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Anglers... the good, bad and ugly


Baghdaddy

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1 hour ago, Jerra said:

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.

 

Whatever the anglers want, we boaters cannot possibly know what it is unless they tell us. In order to do that, they have to be paying attention to boat traffic. 

37 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

I believe The Meek Shall Inhibit The Earth.

...if that's all right with you chaps.

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In my experience it's a mixed bag but the majority being the grumpy or no-eye contact sort. I usually slow down to tick-over but often wonder why cos not many seem to appreciate the gesture. Had a few incidences of anglers sat on lock moorings and swing bridge moorings but so far just grumbles after I point out the mooring bollards are required to tie the boat up. Once went past a match around Red Rock on the L&L with some shouting or gesturing to keep over the far side some the near side. In the end I just settled for the middle and told them that's where the deeper water is. The one who took the biscuit was many years ago sat on the lock moorings at the Heartbreak Hill top lock on August Bank Holiday Monday fuming about the number of boats about.

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I’ve not yet had any bother from fishermen. 
I keep to the centre, I might slow down a tad,  and I always try and make eye contact and say alright. 
 

A new one to me was a fisherman telling canoe people not to dip there paddle in as they passed through his swim. 
Reckoned it frightened the fish 

I could see he might have a point. 
Bright yellow paddle ends in the water.
 

 

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Some Good, some bad, most in-between. Friendly in Brum, some very nasty ones on the K&A.

 

Fishing on lock landings and visitor moorings is anti-social, you can fish elsewhere, boaters have few options.

 

Raising the pole at the last moment without eye contact is risky, you all do it so I assume it will happen, if it doesn't it's too late to stop.

 

If you tell me where to go I will try, but you don't know how deep my boat is and I am not going to risk going aground,

 

Eye contact and a few words is a good thing.

 

If you must crap in the hedge please dig a whole and bury it, otherwise the dog rolls in it.

 

If you must fish right next to a boat then remember we might still be asleep in the morning, or might have children on the boat, so please stop the loud foul language.

 

If you catch a Really big one then just ask and we will take a photo for you.

 

Although we hate you we appreciate that you are the last hope of slowing down the cyclists ?

 

................Dave

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Just now, Goliath said:

?

you having a grumpy day?

Yeah, went from Todmorden to Warland yesterday and today I hurt all over, those Rochdale locks are hard work. It was much easier been a continuous moorer.

 

................Dave

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3 hours 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.

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.

I got shouted at, he was talking yorkhiire so I don' know what he said, I had come through a narrow bit and was steering away from his side, short rod, short line, I assume he was not happy, but was similar distance from others who seemed OK. Some were out overnight, I suppose the fishing bit is the least interesting part.

Edited by LadyG
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4 minutes ago, dmr said:

Yeah, went from Todmorden to Warland yesterday and today I hurt all over, those Rochdale locks are hard work. It was much easier been a continuous moorer.

 

................Dave

How many locks is that ?

6?

?
 

 

 

no sorry,

of course you got gauxholme locks

Edited by Goliath
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24 minutes ago, Kendorr said:

I always take the advice given by the fisherman in this video

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o949IwjBsk

 

Strange logic: boats are essential to make water cloudy, but not wanted near the sides.I assumed cloudy water is dirty, I think fish should have clean water.?‍♀️

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13 minutes ago, Goliath said:

How many locks is that ?

6?

?
 

 

 

no sorry,

of course you got gauxholme locks

Not many, Tod Guillotine is 19 and now sat below 35. Do wide locks count double?

Only one empty pound to fill (top of Gauxholme as always). Some of the top paddles were close to the limit of my strength even with the long windlass. I've been lifting a load of cans and bottles to keep my arm strength up but it obviously wasn't enough.

 

..............Dave

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Strange logic: boats are essential to make water cloudy, but not wanted near the sides.I assumed cloudy water is dirty, I think fish should have clean water.?‍♀️

Dirty water is good, if its too clear the fish can see the fishermen coming and clear off.

 

................Dave

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9 minutes ago, dmr said:

Not many, Tod Guillotine is 19 and now sat below 35. Do wide locks count double?

Only one empty pound to fill (top of Gauxholme as always). Some of the top paddles were close to the limit of my strength even with the long windlass. I've been lifting a load of cans and bottles to keep my arm strength up but it obviously wasn't enough.

 

..............Dave

Dirty water is good, if its too clear the fish can see the fishermen coming and clear off.

 

................Dave

Hmm clear water enables predators to catch fish more easily so they rarely settle to feed properly. Most canals fish much better when there's a strong wind blowing along them. Why so? most probably, because the moving upper layer refracts sunlight resulting in, again, things being made more difficult for predators. Clever things are fish. 

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4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

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.

Can of Worms.jpg

I've never found any consistency - some want you to be as far over to the off side as possible whilst others are just the opposite (not a lot of difference on some canals!) I tend to just go straight down the middle anyway. Some curse you for disturbing the waters whilst others want you to make as much disturbance as possible. Since I have never fished in my life I have no idea about what is what!

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8 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

I've never found any consistency - some want you to be as far over to the off side as possible whilst others are just the opposite (not a lot of difference on some canals!) I tend to just go straight down the middle anyway. Some curse you for disturbing the waters whilst others want you to make as much disturbance as possible. Since I have never fished in my life I have no idea about what is what!

On of the pleasures of fishing is no one day is the same, tactics change for the conditions, even in the same location what works one day might not the next.

 

So there is no ideal, universal trick to suit all 

 

Most reasonable people just get on with it, grumpy sods are a universal,most people aren't but it's the grumpy ones that stand out

Edited by tree monkey
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10 minutes ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

Hmm clear water enables predators to catch fish more easily so they rarely settle to feed properly. Most canals fish much better when there's a strong wind blowing along them. Why so? most probably, because the moving upper layer refracts sunlight resulting in, again, things being made more difficult for predators. Clever things are fish. 

They do seem to outwit the fishermen most of the time ?

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55 minutes ago, dmr said:

Some Good, some bad, most in-between. Friendly in Brum, some very nasty ones on the K&A.

 

Fishing on lock landings and visitor moorings is anti-social, you can fish elsewhere, boaters have few options.

 

Raising the pole at the last moment without eye contact is risky, you all do it so I assume it will happen, if it doesn't it's too late to stop.

 

If you tell me where to go I will try, but you don't know how deep my boat is and I am not going to risk going aground,

 

Eye contact and a few words is a good thing.

 

If you must crap in the hedge please dig a whole and bury it, otherwise the dog rolls in it.

 

If you must fish right next to a boat then remember we might still be asleep in the morning, or might have children on the boat, so please stop the loud foul language.

 

If you catch a Really big one then just ask and we will take a photo for you.

 

Although we hate you we appreciate that you are the last hope of slowing down the cyclists ?

 

................Dave

 

To add to that, anglers seem fine and talkative if they are not in Cheshire or Staffs.  Not done the K&A so I'll take your word for it.

 

Raising the pole or sweeping it to one side isn't usually a problem - some of the serious poles can cost twenty or thirty grand!

 

I quite approve of considerate fishists, as they are the only other user group who directly pay CRT for use of the system.

 

More of them should know:

  • Never fish within 25 metres of a lock, swing bridge or water point
  • No fishing between boats on permanent moorings or at visitor moorings where signed
  • Where visitor moorings are not signed as to whether fishing is permitted, it's is assumed, during the boating season, that mooring boats have priority, at other times access is on a first come first served basis
  • Please follow the towpath code as part of our Share the Space campaign and act responsibly at all times
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10 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

To add to that, anglers seem fine and talkative if they are not in Cheshire or Staffs.  Not done the K&A so I'll take your word for it.

 

Raising the pole or sweeping it to one side isn't usually a problem - some of the serious poles can cost twenty or thirty grand!

 

I quite approve of considerate fishists, as they are the only other user group who directly pay CRT for use of the system.

 

More of them should know:

  • Never fish within 25 metres of a lock, swing bridge or water point
  • No fishing between boats on permanent moorings or at visitor moorings where signed
  • Where visitor moorings are not signed as to whether fishing is permitted, it's is assumed, during the boating season, that mooring boats have priority, at other times access is on a first come first served basis
  • Please follow the towpath code as part of our Share the Space campaign and act responsibly at all times

I believe these are now "guidelines" rather than rules, and the "boating season" one really needs changing. We had a big confrontation with a fisherman (almost a police call) as he believed that boats had no right to be on the river in the winter and the visitor mooring was for the exclusive use of his fishing club. First come first served is not good enough, if that's the only place to stop (especially on a river) then finding it full of fishers is no good, in an emergency you can breast up to another boat but not to a fishing competition.

 

...............Dave

 

 

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26 minutes ago, dmr said:

I believe these are now "guidelines" rather than rules, and the "boating season" one really needs changing. We had a big confrontation with a fisherman (almost a police call) as he believed that boats had no right to be on the river in the winter and the visitor mooring was for the exclusive use of his fishing club. First come first served is not good enough, if that's the only place to stop (especially on a river) then finding it full of fishers is no good, in an emergency you can breast up to another boat but not to a fishing competition.

 

...............Dave

 

 

There could be confusion because C&RT are instructing boaters to leave a 5mt gap between boats on Winter moorings.

 

 

The needs of angling customers are incorporated into the terms and conditions of the issue of these permits. A five-metre gap must be kept between one boat and the next for the purposes of permitting angling from the towpath. We are exploring whether this ought to apply more generally between moored boats. Do take special care when fishing within close proximity of boats. It would not be acceptable to lean your equipment up against the boat hull, for example.

Fishing where you find moorings rings

Unless so signed to the contrary, anglers are permitted to fish where there are towpath mooring rings present, in a similar way to boaters having the right to moor where there are angling club permanent peg numbers. Mooring rings might be present underneath powerlines or within 25 metres of a lock wall approach. Clearly, fishing would not be permitted in these locations.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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8 hours 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.

I had one of those more than twenty years ago, when single handing and approaching a lock up the K&A, I was not even aware of him until I heard a tyrade of abuse from the undrgrowth. He was presumably very annoyed because when I arrived at the lock, he was standing with his foot on the top rung of the ladder waiting for me to ascend from the boat, and threatening to stamp on my hand. When I pointed out that the heavy lump of iron in my hand would inflict far more injury to his ankle than his foot on my heavily gloved hand, he retreated threatening to report me to BW.  I continued to work the lock whilst he continued with various threats until I left the lock. I often wonder if he enjoyed his angling, especially if every other boater stimulated the same hostile reaction.

Edited by David Schweizer
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6 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

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.

I think that goes for most things in life. All the anglers round here are very pleasant and usually give you a wave or a nod. A few more will ask questions about boating if they have the opportunity to do so. Only had two run-ins with anglers in the past - once at Old Ford Lock in London where an angler was sat below the lock and simply wouldn't move. I wanted to more up to use the water tap and to empty some rubbish. He had a bit of a go at me and when I pointed out the sign say "No fishing at the lock" he went on to say how he'd been fishing there for 18 years. I was thinking perhaps he needed to move on a bit and try somewhere else because his keep net looked empty. He then whinged on about how I'd ruined his day's fishing. Well, excuse me for using the boating facilities for my boat.

 

Other occasion was a dickhead near Mirfield who was sat on the mooring pontoon just below the lock - would he budge or lift his rod as I came in to moor? Would he buggery. He had a face like he'd been sucking on lemons as I came in to moor. I managed to avoid his rod, just. There was another boater there who'd had the same experience with him in the past by all reports.

 

Other than those two idiots, most anglers have been friendly, approachable and not at all difficult. If I can offer one suggestion for your angling mates, to the OP, that would be to not fish off moorings or lock landings. Anywhere else, be my guest.

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15 hours ago, dmr said:

Yeah, went from Todmorden to Warland yesterday and today I hurt all over, those Rochdale locks are hard work. It was much easier been a continuous moorer.

 

................Dave

Many years ago, not long after Tuel Lane was opened, we woke at Todmorden to find 2 young anglers set up at the rear of the boat with all their gear laid across our mooring ropes. They always fished there, they said.

 

The next day, we had just set off from Walsden and straight into a match. I think the pegs had been set out before the canal was reopened as they took no account of locks but as the lock wheelers walked between locks it didn't really matter. Near the summit, one of the locks had space to park. Cars were parked so tight as to make opening towpath side gates impossible. Fortunately we were on a narrowboat.

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We passed a few fishists this morning and received no abuse , which is a bonus. 

One seemed anxious . Why try to fish near the opposite bank of a fairly wide river when both banks have access for fishing?

It's our first trip out of the year. Have only seen three other boats so far.

 

 

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