Dogs walkers threatened by fishermen

[Bunny]

Just seen a disturbing Facebook post of two male fishermen verbally abusing and threatening to kick two young women because their dogs had gone for a swim in the River Stour in Dorset . The fishermen had already kicked the dogs , at which the woman were upset about . As they videoed the confrontation they were further shouted and sworn at for doing that . The women probably didn't realise the effect that the dogs swimming in the river would have on the fish . Bunny

[leolady too]

Last week on the K&A I was the recipient of verbal abuse from a fisherman because I moored on the landing between a swing bridge and a lock. A fisherman was there, with his gear all over the steps leading down to the landing and he was right next to the "No Fishing" sign. His keep net was squashed in the process (although not damaged). It didn't seem to occur to him that I had the right to tie up there and that he didn't have the right to fish there. I ignored him but it was irritating and upsetting.

[AndyV]

What you have to realise is that the early canal pioneers struggled and made great sacrifices to build a system for bringing fish to areas that previously didn't have them. For the results of all this effort just to be corrupted and used for frivolous things like boats must be extremely aggravating for the real canal users who work so hard to keep the art of worm drowning alive.

 

But seriously, the events described above merit police involvement I think!

[Bunny]

Understand that but to fish next to a ' no fishing' sign and not pull his net in when he can see a boat mooring .... bit dense . As in my previous post , the girls with the dogs would probably have called them back if they had know about scaring the fish ..... but their dogs were kicked and they were threatened and sworn at . I've had abuse from fishermen , even been told how to drive the boat ' over here, over there, in the middle,took the corner too wide, not wide enough ' one extremely abusive man upset me soo much and I didnt swear or shout back but I went through the whole match on 2000 revs and explained to the last fisherman why . There can be give and take on all sides , no need for abuse . Bunny

[IanM]

Unfortunately with events like these by the time someone gets a phone out and starts filming the argument the actual reason for it 'kicking off' is missed.

 

The fishermen may have told the girls not to let their dogs swim there beforehand but they ignored it.

 

There are always 2 sides to every story and to be honest if I was having a disagreement with someone and they pulled a phone out and started filming it I would have a go at them about it too!

 

Disclaimer: I am not a fisherman.

Edited August 19, 2016 by IanM

[Guest]

The OP's post is of concern to me, and I hope the video was taken to the cops. They would take threatening behaviour very seriously in my experience.

Also one or two do fish in stupid places (as some boaters moor in stupid places.)

That said, I hope this doesn't become another "fishermen are ars*holes" thread. I have passed hundreds this year, the vast majority of whom have been friendly and polite.

[Jerra]

That said, I hope this doesn't become another "fishermen are ars*holes" thread. I have passed hundreds this year, the vast majority of whom have been friendly and polite.

I would totally agree with you.

 

However there is no excuse ever for kicking dogs (well OK if they are injuring somebody there might be an excuse) and certainly no excuse for men abusing women over something such as that.

[Guest]

I would totally agree with you.

 

However there is no excuse ever for kicking dogs (well OK if they are injuring somebody there might be an excuse) and certainly no excuse for men abusing women over something such as that.

Agree; I do not condone such behaviour in any way. I have seen violent people on boats/in cars and condemn that too.

I would be straight to the cops if anybody threatened my wife/daughters. Video evidence is good, but as one poster pointed out it can antagonise others and possibly escalate the problem.

[Jerra]

Agree; I do not condone such behaviour in any way. I have seen violent people on boats/in cars and condemn that too.

I would be straight to the cops if anybody threatened my wife/daughters. Video evidence is good, but as one poster pointed out it can antagonise others and possibly escalate the problem.

I wasn't suggesting you did condone the situation. I was making the point that whatever the provocation there really isn't any excuse for such behaviour. I was making the point because I felt there might be a slight undercurrent of if they had ignored requests then it was OK.

 

I may be misreading the feelings of some posters. If so I apologize.

[Guest]

I wasn't suggesting you did condone the situation. I was making the point that whatever the provocation there really isn't any excuse for such behaviour. I was making the point because I felt there might be a slight undercurrent of if they had ignored requests then it was OK.

 

I may be misreading the feelings of some posters. If so I apologize.

No need to apologise, no offence taken or anything. I was agreeing in my own way, though perhaps a little clumsily.

Always te problem when communicating on a forum; there is no body language present and it can be hard to judge the tone of a post.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Guest

[mayalld]

I would totally agree with you.

 

However there is no excuse ever for kicking dogs (well OK if they are injuring somebody there might be an excuse) and certainly no excuse for men abusing women over something such as that.

 

I am glad that you qualified your statement.

 

I have certainly encountered a situation where I came very close to kicking a dog (two dogs actually, and if I had done so, I would have been very happy to justify my actions).

 

That occasion involved being on the towpath, and two large dogs (off lead) hurtling towards my grandson, who was around 3 years old at the time, and barking loudly at him. He was terrified, and I shouted to the two women who were ignoring their dogs to get them under control.

 

One of the dogs was baring his teeth and growling, before she uttered the classic line, so beloved of all irresponsible dog owners "It's all right, he's only playing".

 

At that point I may have started to lose the plot a little, and shouted at them very firmly indeed (you may call it verbal abuse if you like) that it was NOT alright, and that unless the mutt was brought under control RIGHT NOW, it would enter the canal on the end of my foot.

 

She marched over and put the dog on a lead, before announcing that her son was a police officer, and that I should be very careful who I messed with, because she could get her son to come and arrest me for threatening her dog.

 

I told her to do her worst, pointed out where my boat was, and mentioned that I would be there until the morning, but that if she did carry through with her threats, I would be making a complaint about her having a dog that was dangerously out of control, and a complaint against her son for misconduct, and invited her to "go away" and not come back here until I had departed.

[Guest]

No problem from me if kicking an attacking dog. I had to boot a German Shepherd really hard a few years back when it attacked my dog and I. My dog came out of it rather badly, and I injured my elbow. Suppose I could have got the cops in on that one, but I settled for the fact that the owners paid our hefty vet's bill.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Guest

[AllanC]

Last week on the K&A I was the recipient of verbal abuse from a fisherman because I moored on the landing between a swing bridge and a lock. A fisherman was there, with his gear all over the steps leading down to the landing and he was right next to the "No Fishing" sign. His keep net was squashed in the process (although not damaged). It didn't seem to occur to him that I had the right to tie up there and that he didn't have the right to fish there. I ignored him but it was irritating and upsetting.

If that was the lock landing outside the Rowbarge at woolhampton, the guy was there all week. I spoke to him Sunday and he was a pleasant enough chap, but obviously not keen on having his fishing interrupted by a boat even though he should not have been there. In fact one boat owner who was moored below the swing bridge even joined him for a while to do a spot of fishing before moving his boat through the lock.

[Flyboy]

If the dogs were 'under control' ( ie. on leads ) then the incident would not have occurred.

[Jerra]

If the dogs were 'under control' ( ie. on leads ) then the incident would not have occurred.

Most readers will know I am not a dog fan but being "being under control" doesn't mean on a lead a dog can be perfectly controlled when not on a lead.

[mayalld]

Most readers will know I am not a dog fan but being "being under control" doesn't mean on a lead a dog can be perfectly controlled when not on a lead.

 

Whereas I am actually a dog owner.

 

It is possible for a dog to be under close control when not on a lead, but sadly the overwhelming majority of dogs off the lead whose owners claim that they are under control are not actually under control.

[Jerra]

 

Whereas I am actually a dog owner.

 

It is possible for a dog to be under close control when not on a lead, but sadly the overwhelming majority of dogs off the lead whose owners claim that they are under control are not actually under control.

I am well aware of that, but it was the i.e which I was taught equates to "that is" (if my latin serves me right) which basically said they can only be under control on a lead. Which is clearly wrong.

[casper ghost]

My brother's dog fell off the boat into the cut, it swam to the bank and seeing a chap fishing, the dog swam up to him, presumably thinking the chap would help him out. Instead the fisherman pushed the dog back into the canal as he was worried it was getting close to his equipment.. If I had been able to pull over I would have thrown the chap in, hateful man..

Casp'

[Peter-Bullfinch]

On the Huddersfield narrow canal there are lots of CRT signs saying dogs must be on leads. I think it's a good idea. Lots of dogs were on leads, some weren't. It's also easier to spot if the dog needs clearing up after if it's on a lead rather than wandering many yards behind the owner.

[mayalld]

On the Huddersfield narrow canal there are lots of CRT signs saying dogs must be on leads. I think it's a good idea. Lots of dogs were on leads, some weren't. It's also easier to spot if the dog needs clearing up after if it's on a lead rather than wandering many yards behind the owner.

 

For some dog walkers, that is the point of having the dog off a lead.

 

If the dog is off doing its own thing, they are so much less likely to notice it crapping, and having managed not to notice, they don't pick up.

[leolady too]

If that was the lock landing outside the Rowbarge at woolhampton, the guy was there all week. I spoke to him Sunday and he was a pleasant enough chap, but obviously not keen on having his fishing interrupted by a boat even though he should not have been there. In fact one boat owner who was moored below the swing bridge even joined him for a while to do a spot of fishing before moving his boat through the lock.

That was him. The problem was that the power was out to the area so the bridge wouldn't work. When the power came back on the bridge still wouldn't work until the CRT chap turned up an reset something. By that time there were 4 boats at least waiting and two hire boats in the pound between the lock and the bridge. We were first through and the others in the queue let the coal boat (Oz I think) come through with us. I had to go through the bridge first because I was in the way so I moored in the pound while the coal boat went past and into the lock first (I didn't fancy acting as a fender for him given his boat was well loaded and there's a vicious cross current from the weir). I think that everyone else had charged past the fisherman because of the weir and I was the first person to moor while he'd been there. However, he was fishing in the pound right next to the sign saying he shouldn't. I'm not bothered particularly that he fishes where he shouldn't but I am annoyed at getting foul language for mooring where I should. I also think camping on the steps so that everyone has to go up and down the slope is selfish and dangerous. Before anyone says "why is it dangerous" I'd just say that my wife has permanent pain having fallen backwards onto her bum and damaged her coccyx on just such a slope.

[Sea Dog]

Just seen a disturbing Facebook post of two male fishermen verbally abusing and threatening to kick two young women because their dogs had gone for a swim in the River Stour in Dorset . The fishermen had already kicked the dogs , at which the woman were upset about . As they videoed the confrontation they were further shouted and sworn at for doing that . The women probably didn't realise the effect that the dogs swimming in the river would have on the fish . Bunny

 

Whilst I wouldn't condone the reported reaction for a moment, I'm with those who think there's not enough information here to make a balanced judgement in favour of the dog owners. I have a water loving Labrador and if she leaped into the water adjacent to anyone fishing I'd be most apologetic and rather annoyed at myself for letting it happen. Similarly if she bothered anyone else considerately going about their business or recreation. She goes back on the lead whenever she might bother anyone we're passing and she heels closely and/or sits for considerate passing cyclists. If folk come into our space and take it upon themselves to interfere with what she's doing then they assume some responsibility, but generally speaking its my dog and therefore my responsibility to control her as the situation demands.

[Stilllearning]

As a group, boaters need to stop being so nice about anglers that fish where they shouldn't . We have all had to avoid anglers who fish from lock or swing bridge landings, and I truly don't see why we are all so reasonable. It's time to start photographing them and emailing CRT and the relevant local Angling Association to get this stopped.

[Guest]

As a group, boaters need to stop being so nice about anglers that fish where they shouldn't . We have all had to avoid anglers who fish from lock or swing bridge landings, and I truly don't see why we are all so reasonable. It's time to start photographing them and emailing CRT and the relevant local Angling Association to get this stopped.

Whilst I can't argue that some do this, and agree they shouldn't, we must remember that a number of boaters also break the rules. If we are going to report fishermen for breaking rules, then I suggest we should do the same to boaters who moor on lock landings, overstay, go too fast, too slow, leave rubbish, spill diesel etc. It would certainly keep me busy.

[spadefoot]

As a group, boaters need to stop being so nice about anglers that fish where they shouldn't . We have all had to avoid anglers who fish from lock or swing bridge landings, and I truly don't see why we are all so reasonable. It's time to start photographing them and emailing CRT and the relevant local Angling Association to get this stopped.

Oh leave it out. I honestly can't remember the last time I met a grumpy fisherman. They all return my greetings.

If there's one on a lock or bridge landing, just land there if you need to, that's what it's for. Don't forget to say "hello mate, how's it going?"

Don't make enemies on the cut just for the sake of it, you might need that fisherman's help one day.