Union Canal

Location

Union Canal, Edinburgh to Falkirk

Summary

Across the central belt of Scotland stretches a network of canals whose origins date back over 200 years to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The largest - the Forth & Clyde canal - runs some 35 miles from Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth to Bowling on the Clyde estuary west of Glasgow. The Union canal, around 4 miles shorter, follows a line inland of the Firth of Forth from Lochrin Basin in the centre of Edinburgh to join the Forth & Clyde at the spectacular Falkirk Wheel, built in 2000 as part of the Millennium Link project which reopened the two canals to boat traffic after nearly forty years of closure. Much of our third canal - the Monkland - is now piped underground, but around a mile remains open at Drumpellier Country park on the outskirts of Coatbridge.

Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting Lowland Canal Angling Partnership - Scotland (LCAPS) at the contact details opposite.

Description

These canals form one of the best,and most accessible, mixed coarse fisheries in Scotland. Roach, perch, pike, eels and tench abound throughout most of their length, with smaller and sometimes localised populations of bream, carp, rudd and gudgeon. Nor are they the shallow featureless waterways that some anglers may associate with canal fishing elsewhere in the country. There is a surprising diversity of habitat and surroundings ranging from stone-sided urban cuts, through twisting reed-lined stretches that hug the contours of quiet wooded hillsides, to open and windswept sections like 'the wides' near Kelvinhead.

Angling has always been popular on the canals, and from the sixties on they became a mecca for locals and visitors alike. In particular, the huge shoals of roach in the Forth & Clyde made it arguably one of the top match and pleasure fishing venues in Britain. The absence of boat traffic over the next thirty years increased both the water clarity and the weed growth. Although the roach became rather less obliging as a result, the tench prospered and the pike thinned out to leave a smaller population of larger specimens. The Union Canal also suffered from silting and was so overgrown in places as to be virtually unfishable. Today, the combination of restored boat traffic, a deepened navigation channel and increased throughflow of water due to lock operation has started to shift the balance back. Even in stretches that were totally drained for the Millennium Link work, fish of all species are thriving and the quality of angling is improving every year.

The Union Canal is a 'contour canal', which means that it is all on one level with no locks. It is not as deep as the Forth & Clyde (generally no more than 1.5m), and rarely exceeds 12m wide with many areas even narrower. The stock of tench and pike is less prolific than in the Forth & Clyde, and these species tend to be small and are mostly not worth pursuing. Roach and perch are numerous, however, and while you will rarely get a netful you can expect reasonable catches in the right conditions. The combination of shallow and clear water makes it a challenging venue, especially in brighter weather. On the plus side, the increasing level of boat traffic is helping to put a little colour in the water and keeps the central channel clear of the very heavy weed growth that used to make fishing almost impossible in some areas. There is potential for further improvement as this continues to take effect.

Early morning or evening fishing will usually be most productive. In general, the best tactic is to fish tight to the far bank marginal weeds with fine tackle and small baits. Long pole is particularly effective in these circumstances, though you may find the shadow of the tip spooks the fish if you leave too short a length of line above the float. Slightly deeper areas such as boat turning bays, or features such as bridges -of which there are many - are often worth attention as well. The roach shoals seem to be particularly mobile on the Union, so it's wise to be prepared to move if you are not seeing any action from your swim in the first hour. In calm conditions they will show on the surface, and with a stealthy approach you can often put yourself among the fish rather than waiting until they come to you.

The character of the Union from stretch to stretch is much less variable than the Forth and Clyde, and in the main the fishing is fairly even in quality throughout. As a general rule, the urban lengths in Edinburgh and Falkirk are not usually very productive. However, decent results can be had almost anywhere along the stretches where the canal winds through a mix of wooded hillsides and open farmland between Newbridge and Polmont.