HOW TO GET STARTED WITH URBAN FISHING
11 August 2017
Fishing is going from countryside to concrete. Inner-city locations are becoming more and more popular as fishing spots. Intrigued by this new trend? Our blog will show you the most frequented locations of urban fishing. As well as this, we’ll recommend some Harris Sportsmail products that are ideal for this new pursuit.
So why is fishing becoming so popular in urban locations? The waters in cities like London and Manchester are more fish-friendly than before. Environmental studies show that the Thames is cleaner than it has been the last 150 years, and is now home to over 125 species of fish. Anglers are flocking to locations such as Wandsworth. Chub, perch, pike and brown trout, these are only a handful of the fish populating this particular spot. As well as this, with certain urban structures come large water systems. Fishhunter cite examples such as “big box parking lots, retirement homes and new housing developments.”
If you’re keen to scope out some locations, The Telegraph have listed ‘the top six urban fishing spots’:
- River Wandle (Wandsworth, London)
- Syon Park (Brentford, West London)
- River Goyt (Stockport, Greater Manchester)
- River Irwell (North Manchester)
- River Don (Sheffield)
- River Calder (Halifax)
As well as this, the book Trout in Dirty Places features 50 inner-city UK spots to fly fish for trout and grayling.
Want to give it a go? Before you go scaling those flood walls, there are certain things you need to consider. So you can freely access the best locations, it’s highly recommended that you travel light. For tackle storage, the Box Logic Shallow Box, or something of a similar size, should suffice. For rods, it’s best to stick to a maximum length of 6ft. This is because urban fishing tends to lack the open space required for a long cast. There’s also always the possibility of sharing spaces with fellow anglers. Your rod should also be durable. An ideal selection is the 6ft Spro Freestyle Solidz Lure Rod. Made from completely solid carbon, it definitely doesn’t lack strength. Another great option is the Nash Dwarf Abbreviated 6ft Stalking Carp Rod.
There is one other very important thing to remember. Although fish are now beginning to flourish in urban areas, their gene pool is still fragile. This is the consequence of decades of pollution. That’s why anglers must practice careful catch and release. Let’s keep up this development, so later generations can get hooked!
