Anglers cast off back to English waters

Anglers cast off back to English waters

With the slight easing in restrictions on activities within England in recent days anglers have been amongst the first to head back down to the riverside in the search for some normality.

Fisheries have been reopening across the country as anglers begin to bait up once more.

Adam Reed reports.

Looking for a new socially-distanced hobby?

Perhaps fishing could be the one.

Anglers in England are back baiting their rods, casting their lines and gathering their nets, as fishing is amongst the activities slowly getting back to normal life.

This was one of the serene scenes since last week’s slight easing of restrictions.

Farmoor Reservoir near the English city of Oxford has reopened its gates for the first time in over seven weeks to let a lucky few fishermen back onto its banks.

Patrick Quelch was one of the lucky few to get one of the 50 available tickets.

"When you go fishing, you kind of just forget things that are currently happening and just enjoy yourself in the moment, rather than just having too much time, I think on our hands, like a lot of us do, in terms of what's going on and thinking about that.

So yeah, it is a form of escapism." Strict rules mean you can’t get too close to your fisherman friends, as social distancing is very much in force.

The same didn’t appear to be true for the trout though, after not seeing a hook for nearly two months, they were very forthcoming for the Farmoor fishermen.

More than 800 were caught in a single day, with each fisherman able to take home 6 to eat or give to friends and family.

Will Barnard is the Fisheries Manager for Thames Water.

"Angling is an opportunity for mindfulness without being too idle.

You know, I've joked before in the past that I only fish because it's an excuse to be sat out in nature.

Without a fishing rod in my hand I might look weirder." Showing patience is nothing new for many anglers waiting for the catch of the day, but they're relieved they can now get hooked on their hobby once more.