The Twentekanaal links Almelo, Hengelo and Enschede to the national network of waterways. In recent years, the section of canal between Delden and Enschede has been made deeper, and in some places, also broader. New sheet pile walls have also been installed (or will be) along a 35 km section. In some zones, ‘nature-friendly’ banks have been constructed, along with spawning areas for fish. Just as in many other places, the Twentekanaal water has become clearer. While this has led to less fish in terms of biomass, it does mean that the fish swimming there can grow larger.
The Twentekanaal runs from Eefde (north of Zutphen), past Almen, Lochem, Goor, Delden and Hengelo, to Enschede. A side branch between Delden and Goor runs to Almelo. This canal is 63 kilometres in length, and its banks provide ample easily accessible spots for coarse fish anglers, predatory fish anglers and carp anglers alike. Almost all of the channel is included in the VISpas.
Exception: in Enschede, the harbours up to the Lonnekerbrug are not included in the VISpas. If you want to fish there, you must be a member of the V.I.O.S Enschede angling club.
Coarse fish
Many competitions are held on the Twentekanaal, particularly on the side branch. The catches consist mainly of silver bream, roach and large bream that sometimes exceed 2.5 kg in weight. These often have a decisive effect on the end result. If you would like to fish for those in a more focused way, then you should feed and fish with whole or cut up worms. You could also try using the method feeder and a mini boilie or wafter. The canal is well suited to fishing with the feeder, but you can also do well here with the match rod and fishing pole (five sections) – just remember to bear the current and water traffic in mind. The depth of the navigation channel varies from 3.5 to 4 metres (Delden-Enschede) to 5 to 6 metres (Eefde-Delden). The canal is also wider along that last section (50-55 metres).
Predatory fish
There are good perch stocks in the canal, including fish of 40-50 cm in length. The section between Lochem and Eefde is particularly good, since it is deeper and has more mussel beds. Other than that, you can expect to find pikeperch (mostly up to 60 cm) and increasing numbers of pike, although these are usually quite small. Shore anglers will have an advantage; the lack of boat ramps makes boat fishing rather difficult. There are plans to install a public ramp in the side branch near Almelo, and hopefully this will eventuate this year. You can venture onto the canal with a belly boat, as long as you bear the shipping traffic in mind – stay close to the shore, and stay alert.
Carp
The Twentekanaal has a long history with respect to carp, mainly thanks to the hot water discharged by Akzo in Hengelo. At the end of the previous century, this winter hotspot attracted carp anglers from far and wide. The Akzo discharge is still a well-known spot, even though the discharge water is now barely warmer than the canal water. In recent years, the Eastern branch of De Karper Sportvisserij Nederland (the Dutch Carp Angling Association) has been regularly releasing carp. These fish (common and mirror carp) grow at a considerable rate, sometimes by as much as 5 to 6 kilograms per year. This has led to better catches and a greater chance of landing larger and heavier fish. While the 27 bridges and three locks are magnets for carp, don’t forget to try the harbours and winding holes. You can also encounter carp along the straight, more monotonous stretches, particularly if you manage to find a mussel bed.
DO NOT EAT FISH CAUGHT IN THE TWENTEKANAAL
Rijkswaterstaat and the municipality of Hengelo have issued a warning not to eat fish from the Twentekanaal until further notice. The reason for this is the increased concentrations of the toxic substance hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) that have been detected in the canal. This pollution comes from an industrial site in Hengelo where a Stork chemical plant (later sold to AkzoNobel, now Nobian) was located until 1952. The hazardous substance has been leaching through the groundwater into the Twentekanaal for years, so it may have accumulated in the fish there as well.
New fishing spots
Along stretches with sheet pile walls, the first metre of the sloping bank has generally been levelled so that you can place a fishing box or chair there without any problem. There are also several stretches along the side branch where competitions regularly take place, and a stretch opposite the De Zwaaikom campsite near Hengelo, where concrete slabs have been laid down, enabling you to sit there easily.