Do Anglers hate Boaters?

[Hayabusabart]

Hi folks.. I am relatively new to boating (just coming up to 4 years now)

 

However, I discovered, quite early on, that the vast majority of tow-path anglers actually hate the fact that you are daring to interrupt the water with your accursed boat and frighten off all the little fish they are tying to extract from the canal.

 

Initially I used to wave, nod and even try to engage in friendly polite chat with them.. but what a waste of time.. little or no response.. most ignore your presence

I don't bother to do it now.. not even make eye contact. (Yes. And I I do slow right down for them).

 

One recently even gave me some verbal abuse as well as the vee sign

 

Personally I am not bothered if all they want to do is spend a day (away from their missuses) sitting at the side of the canal danging a maggot on the end of a fishing line in the hope of catching a (completely inedible) fish.. whatever floats your boat and turns you on..

 

But what I do object to is the glaring looks and the "waves of hate" that I feel as I chug past the miserable so-and-so's

 

OR Am I the only one that thinks this?

 

 

[Sir Nibble]

I find anglers friendly and sensible. There is also common cause to be made as fellow committed stakeholders in the waterway.

[Delta9]

I usually say hello to them as I pass and they all seem quite friendly.

[Guest]

They like boats.

 

Because fish swim in front of them and are easily caught.

 

I don't think they hate boaters they are just ambilovent to them and ditto us to them.

 

(Can't be arsed to override the bad spelling in my tablet's dictionary)

[Barry]

My experience is different from Hyabusabart's

 

Almost opposite in fact.

 

I don't think I've ever had 'waves of hate' from an angler. A non committal grunt from the occasional one perhaps but most respond positively

[dmr]

An angler on the river Weaver gave us a friendly wave last week so I can confirm that not all anglers are miserable gits who hate boats, there is a friendly one!

 

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

[Hayabusabart]

My experience is different from Hyabusabart's

 

Almost opposite in fact.

 

I don't think I've ever had 'waves of hate' from an angler. A non committal grunt from the occasional one perhaps but most respond positively

From the responses so far sounds like it might be just me!

Nice Lid by the way Bazza2!

[Captain Fizz]

Generally , I find them ok. I always ease down as I pass and give them a wave if they are looking.

[LoneWolf]

I find anglers friendly and sensible. There is also common cause to be made as fellow committed stakeholders in the waterway.

well said

 

My experience is different from Hyabusabart's

 

Almost opposite in fact.

 

I don't think I've ever had 'waves of hate' from an angler. A non committal grunt from the occasional one perhaps but most respond positively

indeed, if you show an interest they will even show you their tackle

[keble]

You are not alone! Most anglers are fine with a gentle nod as you pass. But now and again you find the off bod who will scream and yell.

I've worked out, with help from the forum, that this can happen if you pass him on the far side, which you might think logical, but in fact that is where he has laid his bait. He wants you to pass close to him.

So next time stop and chew the fat with him and ask him to teach you.

I didn't.

[rubblequeen]

Same as some of the boaters, 99% are friendly and OK and every now and again some surly b can't even be bothered to grunt. You only have to have them in your life for a few seconds and then they are passed. Don't let them get to you.

 

I recently talked to some anglers "practising for the nationals" at Rugeley and they have no problem with boaters. They want us to slow down and stay in the middle of the canal.

[comfortably numb]

I've come across a few grumpy ones over the years but most are fine provided you slow down when passing so as not to dislodge their keep nets. If they are abusive the only wave I give them is one from the boat as I crank up the throttle to full power.

[churchward]

Like any group of people there are those that are grumpy and those that are cheerful. I have not really had much issue with anglers.

 

Also it isn't a universal truth that you can only be one or the other. There are some boaters who are anglers too! Honest it's true.

I've come across a few grumpy ones over the years but most are fine provided you slow down when passing so as not to dislodge their keep nets. If they are abusive the only wave I give them is one from the boat as I crank up the throttle to full power.

Oddly though once on the Erewash a group of anglers asked me to rev up bit to disturb the bottom and cloud the water. It was gin clear mind.

[furnessvale]

Generally , I find them ok. I always ease down as I pass and give them a wave if they are looking.

There's the rub! Amazing how interesting a single maggot can look to some of them!

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[mark99]

I went through a 300 peg match recently and made a point of engaging with every one who would look at me (it was really raining and was the only thing to keep me sane).

 

I can say that one bloke was not very happy but his mate next to him said "don't worry he is just a miserable ba*tard who is never happy", about 90% looked and responded with a positive acknowlegment and 10% ignored me (mainly cos they had personal stereo's/radio's headphones on).

 

So no is the answer to a pretty stupid question to be honest. As has been said on here before - what if you are a boater and an angler/cyclist/gongoozler etc? this binary characterisation of users say's more to me about the individual. You get what you give out.

Edited August 27, 2013 by mark99

[Guest]

I find that there are some grumpy anglers, boaters, dog-walkers, cyclists, pedestrians, canoeists, any other canal user I've forgotten, but the majority are fine. Must say generally I find the anglers in the midlands amongst the friendliest. It does help if you show interest.

We passed a huge fishing match about a week ago in this area, then later took the dogs for a walk when the anglers had gone home. The two mile stretch was absolutely spotless, not a hint of litter, which is a far cry from the reports I have read about anglers littering our canals.

[Caprifool]

To me they are all part of what makes the waterways so magical. Most are friendly. And those that don't look, I can't blame. I quite enjoy fishing and understand that they are looking at what interests them the most at that moment. The fish.

[JamesWoolcock]

Just lower your speed and go slowly down the middle of the canal, as confirmed by the Hon Secretary of The Burton Mutual AA as I did just that through sizable match alongside the A38 at Barton on the T&M a few years ago. He made the point of thanking me and in return I was grateful for his acknowledgement.

 

James

[Phil Ambrose]

Here on the River Great Ouse almost all anglers will give you a wave even if I inadvertantly get too close in, problem is that they sit hidden by the reeds and unless you see their gear they are easy to miss. I will always call out "sorry didknt see you" and the usual response is "no worries" as they know they cannot be seen.

Only once have I had any abuse,nothing that a few revs could'nt fix.

 

Phil

[BenC]

99% are fine keep to the middle and slow down a bit. If you do encounter a tw#t stop and reverse, if you're big and scary Just moor up where he's fishing!

[Ricco1]

Hi folks.. I am relatively new to boating (just coming up to 4 years now)

 

However, I discovered, quite early on, that the vast majority of tow-path anglers actually hate the fact that you are daring to interrupt the water with your accursed boat and frighten off all the little fish they are tying to extract from the canal.

 

Initially I used to wave, nod and even try to engage in friendly polite chat with them.. but what a waste of time.. little or no response.. most ignore your presence

I don't bother to do it now.. not even make eye contact. (Yes. And I I do slow right down for them).

 

One recently even gave me some verbal abuse as well as the vee sign

 

Personally I am not bothered if all they want to do is spend a day (away from their missuses) sitting at the side of the canal danging a maggot on the end of a fishing line in the hope of catching a (completely inedible) fish.. whatever floats your boat and turns you on..

 

But what I do object to is the glaring looks and the "waves of hate" that I feel as I chug past the miserable so-and-so's

 

OR Am I the only one that thinks this?

 

 

 

I'm a dedicated, no, passionate angler of nearly 30 years. I've only recently bought a boat.

 

I can confirm that the best thing to do is slow down and go down the middle of the canal when you approach an angler. I'm surprised that you had such negative responses to your friendliness in the past. You do get the odd grumpy sod but I'm sure the vast majority of anglers will appreciate that you've slowed down for them, and be friendly towards you.

 

One of your paragraphs sounds a little bitter. "away from the missuses" I and many other anglers do not have a 'missus'. If we do, it's not for others to judge how much of our time we spend together, I would think. As for your suggestion that angling is a pointless hobby/ pastime; you're quite right. But there again boating is a pointless hobby. As is playing or watching football. And any other hobby you can think of. I/you/ we're doing something we enjoy; there is no point

[lockedout]

We always smile and have a chat if we get a response.

 

Had an interesting discussion with a group of three anglers the other day.

 

The were fishing just below a lock and I apologised as I had to pull over to let 'er indoors off for the lock. They said not to worry as they liked boats going past as the fish tended to follow them - they even asked us if we could go up and down the cut a few times before going through the lock!!

[Pykebird]

When I moored in MK, there were fishing matches most week ends. Usually meaning I had to past at least once if not twice to get water etc .It became a game to try and make the most fishermen acknowledge you as you passed!

Although I suppose I did have a head start as most would look up and ask if the "kids" were wolves, which if there are 30 fishermen could become a bit boring by the end of the line.

Most of the time it just needs a bit of give and take, I have not run my engine if there are near me, helped break the ice so the match can start and offered tea if I have been in. One chap who was very aggressive towards me to start actually spent hours chatting about canal, boaters and boats and when he left had completely changed his mind about "bloody boaters".

[geoffwales]

We sailed on bank holiday along leeds liverpool and went past about 20 spread over varying distances, no problems. One guy said him and his mate hadnt had a thing all day so we pulled over and gave them a beer each and had a chat.

 

I been boating just on two years an only had one person glare at me in that time.

 

Personally my view is that if i was fishing in a canal i would expect boats and hope that they would slow down, i have seen other boaters who are complete richard heads go through the swim like lunatics and that sort of disregard for a fellow canal user would only encourage ill feelings.

 

No problems with fisherman, as in life you will always find a tosser if you look hard enough.

[Idle boater]

I have fished the canals of south Yorkshire since i was 8 yrs old, (stops to do the sums) and as i am now an old git of 56 i figure thats 48 yrs. I am lucky to have been boating for the past 6 yrs. I always smile and nod to other canal users (anglers, dog walkers and even other boaters) and have come to the conclusion that some folk are just miserable B******S, it matters not if they are fishing, dog walking or indeed boating, rudeness is not reserved for the angling fraternity,

 

Mike, (not a grumpy old git)