Angling match pegged on lock moorings!

[John Holden]

Slightly off topic but----- As a boater and a fisherman I always slow down to tickover when passing fishermen and generally speaking most of them acknowledge me if they are alone. If they are in a match then it is very different. A few weeks ago I passed a match on the Shroppie and conducted a little survey. I slowed to tickover as usual and started counting how many were fishing the match. My wife and I looked and smiled at every single one of them and it was peg 33 before one responded. We counted 77 fishermen in total and only 12 acknowledged us, five with no more than a grunt but only 7 actually smiled and spoke, the rest totally blanked us. Suggestions please for what I should do when next I pass a fishing match.

 

Compare with thread where some boaters are complaining about having to acknowledge other boaters.

 

What I do/did was ask the first contestant how they would like to be passed, tow path side/off side, drift by or thrash it and churn up the mud. If a worm drowner acknowledged me return it otherwise leave them in peace.

[jelunga]

Fishing should be banned anyway as a cruel sport. Far better they should spend their time hunting for deer and rabbits. At least you can eat what you catch!

[Ishticar]

Communication between all parties is preferable. If you acknowledge me I will reciprocate with a smile, a wave even an invite to the local pub. Abuse me and...........................

[John Holden]

Communication between all parties is preferable. If you acknowledge me I will reciprocate with a smile, a wave even an invite to the local pub. Abuse me and...........................

 

Hi Ishticar <waves furiously> mines a pint

[Ishticar]

Fishing should be banned anyway as a cruel sport. Far better they should spend their time hunting for deer and rabbits. At least you can eat what you catch

 

 

OMG Another PETA convert.

 

Let us keep this to the topic originally raised.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Ishticar

[JerryP]

OMG Another PETA convert.

 

Let us keep this to the topic originally raised.

 

 

That'll be a first

[Ishticar]

Hi Ishticar <waves furiously> mines a pint

 

Lend me a fiver and I will get the 1st round in

[John Holden]

Lend me a fiver and I will get the 1st round in

 

Erm, I'd love to but I'm waiting on a postal order from New Zealand

[Smelly]

OMG Another PETA convert.

 

Let us keep this to the topic originally raised.

 

Would you comment on the risk of man eating badgers on lock landings please?

[the grinch]

if all canals had a simple rule of No Fishing 150ft either side of a lock and approaches to bridges that need manual operation then a lot arguements could be avoided its irresponsible of clubs to peg out where its blatantly obvious that boats will be pulling in to operate said items.

 

fishing matches should be limited to sensible number for the stretch and not cram in too many as I have witnessed on occassions especially on the southern oxford

[Smelly]

if all canals had a simple rule of No Fishing 150ft either side of a lock and approaches to bridges that need manual operation then a lot arguements could be avoided its irresponsible of clubs to peg out where its blatantly obvious that boats will be pulling in to operate said items.

 

fishing matches should be limited to sensible number for the stretch and not cram in too many as I have witnessed on occassions especially on the southern oxford

 

Spoilsport!

[the grinch]

maybe!!

[furnessvale]

if all canals had a simple rule of No Fishing 150ft either side of a lock and approaches to bridges that need manual operation then a lot arguements could be avoided its irresponsible of clubs to peg out where its blatantly obvious that boats will be pulling in to operate said items.

 

fishing matches should be limited to sensible number for the stretch and not cram in too many as I have witnessed on occassions especially on the southern oxford

 

I understand the local angling club has been told by BW not to peg closer than 70 ft to the local swing bridge. Nice idea but how do I get a 71ft boat into the side to operate the bridge without disturbing the poor sap who has drawn the nearest peg. 150ft should be an absolute minimum, even then I am beginning to manoevre before that distance.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Smelly]

maybe!!

 

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/man-eating-badgers-terrify-iraqis/story-e6frf7lf-1111113936282

 

Be afraid...

[cl@rkey]

We counted 77 fishermen in total and only 12 acknowledged us, five with no more than a grunt but only 7 actually smiled and spoke, the rest totally blanked us. Suggestions please for what I should do when next I pass a fishing match.

I'm a fisherman and a soon-to-be (hopefully!) boater. Can I just add my two pennuth on this "miserable angler" image that seems prevalent.

 

I think when some anglers fail to give a nod, smile, or even make eye contact, it's just a way of reducing the chances of banter between boat & bank. The sound from a boat engine is unavoidable, but shouts of "HAVE YER CAUGHT MUCH?!" or "LOVELY DAY FOR IT!!" are avoidable, or at least less likely, when no social cues are given.

 

I don't take my fishing seriously - if I don't catch a thing, that's fine with me - I'm just happy to be by the water; the fishing aspect is just icing on the cake. But I do respect that some anglers do take it seriously, and would rather risk appearing miserable or anti-social than lessen their chances of what they came there to do - catch fish.

 

I'm sure there are anglers who are miserable gits, but no more than there are miserable boaters.

[Grace and Favour]

Would you comment on the risk of man eating badgers on lock landings please?

 

I have to admit that I've never seen a man eating badgers - - though I have often seen men eating Pot Noodle (& similar rubbish)

[jelunga]

I have to admit that I've never seen a man eating badgers - - though I have often seen men eating Pot Noodle (& similar rubbish)

I initially read that as "eating Poodle", it is funny what the brain sees sometimes.

[dor]

I think when some anglers fail to give a nod, smile, or even make eye contact, it's just a way of reducing the chances of banter between boat & bank. The sound from a boat engine is unavoidable, but shouts of "HAVE YER CAUGHT MUCH?!" or "LOVELY DAY FOR IT!!" are avoidable, or at least less likely, when no social cues are given.

 

I don't take my fishing seriously - if I don't catch a thing, that's fine with me - I'm just happy to be by the water; the fishing aspect is just icing on the cake. But I do respect that some anglers do take it seriously, and would rather risk appearing miserable or anti-social than lessen their chances of what they came there to do - catch fish.

 

Fair enough. But when a boater has slowed down for an angler, the least the angler can then do is give a nod of recognition. Just the same as when you stop in the channel to let another boat come through a bridge hole, it's nice to have some sort of wave and thanks for giving way to them.

[Jim Riley]

Hi Ishticar, thanks for your response, and good on you for finding this discussion on the forum.

I will intersperse my response in your letter.

 

Let me introduce myself.

 

I am the President of Old Bank Angling Club, have been for the last 2 years and have been a member of said club since 1974, holding many positions of office.

 

In answer to Mr Riley and his "open" letter of complaint. Why did you not wait to get a written response to your letter instead of publishing for "ALL" to see?

I was taking a reasonable course of action, documenting my actions, for discussion by forum members. I have not had a written response, I wrote to your Club Secretary.

 

On the date in question we did not hold a match on these canals nor did we plan to. The club in question was Mirfield Angling Club. We have an agreement with them that, if the river is unfishable, for whatever reason, they may use the canals.

I was assured by a competitor that it was OBAC. I have had a reply from CaRT, i will write back with the new information.

You state, quote, "It seems that they were going to have the match on the river stretches but because the levels were high used the canal instead", you also state, quote, "On arriving at the Mirfield Flood lock the gates were shut". If the river was high and the flood gate shut didn't that tell you something? Should you have been travelling or moored in a safe haven until levels subsided?

River was on Amber, ok to open gates and proceed with caution.

 

The canals and their towpaths are open to all users and as such should be used sensibly. I do not condone the actions of irresponsible anglers nor do I accept that it is always anglers that are in the wrong. Were there visible signs warning anglers not to fish in this particular landing area? If not, why not? There are plenty of signs to indicate that Old Bank Angling Club has the fishing rights on these stretches. If these said signs have been removed, vandalised or whatever, whose responsibility is it to get them replaced?

No signs needed really, it is a blanket rule that angling clubs should be well aware of, No Fishing within 25m of a lock.

 

As a responsible club we welcome comments that are constructive to better assist us in our endeavors to maintain peace and harmony with other users, BUT, I WILL NOT accept blanket abuse as has happened in this forum without first waiting for a reply.

 

No abuse from me.

 

I frequently am in contact with boaters on our canals and the vast majority are good natured with plenty of amusing banter. Then there is the odd one who makes a beeline for the towpath in the hope of disrupting a match that is in progress, as a minimum. I have had 2 keepnets completely shredded and the fish in them killed over the last 5 years. I fish for sport, not to kill, catch and release. Was that the thought of the morons who killed my catch? I think not.

 

As a boater you will pay a fee to use the canal, ie, licence, mooring fees and the like. Old Bank Angling Club also pays an annual fee to be able to fish these canals.

But in the appropriate places.

 

If you had had the decency to wait for a written response then I would not have had to reply this way and have to respond to this vitriol.

Decency? its a democracy, I can discuss issues in an open and non inflammatory way. couple of weeks now since I sent the letter, no reply via snail mail. no vitriol from me.

 

[cl@rkey]

Fair enough. But when a boater has slowed down for an angler, the least the angler can then do is give a nod of recognition. Just the same as when you stop in the channel to let another boat come through a bridge hole, it's nice to have some sort of wave and thanks for giving way to them.

Totally agree. A wave, or a nod of recognition would be the appropriate response, but I wonder how many people would see such gestures as a green light to start chatting?

 

All I'm saying is that being blanked by an angler - someone who, by the very nature of their sport, is trying to maintain a low profile - should not be taken personally.

 

It's not how I choose to fish, but hey, each to their own.

[mayalld]

Were there visible signs warning anglers not to fish in this particular landing area? If not, why not?

 

Are you seriously telling us that as president of an angling club that leases fishing rights, you are unaware that you lock landings are off limits for fishing, and that you need signs at each lock landing to tell you this?

 

If this is the case, and you haven't taken the trouble to discover what is and is not OK, then why on earth do you imagine that boaters should take the trouble to find out what they should and should not do?

 

So, on that basis, unless I see official CRT signs directing me to slow down past anglers, I won't bother.

[Ange]

I'm a fisherman and a soon-to-be (hopefully!) boater. Can I just add my two pennuth on this "miserable angler" image that seems prevalent.

 

I think when some anglers fail to give a nod, smile, or even make eye contact, it's just a way of reducing the chances of banter between boat & bank. The sound from a boat engine is unavoidable, but shouts of "HAVE YER CAUGHT MUCH?!" or "LOVELY DAY FOR IT!!" are avoidable, or at least less likely, when no social cues are given.

 

I don't take my fishing seriously - if I don't catch a thing, that's fine with me - I'm just happy to be by the water; the fishing aspect is just icing on the cake. But I do respect that some anglers do take it seriously, and would rather risk appearing miserable or anti-social than lessen their chances of what they came there to do - catch fish.

 

I'm sure there are anglers who are miserable gits, but no more than there are miserable boaters.

 

We've passed many many anglers - always trying to be courteous and respectful. There are very few that have even acknowledged us. For a while we had a game where we'd be incredibly cheery and wave and smile to see if they were rude enough to completely ignore us - most managed a surly nod.

 

We don't shout at them and try to engage them in conversation - we're just polite. And the majority of them are not.

 

And no - you're very wrong about miserable boaters. The majority of fishermen are surly buggers, when we get one who smiles it's surprising. It's surprising to find a boater who doesn't smile. It happens but it's a rarity.

 

And I'd say to Ishticar - do you really think you're going to accomplish anything by coming here trying to take the moral high ground! I wouldn't dream of going onto a fishing forum all guns blazing! I'd seek out other opinions and try to form a balanced view.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Ange

[Tuscan]

North of Braunstoni have thought that the majority of fishermen ( and boaters) are OKand friendly but having read this response , I'm buggered if I'm going to slow down for1/2 mile or so of his members. What an arrogent maggot

[cl@rkey]

We've passed many many anglers - always trying to be courteous and respectful. There are very few that have even acknowledged us. For a while we had a game where we'd be incredibly cheery and wave and smile to see if they were rude enough to completely ignore us - most managed a surly nod.

 

We don't shout at them and try to engage them in conversation - we're just polite. And the majority of them are not.

 

And no - you're very wrong about miserable boaters. The majority of fishermen are surly buggers, when we get one who smiles it's surprising. It's surprising to find a boater who doesn't smile. It happens but it's a rarity.

Let me try to make an analogy. You go to your local. There's a guy in the corner with his pint and his paper, sat on his own. You both enjoy the pub and the beer, but otherwise have gone there for very different reasons. The guy in the corner is keeping himself to himself, enjoys the ambiance but has no desire to meet new people, or engage socially. This is his 'alone time'. The other locals respect that, and he's just a familiar part of the furniture. He may nod at you when he's at the bar buying a drink, but when in his spot, he will not even look up from his paper, and although he's not smiling, he's very content. You don't understand WHY he does this, but you respect his wishes as he puts money behind the bar and doesn't spoil your own enjoyment of the pub (when the enjoyment is spoiled, this is a separate matter).

 

This is how fishermen should be viewed.

 

I believe the whole 'miserable git' thing is just a misunderstanding. Fishermen and boaters both enjoy being on or by the water and being amongst nature, but apart from that their motivations for being there are really quite different.

 

Both groups have a love and respect for nature. THAT is what's important. So please, don't be offended by a fisherman's failure to engage socially, he's not trying to upset you. He's just the guy in the corner, doing his own thing.

Edited October 21, 2012 by cl@rkey

[dor]

The guy in the corner is keeping himself to himself, enjoys the ambiance but has no desire to meet new people, or engage socially. This is his 'alone time'. The other locals respect that, and he's just a familiar part of the furniture. He may nod at you when he's at the bar buying a drink, but when in his spot, he will not even look up from his paper, and although he's not smiling, he's very content. You don't understand WHY he does this, but you respect his wishes as he puts money behind the bar and doesn't spoil your own enjoyment of the pub (when the enjoyment is spoiled, this is a separate matter).

 

This is how fishermen should be viewed.

 

I believe the whole 'miserable git' thing is just a misunderstanding. Fishermen and boaters both enjoy being on or by the water and being amongst nature, but apart from that their motivations for being there are really quite different.

 

Both groups have a love and respect for nature. THAT is what's important. So please, don't be offended by a fisherman's failure to engage socially, he's not trying to upset you. He's just the guy in the corner, doing his own thing.

 

I think your analogy falls down because the presence of your solitary drinker has no bearing on you whether he is there or not. However if you make an effort for the angler's benefit - slowing down and moving to a better place to pass him, then a nod of acknowledgement is the least to expect. Now to go back to your analogy, if you were sitting in his favourite chair and when he came in you got up and moved so he could sit there you would expect at least a nod of thanks wouldn't you?

 

Nobody's suggesting that the anglers should be expected to start up a conversation, just the basic politeness of acknowledging someone has done you a favour.