Canoe reply from HDYGO thread

[steve2]

Where I live you can walk miles of river and never see another angler. Places like Thames, Lea, Chelmer, Suffolk Stour are now so under fished there are miles and miles of deserted river banks. Other places are so overgrown the only way to see the water is to be in it or on it.
I don't think non navigable and having permission means anything it boaters, swimmers and paddle boarders and who as the time and money to fight trespass cases.

 

[tigger]

Where I live you can walk miles of river and never see another angler. Places like Thames, Lea, Chelmer, Suffolk Stour are now so under fished there are miles and miles of deserted river banks.

Your a lucky man then!

 

[103841]

This sudden increase in boating activitiy and swimming has had a devasting effect fishing my parts of the Kentish Stour during daylight hours, infact some paddleboarders have been seen out on the river at midnight recently.

Unlike the Angling membership, they pay no fees and have no rules to abide by. Many go onto to the tidal river without life jackets including unsupervised children. We are just coming up to the first anniversary of the tragic death of Lucas Dobson who was swept away and not found for a few days. It is just a matter of time until we have a similar traged.

I posted a picture on the HDYGO a few weeks ago showing a plastic launching pontoon for public use, slap bang in the middle of our stretch on Grove Ferry, no life belts, no signs warning of tidal water and strong currents. Canoeists get impatient waiting to use the pontoon when there’s a queue and use any available spot, normally one of our pegs which are already being eroded away.

I can only hope they all sod off when the summer is over.

 

[markcw]

I was wrong advocating a few mis aimed pouches of maggots at paddle boards and canoes, they are easy to wash off, Not like a canal boat that could have at least half a gallon pouched at it along a match length. ?
Try finding all those before hot weather kicks in .

 

[no-one in particular]

They say that there is nothing like a quiet day fishing . . . and looking at those photos, that fishing is nothing like a quiet pastime.

Personally, I'd have packed up and found somewhere else to fish rather than tolerate that sort of behaviour. If it is a club water then I'd be asking the committee to have a word with the owner as these "sports" are mutually exclusive, IMO.

Failing agreeable resolution then I'd be looking for a different club where excusive rights are available for rented locations.

I rely on public transport, so not really an option for me, the buses only run every two hours to this spot so once there, that's it. I could have packed up a bit earlier, caught the 1.58 back but by the time I had set up, might as well stuck it out. I was aware of the problem through previous visit but thought might be OK on a Friday. I now know to just forget it until maybe later as a winter venue. I can live with that but as an issue for the club and its members in general, I don't know but, my guess is they are not bothered as no ones seems to fish it. They have lakes and these rivers are not much of a concern to them or their members who probably hardly ever fish there. I don't think they are a rich club, about 400 members as far as i know.
I have done a bit of looking up, seems the club have the rights on the right bank going upstream from where I am which is just a small fields worth below a bridge on the left bank. and the campsite is on the left bank above the bridge, so I am assuming different farmers each side of the river, maybe three farmers in all, one who owns this small field , another above the bridge who has leased the rights on the right bank, and one who owns the camping site but has not leased the fishing rights. To make it more complicated I think this stretch is only affiliated to this club from another club.
Should I get involved? not what I envisaged when on a whim I paid my concessionary £40 to be honest and being a lifelong non club member who used to amble along to free stretches and the odd commercial or day ticket, I think I might go back to that when this fee runs out on 31st March next year.
It seemed an easier way of life.

 

[no-one in particular]

The swimmer was a nutcase and I would have thought a size 12 hook in his trunks would have deterred him.

This will make you laugh, earlier the swimmer who is a woman came paddling down with a group when I was in the other swim. on the way back she stopped as they rested just below me and I was just in the middle of packing up to move upstream to another swim and we had a little chat, she was apologetic to me but by now I was resigned to this is not a good place to fish. She said was some sort of wild coach and how she was worried about the mental health of people in lock down, during the conversation she mentioned she also wild swims the river.
Anyway off i went and was expecting them to come by later, I was surprised to see her coming by swimming followed by her group in canoes etc. By now I didn't care, a space ship could have landed in the water and I wouldn't have thought it was unusual. Thankfully I was going to catch my bus soon after this after a swift pint in the pub by the bus-stop; a couple of valium in it wouldnt have gone amiss.

 

[mikench]

At least put up signs( the lessor) saying " Canoeists, Paddle boarders and swimmers are forbidden to use this river and will be sued for trespass". You can use the term " prosecuted " but trespass is a civil offence. A few lines of braid across and a few photographs being taken will deter some. Pontoons at certain points will not affect flow but stop them all. Make life difficult for them .

 

[no-one in particular]

It's a case of use or lose it. Very few now fish rivers so why not open them up for all to enjoy in what ever way they want. I am surprised that many clubs still keep paying big rents for river sections they don't use.

I think anglers will just end up being some sort of novelty act one day like Morris Dancers.

 

[no-one in particular]

This sudden increase in boating activitiy and swimming has had a devasting effect fishing my parts of the Kentish Stour during daylight hours, infact some paddleboarders have been seen out on the river at midnight recently.

Unlike the Angling membership, they pay no fees and have no rules to abide by. Many go onto to the tidal river without life jackets including unsupervised children. We are just coming up to the first anniversary of the tragic death of Lucas Dobson who was swept away and not found for a few days. It is just a matter of time until we have a similar traged.

I posted a picture on the HDYGO a few weeks ago showing a plastic launching pontoon for public use, slap bang in the middle of our stretch on Grove Ferry, no life belts, no signs warning of tidal water and strong currents. Canoeists get impatient waiting to use the pontoon when there’s a queue and use any available spot, normally one of our pegs which are already being eroded away.

I can only hope they all sod off when the summer is over.

I remember that, shocking and it will increase with all this interest in water sports, many of these I have been watching can barely stand or row. Just out of interest do you see many anglers at Grove Ferry or any other parts of the river, I would bet not. that's one reason why we will lose this battle, I am sure.

 

[108831]

Im afraid your right Ian,the stretch of tidal Stour I mentioned is not navigable and there are several signs which they scoff at,you cannot cast into the holes in the weed in some swims as they will foul your gear and you can't hear or see them coming in some pegs.

 

[103841]

I remember that, shocking and it will increase with all this interest in water sports, many of these I have been watching can barely stand or row. Just out of interest do you see many anglers at Grove Ferry or any other parts of the river, I would bet not. that's one reason why we will lose this battle, I am sure.

the majority like me will fish from dawn til 10am when the traffic starts. I’m wondering how it will effect the behaviour of fish like chub and barbel that spook very easily, hard to find at the best of times on our stretch.

Had something else to rant about yesterday, went along to Epple Bay close to Margate at low tide to observe a few marks, a Chinese family were harvesting shellfish by the bucket loads, I had words but they claimed no speak English, I took some photos and surprise surprise their English was pretty fluent when they threatened me for taking pictures of their activity.

 

[108831]

Scumbags,ooops thats rascist,yellow lives and all that,people seem to do whatever they like...

 

[steve2]

I first fished kent stour from grove ferry to plucks gutter around 55 years ago even back then apart from at Grove ferry and Plucks gutter the rest of the river was rarely fished. If you move away from these 2 areas you may find some peaceful fishing.

 

[103841]

I first fished kent stour from grove ferry to plucks gutter around 55 years ago even back then apart from at Grove ferry and Plucks gutter the rest of the river was rarely fished. If you move away from these 2 areas you may find some peaceful fishing.

much of its inaccessible now Steve, I’m not young and fit enough to walk long distances with even with a light roving kit, but even if I was the options are very limited.

 

[mikench]

Can someone invent a mini torpedo please.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[108831]

Maybe a fake shark fin fitted to a model sub....

 

[peterjg]

Sorry chaps although I totally agree with you I am afraid that we cannot win against these moronic paddlers, swimmers, etc. Quite simply we are going to be outnumbered. I fish the Kennet, Thames, K&A Canal and the Basingstoke Canal: you hardly ever see another angler! However; on all these waters there are people paddling and swimming.


These people don't care about us, why should they? As for the paddle board things well they are clearly pathetic, surely only a cretin would use one!? It will only stop if/when a tragedy happens and someone is hit by a narrow boat and drowns. If the banks were once more lined with anglers this might deter these morons - but it ain't gonna happen!

 

[103841]

The dangers are slowly being recognised

Fears of tragedy as canoers plucked from river

Boatmen worry it is only a matter of time before someone is hurt "or worse" as they continue to pull capsized canoers and kayakers from the water.

www.google.co.uk

 

[no-one in particular]

mm

Sorry chaps although I totally agree with you I am afraid that we cannot win against these moronic paddlers, swimmers, etc. Quite simply we are going to be outnumbered. I fish the Kennet, Thames, K&A Canal and the Basingstoke Canal: you hardly ever see another angler! However; on all these waters there are people paddling and swimming.


These people don't care about us, why should they? As for the paddle board things well they are clearly pathetic, surely only a cretin would use one!? It will only stop if/when a tragedy happens and someone is hit by a narrow boat and drowns. If the banks were once more lined with anglers this might deter these morons - but it ain't gonna happen!

I have seen quite a few of these paddle boards used in the sea, when it is usually calm but they are often far out. I think I remember one case where the local lifeboat was called out to an incident last year where the cretin was trying his luck in a rough sea. But it is like all these things, a death wont make one bit of difference, plenty have drowned jumping of cliffs, windsurfing etc and it will be the same in fresh water, paddle boarders falling off and drowning, wild swimmers getting a disease or being overcome by the current. They will carry on regardless. The old it will never happen to me syndrome.
I am only convinced more than ever that anglers and water enthusiasts should be separated, there is 35 miles of river where I was the other day, plenty of room for both but how to do it and get agreement is the thing. I will leave that to others.

 

[steve2]

I can see

Sorry chaps although I totally agree with you I am afraid that we cannot win against these moronic paddlers, swimmers, etc. Quite simply we are going to be outnumbered. I fish the Kennet, Thames, K&A Canal and the Basingstoke Canal: you hardly ever see another angler! However; on all these waters there are people paddling and swimming.


These people don't care about us, why should they? As for the paddle board things well they are clearly pathetic, surely only a cretin would use one!? It will only stop if/when a tragedy happens and someone is hit by a narrow boat and drowns. If the banks were once more lined with anglers this might deter these morons - but it ain't gonna happen!

I can see a time when most if not all fishing will take place on controlled/commercial waters away from all other activities.
You only have to go back a few years and anglers said they would never fish a hole in the ground sitting a few feet away from someone else.
Where are those anglers now, they are sitting round a hole in the ground hauling out carp. Fishing moves on and it not back to fishing rivers.