Anglers back on the water across region
Anglers across the Black Country and Staffordshire are now back casting in pools after almost two months of lockdown restrictions.
The government lifted the ban on recreational sports such as tennis, angling and golf on Wednesday and Himley Hall opened its pools yesterday.
Jacob Hayden, from Milking Bank, queued outside the gates at 6am for a spot of fishing, and within hours he’d got his first catch.
The 25-year-old said he didn’t always catch on his days fishing, but on his first day back he had reeled in a 22.5lb common carp.
The HGV driver said: “I’ve been fishing since I was five and before lockdown I’d normally go every week.
“I heard that Himley Hall was reopening on Wednesday night so I was at the gate ready at 6am the next morning.
“We’re allowed to do 24 hours here so I’ll leave Friday morning.
“I caught a 22.5lb common carp – it was more luck than skill, though.
“But you very rarely catch anything here.
“It was boring not being able to go fishing, so I was excited, but it was quite manic trying to get everything ready.
“Now I’ll be able to change things up and go fishing wherever I feel like going.
“I fish a bit of everything, the canals are probably the best.”
Playgrounds, outdoor gyms and ‘ticketed outdoor leisure venues’ – where there is a higher risk of close contact – remain off-limits under step one of the government’s plans.
The reopening of such leisure facilities may only be ‘fully possible significantly later’ depending on the reduction in infections.
