We had a pleasant stay at Longwood Junction, just above Rushall Top Lock, but it was time to move on and cruise the five miles of the Daw End Branch. This is looking back at the junction, with the curtailed Longwood Arm on the left.
After skirting round Aldridge we came to Catshill Junction, where the Daw End Branch meets the Anglesey Branch and the Wyrley and Essington Canal. We turned left on the Curly Wurly in order to visit Tesco's, less than half a mile from the junction. Again, the photo below is looking back at the junction. Anglesey Branch on the left; Daw End Branch on the right.
The water here is very clear, enabling many fish to be seen. This one has red fins - anyone know what it is? This is not the fishy goings on of the title, by the way. That comes later.
After lunch and Tesco's we retraced our route to Catshill Junction, this time carrying on along the Anglesey Branch. Here we saw yet another motorbike being ridden along the towpath.
I have their faces, but I don't think I should publish them.
In a mile we came to Ogley Junction, where the yet-to-be-restored Lichfield Canal heads east to join the Coventry Canal at Huddlesford Junction. This route would be exceedingly convenient for us to get to Fazeley after the Pelsall festival; we will, however, have to take a longer way round.
At about 1630 we tied up at Anglesey Basin next to
Two Jays.
I popped up the bank to look at Chasewater Reservoir before starting a barbecue. The drizzle held off and the BBQ was another success.
The fishy goings on of the title? As we came to Walsall Wood on the Daw End Branch there was a group of four anglers. They didn't have keep nets; instead they had black plastic bags and buckets which they picked up and took with them as we passed. They seemed to have fish in them. One of the fishermen spoke to me, but I didn't understand a word of what he said - and it wasn't merely a Brummie/Black Country accent. To me it sounded eastern European.
Apologies for the poor photo. And stop that sniggering at the back there. I'm sure there's a perfectly good historical reason behind the name of the bridge.
What's that? You can't read it? OK, here it is.
Tomorrow we'll go back past the Brownhills Tesco's to Pelsall Junction to help with the setting up of the IWA festival.
6 comments:
I Think the "fishing for food" thing is a combination of cultural and perhaps habitual behaviour "from home"... we have at different times had Bulgarian and Estonian workers and they've both done the same in their free time... a throwback from "home" where food wasn't so easy to come by as it is here.
They don't see IT as wrong but DO see our (well not mine cause I get bored unless I'm pike fishing) fishing for "sport" as being bonkers...'takes all sorts to make the world go around.
In regards the bridge *ahem... I've NO IDEA! ;-)
regards
Mark.
Its a Roach but not a coal boat http://www.coalboat.co.uk/
Dave suggests your fish is a rudd, with its red fins and swimming so near the surface, but could be a roach. At Atherstone top lock is a notice in English and (probably) Polish saying it is illegal NOT to return fish to the water. But if you catch a Zander (pike-perch, an introduction) you are not allowed to return it - so if Dave ever catches one it's fish for tea!
Best wishes
Debby
Anonymous and Debby (and Dave), thanks for your comments. Looking at picture on Wikipedia I think it looks more like a roach than a rudd as it has two small fins underneath, but - obviously - I'm no expert. I have seen the sign at Atherstone Locks. There's a large sign here at Pelsall on the BCN reminding potential offenders of the ban on riding motorbikes on the common - and the towpath - but it doesn't stop them.
And Mark, sorry! I should have thanked you too. That's an interesting take on it; perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to judge.
My neck of the woods is this..I'd get in trouble if I saw someone catching and killing fish from my local canal, or anywhere else for that matter, yeah so it's an Eastern European culture thing, but you're not in Eastern Europe are you, so adhere to our customs and cultures of NOT catching and killing..Makes me sick, some of the fish they take, including Carp have survived for about 20 years and then some Anus comes along and kills it just for his dinner.
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