The Towpath Angler
Our monthly look at the angling scene
I COMMENTED last month on how life had changed through lockdown and now – 70 days in – little, it seems, is quite the same as it was.
As some of the restrictions are relaxed it is becoming clear that people are already accepting the ‘new normals’. Generally the rules and guidelines have proven themselves invaluable but there is still a very long way to go and I do share the still widely held view that things may be moving rather too quickly yet.
Of course it is of the utmost importance that the economy was kick-started as soon as possible and it is clear that is happening now. Indeed non-essential retail outlets are now open. Good news for anglers because this includes tackle shops! Because angling clubs and fisheries were suffering exactly like many businesses it came as a great relief when angling was resumed, albeit under the strictest guidelines, in mid-May thanks to the brilliant efforts of Angling Trust.
So far, I am pleased to say, most clubs and fisheries have managed things pretty well. Amazingly, while we were all making the requisite adjustments to allow the resumption to happen, within days Angling Trust also secured the resumption of competition fishing, again with very strict guidelines. This was achieved at least a month sooner than anyone really expected meaning that risk assessments, suitability tests and a complete rethink of processes had to be undertaken very quickly.
Among the biggest problems, obviously, was the elimination of gatherings and the maintenance of social distancing, both of which are integral parts of competitions and, it must be said, the parts that many anglers enjoy the most. It has taken a great deal of ingenuity, particularly with the invention of various bits of weighing equipment, along with careful planning but it has generally worked quite smoothly.
While the reintroduction of competition fishing – within the guidelines of course – allows all events to take place, it is the large events such as AT’s National Championships which pose a particular problem. The two senior nationals can involve up to 500 anglers and both are scheduled for canals. The AT organisers have outlined a process to enable these to take place safely, eliminating the usual gatherings of competitors before and after the actual fishing.
Difficult decision
The real difficulty is on the towpath because of the almost total inability to manage social distancing due to the high footfall along the towpaths. As an illustration, my wife and I decided four weeks ago not to take our daily exercise along the local canal any longer because it is effectively impossible to maintain the two metres and certainly not pleasant due to the high numbers of people, especially cyclists. However, difficult though it may be, the decision regarding the National Championships needs to be made soon.
On the one hand it will be a shame if they do not go ahead. The Division 1 event is scheduled for the Grand Union, where the towpath is extremely narrow in places, in August and would see a welcome return to this once regularly used national venue. The controlling clubs have organised a couple of open matches in the past week and results have been really good, with double-figure weights quite common.
Division 2 is set for the mighty Gloucester Canal in September and, no doubt, this would again deliver another top class national. However the safety of everyone has to be paramount so if the guidelines cannot be met then common sense must prevail and the events be postponed
Angling venues across the country have been in pretty good form since the resumption. That said, due to people not working and schools being closed, so many people have taken the opportunity to get on the bank for a few hours and escape lockdown, so fishing has gradually become more patchy due to all the pressure. This will, no doubt, level out in the coming weeks although with schools not now returning until September I guess we will see many more families and youngsters enjoying a spot of fishing.
Last Sunday I actually made my debut since the resumption at a club match on a lake in Staffordshire. It fished quite well and I had a few bites, catching carp to around 6lb for a total of just over 50lb which gave me sixth place. So I went home quite happy.
It was also good to see how the various measures we had put in place to ensure distancing worked. We need to tweak one thing for next time but otherwise it was all satisfactory. My next two outings will be to venues where I have to do no organising and so will be enjoyable for that reason alone.
If you are planning to have a few hours yourself in the coming weeks, please be mindful of all the guidelines and stay safe.