Birmingham Anglers Association

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Possibly due to people trying to take livestock. A Romanian male was found trying to take a lamb from a farm near me not so long ago. There were sheep in the field until a couple of weeks ago, so I assume farmers are stepping security up.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Hi Tracker and FC

Yes, the farmer at Apley had sheep in that meadow until a few weeks ago. None there the day that I last fished it about a month ago, but I found the carcass of one close to the water's edge just below where I was fishing. It had been hit on the head or neck by a branch that must have given way in the high winds the week before.

That could have been one of us and would have cost the farmer dearly, so it sounds like he might be doing some necessary tree surgery to make it safer for both his livestock and us anglers in the future.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Unfortunately it’s not as simple as just putting one of our locks on.The farmer obviously doesn’t want this as people will be driving across his field where he has livestock.I have never known that gate to be open and have always had to climb over the gate.Another problem is the gate being left open which I have come across on other fisheries with our locks on.With it being so close to the road it would be absolute carnage if the sheep all got out there.

I agree it’s not ideal though and maybe another stile might help but there are other fisheries with good access and behind your peg parking on BAA waters to try in the meantime.

I fished it a couple of weeks ago and two chaps had been fishing the feeder all day and not caught.I fished the same peg after they had packed up and had 25lb+ of Chub and Barbel fishing the stick float.With the levels so low the fish are easily spooked by a big feeder or lead crashing in so sometimes it’s not because the fishing is crap it’s just a change of method that’s the key

Re: What is happening to Apley?

stew83mul.

I have never known that gate to be open and have always had to climb over the gate. Another problem is the gate being left open which I have come across on other fisheries with our locks on. With it being so close to the road it would be absolute carnage if the sheep all got out there.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Hi Tracker

I have to say that you are wrong about the sheep.

I've fished the bottom meadow at Apley on a monthly basis since the summer of 2019, The gate was also locked that year for a while when the field was occupied by a flock of stocky white faced Suffolks (?). Nice looking animals what ever they were.

This year on Sunday June 26th, when I last fished there, the gate was locked for the first time for many years. Walking across the field I noticed sheep droppings but no sheep about except for the dead one that I came across which was a large black faced variety.

I'm sure that the farmer will verify what has been happening and his reasons for the actions that he's been taking of late.

As for the fishing that afternoon, those of us on the lead were getting immediate interest from chub-lets, but only 2 or 3 were caught per rod before a dearth of bites for the remainder of our sessions, probably because we'd spooked our shoals,as stew83mul has rightly suggested.

Meanwhile I watched another angler wade out into the next swim down from me and the dead sheep. Its usually 4-5 feet deep in the middle there but on this occasion the water wasn't deep enough to reach his backside (30 inches??). He blanked too from what I saw despite trotting a stick float down the middle.

One of those days when you couldn't buy a bite.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Yes there are regularly sheep in the field, although I agree this is the first time I can remember the gate being locked. If I recall there used to be a loop of fine orange rope or string to hook over the post as well as the latch to secure the gate. I regularly float fish Apley and the worst day I've had there was the day stew fished. He pinched all the fish and I only managed 1 barbel and 4 chublets. This Sunday I stopped off for an hour on the way back from danery and had 2 clonking chub of 5lb each minimum. Biggest chub I've had from there. Also a few chublets and a couple of salmon parr. There are certain pegs on that stretch where I think only the float or rolled baits will work. Others are OK on the feeder later in the year.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

The 26th was very windy. I was on the dove that day. I know the guy who was at Apley. He had a few dace but was struggling in the wind.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

The gate is no longer locked now the sheep have been moved.

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Thank you Fishychris for that info!
It's strange though!
When I started this thread about three weeks ago, there were no sheep in the field, nor had there been for quite some time.
In fact it was a hay meadow with the grass about 16 inches long.
We have never seen any sign of sheep in all the years we have been going to Apley.
This of course can be down to timing, sometimes they are there sometimes they are not!
The one guarantee you have when you use a trolley is that if it is present, sheep and or cow shite will collect on the tyres.
This is something we have never had happen at the Apley meadows we have visited!
Are we talking about the same access?

Re: What is happening to Apley?

Yes definitely the same place. He has had sheep in there every year for the last few years, just not for very long.

There are now bagged up bails of silage in it.