“WE’RE STILL FISHING”
It’s not the ideal time to be an angler, but for a lucky few it’s been business as usual...
The lucky few who have managed to carry on through the lockdown
ANDREW Bradshaw from Warwickshire is able to cast a line 24 hours a day, seven days a week – quite legally.
“I consider myself blessed to live on a narrow boat,” the 52-year-old told us.
“I’m currently moored in a private marina off the Grand Union Canal near Napton-on-the-Hill and it’s absolutely stuffed with different species of fish.
“One minute I’ll be pole fishing for 2lb perch alongside a reedbed, the next surface fishing for 20lb-plus carp.
“The carp are relatively easy to catch as they frequently swim next to the boat. All I have to do is chuck a few pieces of bread out there to get them feeding. I had a 22lb mirror the other week.”
There are plenty of spots to fish from on Andrew’s 70ft-long boat, and the kitchen is one of his favourite pegs.
“The window there is relatively large so I can even fish the pole or cast a jig along the side of the boat while I’m cooking dinner,” he says.
It’s not just boaters who’ve struck lucky. On-site fishery owners are also taking advantage of the lockdown to get some fishing in.
Father and son Adrian and Dan Hull co-own Leicestershire’s Shearsby Valley Lakes and they’ve been competing against each other in a number of angling challenges to pass the time.
“As match anglers it’s hard for us to enjoy fishing without a competitive edge so we decided to go head-to-head,” Dan tells us. “Our first challenge was a feeder-only match on Hurricane Lake
and I managed to pip Dad with 101lb of carp to his 87lb. He managed to get his revenge in the second challenge on Sunset Lake with 79lb to my 58lb.
“Normally we can’t fish because we’re managing the fishery, so it has been a really welcome change to our ordinary way of life here.”