This month Tom Humphreys heads up north to explore the angling opportunities on offer in the Steel City
WHEN you think of Sheffield, perhaps your mind invokes visions of its globally significant industrial past as the Steel City, or its two historic football clubs. Some may even know it better for hosting the World Snooker Championships.
For me, though, it’s the birthplace of some of my favourite bands, such as The Arctic Monkeys. Either way, Sheffield has always been a place synonymous with great nights out, and being on the doorstep of the Peak District National Park.
Until I visited with a rod, I could have easily carried on through life without realising that the city also has superb angling potential. For a full picture, you’ll have to read on, but as ever, with just one day’s fishing at my disposal and zero research carried out, the tackle shop was the place to start.
Fishing magazines have been a passion of mine since childhood. Before the internet, I would cut out pages of tackle shop adverts from the likes of Carp Talk, Angling Times and, of course, this very title. I’d meticulously assess the potential cost savings of shopping around, and similar names used to crop up all the time. One such tackle shop with a real nostalgic buzz for me is Billy Clarke’s. It fills me with endless joy visiting tackle shops like this one – because not only are the staff the friendliest and most knowledgeable around, but the shop itself is rammed full of stock, with the added curiosity of the owners running their own angling spares business.
It was a true honour too, to meet the third generation of ‘Billy Clarke’, whom I pestered for about an hour on the shop’s historic past and where he thinks the future of angling is heading. I’m pleased to say that their optimism was bubbling over, with talk of ever more anglers stepping outside of their typical lanes and giving multi-species fishing a try.
Bait and tackle purchased, I felt like my knowledge of the waterways in Sheffield went from 0-100 in a matter of minutes. With my Google Maps covered in pins, I was ready to take on the city with rod and line!
INNER CITY FISHING
Tom Humphreys is the Angling Trust's Regional Angling Development Officer for the East of England. His goal is to inspire people to fish in an urban environment with a particular focus on promoting easy urban fishing, accessible to all - - further, to utilise and promote local, independent tackle shops, fishing in locations as recommended by them and featuring the simplest fishing methods possible. On each session, he will actively engage with as many members of the public as possible
