Our intrepid urban angler explores the angling opportunities on offer in England’s ‘second city’
AS IF GIVING us Jude Bellingham wasn’t enough, apparently Birmingham is where the very first steam engine was made. Here’s hoping the former can be as influential on the England national team’s future as the steam engine was to mankind!
Often referred to as England’s second city, this sprawling metropolis is dissected by a vast network of canals and rivers, complemented by a glut of park lakes and urban reservoirs that leave the angler positively overwhelmed with choice regarding where to wet a line.
As ever, with just 24 hours within which to gain a snapshot of the sport on offer, the task could prove a daunting one. Regular readers will know just how important even small pieces of information can be from a tackle shop. But, though I was faced with chilly temperatures and a blustery drizzle for the duration of my visit, Solihull Angling Centre came to the rescue!
This wonderful, independent tackle shop situated in the southeast of the city is an incredible Aladdin’s cave of piscatorial produce – floor-to-ceiling with everything you could need from the carp, coarse, predator and match fishing spheres, and no doubt everything in between. With conditions far from favourable for just rocking up to a city and catching fish, the information provided by the affable manager Duncan may just prove to be the vital ingredient needed to prevent the very first ‘How to Fish in the City’ blank!
Brum’s canals
Birmingham's history and position at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution meant that its extensive canal network played a pivotal role in facilitating the transportation of goods, raw materials and people.
The intricate web of waterways that connected the city to the maritime ports across the country started to decline towards the
