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Angling contests on the Shroppie


dor

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In August The Shropshire Union will host a number of major fishing contests.  These include the Angling Trust Individual National Championship and the Angling Trust Division One National Championship, the latter being a team event.

 

The National Championship will be contested by up to 60 teams of ten anglers and the length of canal to be pegged stretches from Shebdon (Bridge 42, by the Anchor pub) to Coole Pilate (Bridge 84, by the visitor mooring).

 

This is a very significant length of canal and boaters will be expected to travel slowly through the whole section.  The Shroppie here is part of the Four Counties ring and is very popular with hire boaters.  Quite why a match of this size has been planned for one of the busiest times of the year on such a popular route is not entirely clear.

The National competitions are considered to be some of the most important matches of the angling calendar.  Other major matches planned for the Shropshire Union Canal include heats for the Pairs Championship on  Saturday 5 August  and Sunday 13 August 2017 between Bretton and Audlem.

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It's a distance of about 17 miles I reckon.  

Presumably there is a website somewhere where we can get exact dates of these events?  I would try and avoid fishing matches whenever possible. 

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34 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

It's a distance of about 17 miles I reckon.  

Presumably there is a website somewhere where we can get exact dates of these events?  I would try and avoid fishing matches whenever possible. 

I think asking boaters to go slowly (ie slower than we usually do) for 17 miles is asking a bit much and surely the fisher folk won't expect boaters to crawl for that distance. Sometimes when we have passed fishing matches we have reduced our speed but not as far as tick over and have tried to maintain the same speed and position in the canal for all the fishing competitors thus trying to give them all the same chance.  This seems to be well accepted but surely it is up to the fisher organisers to let boaters know what they expect and what is reasonable. 

Haggis

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Last time I cruised through a large fishing match I was asked by various anglers to:

1. Speed up

2. Slow down

3. Move away from the towpath

4. Move closer to the towpath

5. Hit reverse to stir things up a bit

6. Rev up to stir things up a bit

Seems once they have taken their "misery pills" (to get them in the mood for fishing) there is no pleasing them.

Perhaps we should organise a CWDF cruise past them, with say a boat every minute. :D Then next time they might choose somewhere a bit quieter for their match.

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1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

It's a distance of about 17 miles I reckon.  

Presumably there is a website somewhere where we can get exact dates of these events?  I would try and avoid fishing matches whenever possible. 

Try these two:

http://anglingtrust.net/page.asp?section=42&sectionTitle=National+Championships

http://www.hodnetanglingclub.co.uk/homepage/hac-hosts-2017-div-1-national-beware-canal-water-closures/

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27 minutes ago, dor said:

Thanks for that dor, we may well be up that way in August the 12th and the 19th are obviously the dates to avoid.

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Practice competitions seem to be going on at any time during that week. I got trapped by one a feww yeaars back that seemed to run from Market Drayton to Great Hayward. Every possible mooring spot had a fisherman on it, and most of the lock landings. I gave up even trying to go slow after a couple of hours. Shall mark  the date so don't even start this year, assuming I'm allowed to stay put... 

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2 hours ago, dor said:

This is a very significant length of canal and boaters will be expected to travel slowly through the whole section. 

 

Why?

Canals are for navigation, not maggot dangling contests.

Edited by Victor Vectis
Spellin'
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1 hour ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Does this mean in effect no mooring for 17 miles too?  I don't think I've ever gone 17 miles without stopping.

 

I've asked C&RT what provisions they are making to allow boaters to moor up if they need to... it looks like apart from the cuttings and the locks flights (and also Market Drayton)  it's pretty solid

 

Sections

RED denotes a ROAD BRIDGE

A Section Br 42 (ST20 0NG) to Br 44 (ST20 0PT)

B Br 44 (ST20 0PT) to Br 45 (ST20 0QH)

C Br 46 (ST20 0QH) to Br 48 (TF9 2NR)

D Br 48 (TF9 2NR) to Br 51 (TF9 2NB) access drive from Br 52

E Br 51 (TF9 2NB) to Br 52 (TF9 2NB) & Br 53 (TF9 2ED)

F Br 53 (TF9 2ED) to Br 55 (TF9 2LP) & Br 56 (TF9 2LW)

G Br 64 (TF9 1RE) to Br 65 (TF9 4BH) & Br 66 (TF9 3SS)

H Br 66 (TF9 3SS) to Br 69 (TF9 3TN) (No bridge parking available)

Note. Access to Br 67 from A529 road via farm drive (Lees Farm)

J Br 70 (TF9 3TN) to Br 72 (TF9 3TJ)

K Br 82 (CW5 8AU) to Br 84 (CW5 8AU)

 

The Shropshire Union Canal has an average width of 13 metres with approximately four to four and a half feet of depth in the centre track. The main flow on sections A to G is from right to left, however on section H, bridge 67, which is known locally as the crossover bridge, the towpath is on the other side meaning that the canal will tow from left to right for the

remaining sections. There is no ban on the use of catapults, but anglers must be aware in the sections where boats are moored opposite, not to catapult bait to close or onto the boat.

Edited by StephenA
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1 hour ago, Victor Vectis said:

Why?

Canals are for navigation, not maggot dangling contests.

It folk like this that is making me fed up of canals and wanting to fish and boat on other waters. Way to self centered fr me.

To may moaners around now days who cant just get along and be nice and share the waters.  

 

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Quite why the NFA (National Federation of Anglers) and the CRT don't appear to talk to each other I really don't know. Boaters and Anglers are the two groups which care most about our canals, and good communications, clear guidance and a joined up approach would benefit both groups enormously. Even the closing or restricting of public roads for sporting events various can be managed without outbreaks of ill will, so surely CRT could link with other bodies to advise of, deconflict and/or mutually manage fishing and boating events.  We have much in common but instead of sharing the canal, we are often left not understanding each other which leads to an inevitable conflict of interests between Anglers and Boaters. Other groups who adversely impact upon both of our interests, and who may seek to undermine our influence in order to use the shared space in an incompatible way to our mutual disadvantage, don't need to divide and conquer - we do it for them.

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1 hour ago, Victor Vectis said:

Why?

Canals are for navigation, not maggot dangling contests.

Indeed. Something I do remind them when they are moaning. If the don't wish to be disturbed by boats I suggest they find a lake. Don't get me started on the rubbish left behind by the Sunday hunters either!!

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Just now, Victor Vectis said:

I'm quite happy to share the canal with anglers.

Provided every one of 'em pays the same to use the water as I do.

(About £800 per annum for my licence if memory serves)

Some years ago Waterways World magazine pointed out that BW's income from anglers was about 10% of that from boaters. This prompted a letter in the next issue from a boater who said he would happily pay 10% extra on his licence and moorings if the canals were free of anglers. Followed by a response from BW that the canals are available for all, shared use etc. etc. 

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Quite why the NFA (National Federation of Anglers) and the CRT don't appear to talk to each other I really don't know. Boaters and Anglers are the two groups which care most about our canals, and good communications, clear guidance and a joined up approach would benefit both groups enormously. Even the closing or restricting of public roads for sporting events various can be managed without outbreaks of ill will, so surely CRT could link with other bodies to advise of, deconflict and/or mutually manage fishing and boating events.  We have much in common but instead of sharing the canal, we are often left not understanding each other which leads to an inevitable conflict of interests between Anglers and Boaters. Other groups who adversely impact upon both of our interests, and who may seek to undermine our influence in order to use the shared space in an incompatible way to our mutual disadvantage, don't need to divide and conquer - we do it for them.

I couldn't agree more! It is a shame that anglers so often appear grumpy, but so can many boaters! Having said that, passing through Milton yesterday there were a number of anglers out but most were unusually friendly, even telling me to avoid a spot where they thought there was a submerged shopping trolley! :lol:

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The main problem I found the other year was that there was simply nowhere to moor.  I hadn't realised the competition was on, and started at my usual time of 6am, expecting to be able to tie up about lunch time.  Every official marked mooring was being used by fishermen and I finally got to Great Hayward and somewhere to moor about teatime, and that after suffering considerable abuse at lock landings and approaches from the fishermen on them. Certainly by the middle of the afternoon I was going at normal speed, sticking to the middle of the canal (whether they waved me in or out) and just ignoring the lot of them.

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If I were a cyclist I would cycle on roads these are designed for vehicles of which a bicycle is.

If I were an angler I would fish on the many rivers and lakes that abound.

If I were a runner I would attend a running track.

If I were a swimmer I would go to a swimming pool as the name suggests.

I am a boater in a boat designed for use on a canal which is were I am so why does every one of the above feel the need to grab my space?

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