Looking fly: London fisherman Tim James
(Picture: Tim James)On a chilly morning earlier this year, before the sun had risen, John Bell called an Uber and jumped in with his fishing rods. The 4.30am start would be worth it, he thought, when he’d secured Hampstead Heath’s most desirable fishing spot. But when he arrived, someone had already nabbed the space.
Welcome to fishing in London: where the best locations are shrouded in secrecy and the fishermen are increasing in number. Bell, a 30-year-old Ticketmaster employee with a love of live music, would “happily trade a night out for a night on the lake” — much to the frustration of his girlfriend.
