Anglers... the good, bad and ugly

[Baghdaddy]

Hi all,

I am a member of an canal angling group on FB and there was a recent thread from a member complaining that a NB came close to the bank where he was fishing. From the thread it appears there is no reason for a boat to come so close as there was, reportedly, no other boat coming the other way etc. Now this is all an aside as the point of this post is about something more concerning. In the angling group a sizeable number of comments, of which there are many, clearly demonstrate a 'dislike' for boats and boaters. The amount of vitriol displayed surprised me. Many said they would often (and admitted doing it often) use their catapults to shoot maggots at the boat, even with advice to others to aim for open windows or open back doors, some would used their catapults to fire metal shot and lead weights at the boat or person. One comment even stated to say to a boater "..I know the name of your boat and which way you are going. Have a nice night's sleep!".  Now on the flip side some anglers said boats aren't a problem and to live and let live etc (which were the small minority in the thread I saw) and I am sure occasionally boaters can also be in the wrong too.

 

Have any on this forum had such experiences but also any good experiences with anglers. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

 

Cheers

B

[Stilllearning]

Now this is going to open up a can of worms

 

 

[Richard T]

Anglers can help boaters by indicating which side of the canal they would like the boat to pass them on. If they dont I look at where they are fishing and try to avoid that area. However it always surprises me on how many anglers actually catch as the boat approaches. It must be the boat disturbing the water in front of it as it approaches.

[Guest]

Anything other than pleasantries has only ever been the usual staring straight ahead so as to not have to acknowledge me or fiddling with their maggots for presumably the same reason. 

[Alan de Enfield]

The best thing about anglers is the screaming & watching them trying to chase after their rod, when they have failed to wind in to allow the boat past.

 

They always seem to be fishing on the opposite side to where they are sitting - wouldn't it be easier just to go 'over to the other side' ?

 

It always amazes me that anglers will rarely 'catch your eye', or even acknowledge you exist, the (very) odd one will wave back - its almost a game to try and get one to wave.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[GUMPY]

10 minutes ago, Baghdaddy said:

Have any on this forum had such experiences but also any good experiences with anglers. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

I had an incident with a bunch of anglers best part of 20 years ago.

Ended up with the Police armed response squad attending.

Score boater 1 anglers 0

 

 

[The Welsh Cruiser]

I boat and fish there's plenty of room for everyone. Just needs a bit of respect, equally, on both sides.

[Mad Harold]

Had three "incidents" with anglers in the last two years.Two who didn't reel in,and I got a propfull of fishing line.I pulled in and cleared about half a mile of it,dumped it beside one of them and reminded him that he should either reel in or at least move his his rod to one side,he replied "I didn't see you".

The other just sat on the bank grinning as I struggled in the middle of the canal untangling the mess.( It had stopped the engine)

On another occasion I was approaching a fisher who looked as though he was asleep,so I gave a blast on the horn.

"Don't blow your f-ing horn at me"

At least he did reel in.

I should add that I have passed dozens of fishers, and all except the ones mentioned have reeled in and waved,or reeled in and ignored me.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Mad Harold

[Ray T]

Some anglers could help by making themselves more visible. 

A few and I stress a few, hide in foliage with just a thin black rod sticking out which is difficult to see until it is too late to slow down sufficiently.

 

Having said that the majority of anglers I have had interaction with have been very pleasant. I always thank those who pull their rods in.

[Bewildered]

Woke up one morning to find a fishing competition setting up on the visitors moorings. This was a small village with limited moorings, the banks either side of the village were quite wild and unsuitable for mooring a boat but easy enough to set up for fishing. I don't object to angling but why go out of your way to do it where it will deliberately annoy boaters?

[Ray T]

32 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

Now this is going to open up a can of worms

 

 

Useful for bait.

[dixi188]

A couple of years ago I was tootling at idle between locks on the Hatton flight so as not to disturb an angler. He called out for me to give it some revs to stir things up a bit.

I usually slow down and stick to the centre of the cut on plain canal sections, but passing a competition can be a interesting as the rods are lifted at the last moment and dropped back in right behind me. Some say I should maintain normal speed.

Also, aren't these long carbon rods cheating, as I thought part of the skill in fishing was casting to the perfect spot, not just dropping the hook in.

[Murflynn]

15 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Some anglers could help by making themselves more visible. 

A few and I stress a few, hide in foliage with just a thin black rod sticking out which is difficult to see until it is too late to slow down sufficiently.

 

Having said that the majority of anglers I have had interaction with have been very pleasant. I always thank those who pull their rods in.

really?  I mostly cruise on the Thames, and nearly all anglers like to hide between reed beds and trees so the fish (and consequently the boats as well) can't see them.

 

in the narrow winding reaches near Lechlade they excel at placing their tackle at the far side of the river using those ridiculous long poles.

 

I suffer more than most because my boat is electric so the anglers never hear me coming even if they are sober and awake, combined with the likelihood that the line gets entangled in my outboard which runs a considerable risk of pulling the seal out.  I have fitted a 3-legged line and weed deflector to my main leccy outboard.

 

if there is a competition going on I tend to blast the horn regularly which they don't like but helps to keep their tackle and my undercarriage safe.

 

I've only once had a challenging incident with an angler - creeping along at low speed and keeping tight to the apex of a right hand bend (even huge dutch barges are occasionally encountered in those reaches, and they need all the space I can give them) in a very narrow stretch resulted in a ringing of alarm bells as I dragged a bloke's line (and probably his rod and reel) with my prop skeg.  Fact is he was fast asleep and was probably more angry with himself than with me but his vocabulary would have made a sapper blush.

 

 

[Jerra]

10 minutes ago, dixi188 said:

A couple of years ago I was tootling at idle between locks on the Hatton flight so as not to disturb an angler. He called out for me to give it some revs to stir things up a bit.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a standard speed and side /middle of the cut fishers wanted.   Most in my experience all want something different, faster, slower, middle, far side, near side etc.

[haggis]

I can't think of any bad experience I have had with fishermen. I drop my speed and try to stay in the middle of the canal and if I am passing a match, I adopt the same speed and position for them all so that the boat passing is the same for them all.  I usually smile and pass the time of day with anglers as I pass. It is a bit annoying to have to creep past a long line during a match and if I get a chance to ask the first in line what speed they want me to do, I can sometimes go through at a fairly normal speed. 

Most fishermen are fine and if you get the odd one sitting on a lock landing who doesn't want to move, telling them that I am coming in whether they move or not usually has them pulling their nets in ? . 

 

haggis

[BWM]

Bit more tolerance and understanding on both sides i suspect is all that's needed, being a boater and an angler i have heard similar hateful and derisory comments from both sides over the years. 

 The amount of anglers on the canal is miniscule when compared to the 80's, when three miles of fishermen spaced at 5 metre intervals was commonplace most weekends. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Grumpy anglers being grumpy. Who'd have thunk it. Generally speaking, the further north you go the friendlier they get. Well friendly for angler values of friendly. There is a small proportion who are complete nutters and could react in any way, who you can find anywhere.

[Hudds Lad]

we once pootled by one on the Shroppie just after a bridge hole with another boat coming the other way. said hello, he said hello back, asked if he had caught much, he said no as he’d just set up. we then passed the oncoming boat and exchanged pleasantries. they put a few revs on and blanked the fisherman, the ensuing slanging match could still be heard about five minutes later, ridiculous behaviour from both sides but easily avoided with a simple hello.

[Tracy D'arth]

On the whole they seem to be sad lonely people, I would have thought the odd boat trashing past would lighten their day.

TD'

[roland elsdon]

You throw  trash at them, interesting response. Bit of role reversal, i assumed they just threw the huge amount of trash they drag in, because of the weight of catch they take home to eat.

[zenataomm]

I don't understand anglers and suspect they don't understand boaters.

Most of us slow down for them, and as a result steering becomes ineffective which can lead to a boat drifting closer to one bank than another.  

Yes I have been catapulted with maggots, and lead shot (or whatever they use nowadays).

Yes I have been shouted at and told "I suppose you'll be at Such and Such pub tonight, you'll end up with petrol down your chimney"

Once on The Paddington Arm I had passed a long line of anglers and a few yards more, when I was shot in the back by a .22 air slug, I didn't hear it but I felt it and it penetrated 3 layers of clothing.  Oh how they all laughed at that one.

In Stoke on Trent one Sunday I encountered a chain across the canal with a painted sign that said the canal was closed that day due to angling match. 

I now stop the boat if a long pole isn't brought to the bankside and is merely lifted dangling inches from my head.  Apart from not wanting a wet maggot dripping on me, I once endured seeing my dog asleep on the roof suddenly get up and be impaled between the eyes with a hook.  He was then dragged off the roof, and the subsequent bill for calling out a vet on a Sunday to a canal side position was over £200 and that was nearly 30 years ago.

 

Then again I first went boating when my dad hired a boat in 1966, so many years and many miles equals many anglers.

Personally I find it much better now than it was 70/80s. To counterbalance things I find other boaters much worse than they were then.

Especially since Waterways are enrolling volunteers by the bucket load.  We now seem to have a Waffen SS branch of canal volunteer.  Those who think they have authority to approach boaters and abruptly point out something they don't approve of ending their rudeness with We are C&RT volunteers.  That was Gt Haywood, below the lock tied up on the VM's, Mrs. Gruppenfuhrer decided I needed to told I should tie a plastic bag to my pins. 

I will do my best to avoid stupid people, however when they seek me out, I shan't ignore them. 

I believe The Meek Shall Inhibit The Earth.

[David Mack]

The chap who had his keep net in the water right in front of the water point and by the No Fishing sign, in the 80 ft gap in a long continuous line of moored boats, looked well pissed off when 20+ tons of Big Woolwich just kept on coming towards the bank!

[Lady M]

The angler who asked how could he know that fishing from a lock landing was not allowed.  On being told it was in the terms of his angling licence from CRT, he was unaware that he needed one.  On a different trip, we encountered another angler on a lock landing who didn't appear to speak English.

[pearley]

I guess like others, we've encountered all types of angler over the years.

 

Asked to speed up and drag some silt up, Asked to slow down despite being on tickover for the past 100 yards or so.

 

Anglers who think the posts with No Fishing signs are to hang their coats on.

 

Like others we've dragged rods onto the water where the angler was asleep in his tent or left it unattended.

 

But, we always say Good Morning/Afternoon and most to respond.

[Naughty Cal]

We have found that most anglers are very friendly and we usually get a wave or a hello from them. You get the odd grumpy one but not usually that many.

 

Fishing line has cost us a lot of money over the years with damaged oil seals, water in the gearbox and damaged prop shafts.