Urban Warrior Swordsy

Another top read Lee.
some people would be amazed if they knew what fish swam in our town centres with the shopping trollies.
You are right about those little streams being raped. I have seen my local River Torne halve in depth in 18 years, and shoals of clonking roach replaced by scitty chub. Abstaction or climate change ? i don't know.
People should always check the most unlikely areas, because in March i peered into a tiny ditch at the side of a road somewhere near the River Kennet.
I saw a few shapes drifting out of some cover so had a trot for them and caught some mint uncaught roach around a pound plus some monster dace of 14oz.
The motorists looked at me as if i was mad !

Glad you enjoyed it, it is wierd were good fish can turn up I used to feed a big brownie that lived in a storm culvert when I was a lad until somebody ate it!

Lee,
"The river flowed several colours in a day and there was often a clinging nasty chemical stench in the air".

I remember it well. I never thought I would see the day when barbel would be caught down Attercliffe, but I have done it and felt deep joy.

Good read.

Lee,

Nice article. I can relate to everything you say as I've suffered from many of the circumstances you describe and yet just like you I always go back for more!!

On the River Don?.

I've been 'shot at' on three separate occasions!! One time the three kids (12-14?) stood, laughing, on the opposite bank and took turns to pass the gun around and take shots at me knowing that there was absolutely no way I could get across the river to sort them out!!

I've had 14 metres of pole smashed in half by a flying house brick which 'flew' out of the undergrowth on the far bank along with another dozen bricks.

I've returned to the car to find all 4 tyres let down.

I've had a brick thrown of a railway bridge that left a huge dent in the side of my Celica door. On this occasion I chased the culprits for nearly a mile and caught 4 of them( kids about 10-14)!! I dragged them back to the car and phoned the police, the police arrived took their names and address's and more or less said that because they were under age there was nothing I could do about it!! From their address's the police said it was more than likely that their parents would be on the dole and if I was to prosecute them they would be unable to pay the costs/fines and they would probably end up paying me ?1 a month for the next ten years!! In other words "accept what's happened the systems screwed yer mate" was more or less what they meant!!

As for litter?the best one I saw, not a million miles from where you fish, was when, how shall we put it, a female member of our ethnic minorities appeared on the far bank and proceeded to tip 3 bin bags of soiled nappies into the river!! I was lost for words and packed up??and to be honest I've never been back to that stretch.

Public Health - Some stretches, immediately below 'outlets' are decorated with women's toiletries and condoms, the tree's are full of them after the winter floods. If you fish behind the hotel just downstream of Lady's Bridge on the wicker then you will witness drug dealing of epic proportions on the bank side under the new fly-over and behind the car park. It really opens your eyes!!

But for all of the problems listed above, and lots more besides, I always return because it is full of fish!! But IMO I would say that it is not a place for the elderly or young kids as there are some seriously dodgy characters who loiter on the banks of this river. Watch yer back, I jest not, but don't be put off by my negative comments because like Lee says it is full of fish just use some common sense.

As for your Grayling Lee, I can't believe you've only caught the one!! It's full of them, I caught them at Meadowhall 7 or 8 years ago and you can now catch Grayling several miles downstream of the stretch you mention in your article in Rotherham town centre. Some anglers still don't believe it until they see it!!

To sum it up, you will have 'experiences' on inner city rivers that you won't taste on your local commercial!! All good fun.

Regards

Steve.

It's all been said by Lee and subsequent posters. Some good fishing is to be had in some very unlikely environments, but unless you're built like the proverbial brick outhouse and have the required level of aggression to go with it, I think anglers should consider very carefully before fishing such places alone. I've done a fair bit of urban fishing, but generally avoid doing so in the school holidays or at weekends. There's something about waterside locations near towns, industrial and residential areas that attracts low-lifes, deviants, drunks, scrotes, druggies and the plain weird.

The fishing may indeed be good, but is it worth the aggravation and the risk?

I enjoyed reading that Lee. You must attract trouble. The best thing about the Don in Doncaster is that once I'm down by the water the idiots and the hum from the traffic all seem to disappear.

I've been shot at elsewhere while fishing though. Don't fish Edlo Bricky!

Good read. Just shows how lucky you are with all thosr rivers!!

an excellent read,but i think that i`ll stick to the rural ares of my local waters!

Lovely read again Lee.
It's a shame these improving rivers are so dangerous to fish.
It obviously stops a lot of anglers realising their full potential.
I too opt for a quiet days fishing, too old for all that grief nowadays!

It's not that bad. Lee's a wuss!

the only person i ever encountered at washford bridge was john craven making a piece for country file.
other than that i fished there for about 5 years on and off and never saw a soul.
i did see some lovely big roach up to about a pound and a half and some chub to about the same size, but that was in the early to mid 90's.

Top class read lee. You have a way with words that makes your posts soung lyrical. I must agree with you about urban fishing although i dont do a lot myself but having fished the rother in the country park i can confirm the quality of the fishing. Over the lastfew months of last season and a couple of trips this i have had chub, roach carp,perch,gudgeon minnows, and a pal had a nice tench on opening day. I have it on good authority that barbel are about so i shall be trying for them quite soon. Oh i almost forgot ive also had a couple of good trout from the little stretch i concentrate on. all the best mick.

Simply brilliant!

I enjoyed reading that Lee, its made me think about all the money I waste on petrol when there is good river fishing to be had on my doorstep. Hopefully with the five wiers walk project nearing completion and ongoing re-developement of our more run down areas, Sheffield will be known for a lot more than just crap football.

I, too, enjoyed your piece, Lee. It reminded me of my desperation to wave my fly rod about during Foot & Mouth year when much of the countryside was out of bounds. I ended up fly fishing the river Calder along the main road through Mytholmroyd (nr.Halifax). I caught trout as the buses rolled past above me. And a few weeks ago for the second year in succession I caught my PB pike in London.

However, last summer I had a depressing conversation with the only angler fishing the Regents Canal in London near Kings Cross. He told me how big a problem parking to access inner-city fishing was (too many residents-only parking schemes, parked vehicles being vandalised), how he got stuff thrown at him as a lone angler by yobs, and how used junkies syringes disposed of on the canal towpath were a danger to everyone. Then there were the alleged depredations of asylum seekers fishing for food.

Ironic, isn?t it that just as our self-sustaining urban fisheries are returning to health, the world around us has changed to the point that commercials appear to be offering comfort and security that can?t be found elsewhere.

A great piece Lee.

As you know I used to work for that hideous chemical plant at Orgreave that polluted the Rother with anything from raw napthelene to benzene washings.

The river at Catcliffe is quite pleasant now. I have fished it on many occasions and have caught good roach, dace and chub there. There are even a few barbel caught from time to time.

Top piece mate.

And I thought it was rough on the Great Ouse because a kid threw a stone at me once !!!

"Ho" to be back home and fish the don

arthur bradshaw sydney australia

"Ho" to be back home and fish the don in sheffeild

arthur bradshaw sydney australia

Delightful article, Lee. Particularly liked the photos as they brought back nice memories of the time my daughter was younger and we used to go fishing together (She's 19 now, at university and wouldn't be seen dead fishing with the old boy these days). Thanks, mate.