Bradshaw Hall still offers consistently good catches

Except, probably that is, for those of you who choose to visit one of our top local commercial fisheries like Bradshaw Hall for example. Here, apart from the weather, you're unlikely to notice too much difference, there being so many fish.

Having said that, the smaller waters, like most of the commercials, have suffered a little from the influx of cooler water from torrential downpours.

It is however, only marginal in these cases. Normal tactics, loads of loosefed pellets and paste or corn on the hook should still get those carp feeding hard.

For those of us who prefer more traditional venues, like the local canal, will have to tread more warily. Exactly what effect the change in the weather will have had remains anyone's guess. The best advice is to approach the way you feed with some caution.

Don't pile a load in at the start of your session. Put in just a little and, loosefeed only, add to it as you begin to catch (hopefully).

There don't seem to be many of you pleasure anglers on the canal at the momen, though most local stretches have decent potential. Some, having said that, are pretty lousy and you would be wise to take advice from your local tackle dealer before choosing where to go.

It does seem to have been a pretty good summer, if that's what we must call it, for fish stocks. There are loads of maturing fry about, and just as many (roach particularly) of last year's 1/2 inch fish.

The future then, looks pretty rosy but what about now? Well there have been, and will be, some good roach weights locally on hempseed. If you want lots of bites then fish using sloppy groundbait and squatts (in the feed and on the hook). Small roach and skimmers, though some very tiny, are suckers for this approach.

If you don't fancy the hempseed on the hook you must fish caster for the better quality roach (though corn is worth the odd try).

Most importantly however, make sure your chosen peg has some sort of feature, overhanging trees perhaps or some weed/reeds.

I would like to report the capture of a 20lbs mirror carp from one of these local lengths of Leeds-Liverpool canal, but I can't. Not just yet anyway but, if someone out there decides to target such a fish they are there.

Not in any great number of course, but that's the challenge. I watched a fish this week, Wednesday I think it was (the last day the sun shone) just basking. I thought it was a plastic bag at first but, on closer observation, it was clearly a big mirror -- with shoulders like Arnold Schwarzenegger used to have. There are many more big barbel in the Ribble, than there are big carp in the canal. It must be easier therefore, to get yourself one of these -- mustn't it?

Easier perhaps, but certainly not easy. Anglers who land a big barbel are not, generally, lucky. They know exactly what to do and where to fish. Knowledge they have gleaned over many fruitless hours of trying, usually.

It is however, very easy to get yourself smaller samples, from 12 ounces to 3lbs, which seem to be everywhere.

I was interested to read this week an article about the barbel in which it states that a fish 30cm long is probably five years old and that they would probably not be caught until then.

It was thought, at one time, that barbel would only live some 10 or 12 years. Now though, it has been shown that they can live to 20 years or more.

It follows therefore, that the barbel explosion we seem to be experiencing now on the Ribble is the result of a great spawning year some five years ago -- the height of the cormorant invasion.

Ribchester and Dinckley areas are producing good nets of fish, including small barbel, to floatfished maggot. There are bigger specimens, 8lbs and above, but Balderstone, Elston, Red Scar and Samlesbury remain tops in this respect.

I quite fancy the Ribble this weekend. The river tends to be much less affected by temperature fluctuations than stillwaters and, with the inclement weather, pegs should be at much less of a premium. Maybe you could even get a roving session in.