston Absolute Margin pole. I've put some Dura Slip No.7 elastic (blue) through the top 2, so he'll be able to control anything that he hooks, but it will still be OK for the smaller fish. I've made him two rigs and first he'll be using a 1.5 g Drennan AS 6.

We changed his rig to a 1.25 g Inter Carbon on 0.14 mm ACCU Power line and used a N20 ready-tied hook in size 18. A string of 4 No. 10's below the olivette was perfect today. 

Dave was catching really well on the 8.5 m margin pole from Preston.

I'm going to fish at 9 m (8.5 m + protection butt section) and I've set up just two rigs - a 1 g Preston Inter Carbon and a 1.25 g Preston Power. I'm expecting all the fish to come on the 1 g rig. I have the olivette set at about 75 cm from the hook and 4 No. 10 droppers below. The rig is finished off with a Preston N20 size 18 ready made hook length - these are great and I use them all the time now. 

We both fished at 8.5 m - the canal is full of fish!

I've mixed up the same groundbait for us both, a mixture of Zammataro Roach & Skimmers Black, Rotaugen and Bream. It's also got some Bream liquid added to give it some more flavour for the fish. Whether or not fish can smell of open to debate, but it gives me confidence, so let's assume that it works.

Bait is white maggots and pinkies - dead and alive. We also have some hemp, casters and worms. Into the groundbait we've put dead maggots and casters. The last time I fished here the dead maggots were perfect.

Dave with his best Roach of the day - the smile says it all!

At the start I fed 3 balls rich with dead maggots and casters accurately with the pole cup right on top of our floats. Today, we're just going to fish until the bites dry up and then top up with 2 more balls each time. We're pleasure fishing today, so no need to go over the top with bait - the fish will come to the food.

We both caught fish all day long - I don't think Dave wanted to leave.

We had a great day on the bank fishing the Beukers Canal. We caught fish steadily all day - topping up with groundbait in both swims as planned at the same time throughout the day. There were not as many pleasure boats as earlier in the year, so it was much easier to fish in the calm water - i hate loads of boat waves. 

I lost a big fish - probably the big Eel I caught at the end of the session - must have been 3 - 4 lb. 

At the finish, Dave put 8 lb 7 oz on the scales, and for me the dial stopped at 16 lb 11 oz. We were both happy with our catches. 

Dave really enjoyed his first day pole fishing and is looking forward to tomorrow already.