Angling match pegged on lock moorings!

[Jim Riley]

Yes you read the topic right... here's copy of my letter to CaRT complaining, I've also sent a copy via snailmail to Old Bank Angling Club

 

On Sunday 30th September I was travelling on the Calder and Hebble navigation, from Stanley Ferry to Brighouse. I came across a fishing match on the Mirfield and Battyeford lengths of the canal. On arriving at the Mirfield Flood lock the gates were shut, I had to moor at the lock landing bollard to work the gates. There was a fisherman ensconced with keepnet and kit on the mooring, he was most concerned as I came in. I explained the etiquette and code of conduct, the necessity to keep the mooring clear. He did understand but said his peg had been marked there by match officials! I then moved upriver to Battyeford river lock, went up through to meet 2 fishermen on the lock moorings. I enquired whether they had been pegged there by officials, they had, I enquired who had organised the match -

Old Bank Angling Club

c/o Old Bank WMC ,

89 Old Bank Road ,

Mirfield ,

WF14 0HY

 

I did have an engine problem coming through Battyeford Lock, my gear cable snapped, I could not moor in an appropriate place to replace the cable. I did fix it but it was a struggle in the circumstances.

As I left the lock a narrowboat had to moor with just his stern to the bank, the rest of the boat being across the canal, because of the fisherman on the lock mooring. The fishermen seemed unconcerned about the trouble they were causing.

It seems that they were going to have the match on the river stretches but because the levels were high used the canal instead.

I frequently meet odd fisherman on lock moorings, they are a nuisance, but for the match officials to peg out the moorings is out of order, potentially dangerous and against the code of conduct for canal users.

I would appreciate feedback on the action you take and the response from the club. I am going to copy this email to them. Could I also suggest a "No fishing" sign be placed at lock moorings etc to remind fishermen of their obligations and avoid trouble with boaters.

 

 

 

edited - well tried to edit mis spelling in subject but cant!

Edited October 6, 2012 by Jim Riley

[muddywaters]

Closest I came to that was on the Staffs and Worcester but it was just a single angler out on his own for the day.

You would thng angling clubs organising a match would know better.

Would be very interested to ear what the clubs response is, keep us posted

[Dr Bradley]

I've come across this before on both the Calder and Hebble and the Rochdale. Is it something to do with the perception of local angling clubs that the canals close to boating out of season, as thaat's an excuse I've had.

[Guest]

As to signs - lock landings often have no fishing signs but for some reason some fishermen don't seem to be able to understand them.

[Gibbo]

As to signs - lock landings often have no fishing signs but for some reason some fishermen don't seem to be able to understand them.

 

Maybe an interest in fishing and the ability to read don't go well together?

[adam1uk]

Last Sunday there was a fishing match on the towpath opposite my marina, including opposite the entrance (which is both at a strange angle, and doubles as a winding hole). The anglers seemed somewhat dismayed that boats kept going in and out of the marina. It was also very windy, so any turn needed quite a bit of power. They really had something to moan about when a boat trying to turn got blown onto the towpath -- I've never seen a fisherman move so fast as the one who had to get his keep net out of the way quick!

[Matthew Dowson]

I always pull in if they're fishing on landings and trample on their rods

[LEO]

I always pull in if they're fishing on landings and trample on their rods

 

At A boy! - look the attitude has changed we must all get on together - we need the anglers donations to help repair the breach - £7500 from boaters - anglers donations will increase this substantially.

 

Remember if you are a boater you are well down CART's pecking order.......be nice to people - you know it makes sense.

 

L

[Les&Gerry]

I saw on angler (well qiute a few) throw stuff in the canal and when I asked him why he threw stuff in the canal. He said it's better in the cut than on the towpath.

[Lesd]

what sort of ''stuff'' ???

[Guest]

what sort of ''stuff'' ???

 

They normally chuck bait in the canal - often maggots.

 

No use on the tow-path...

 

They also chuck them at boaters who they think may be intimidated by such action when boaters exert their right to approach or land on a lock landing where they are fishing from....last few times they did it to us Jan just gathered 'em up and chucked them back in the cut or right back at them.

 

Having dealt with patients with maggots in their wounds it really doesn't phase us.

[ditchcrawler]

Some years back an angling club marled out the canal below Napton Top lock from the bottom gate to the top gate of the next lock down. At the time I wrote to the lady in charge at Braunston, I cant remember her name. I never actually saw any of the pegs being used.

[muddywaters]

They normally chuck bait in the canal - often maggots.

 

No use on the tow-path...

 

They also chuck them at boaters who they think may be intimidated by such action when boaters exert their right to approach or land on a lock landing where they are fishing from....last few times they did it to us Jan just gathered 'em up and chucked them back in the cut or right back at them.

 

Having dealt with patients with maggots in their wounds it really doesn't phase us.

If they throw maggots at you best to chuck them back but into the cut.

But and this is the important bit spread them out not throw them in one place.

It will atract the fish aay from where he is fishing so you will have spoilt his day.

If you throw them all in one place he would just move to there.

Unfurtuenitly the one fishing on the lock landing I came across never threw any maggots for me to do that, but what I did was just hovered withut the boat while the OH now the ex worked the lock, but made sure I accidently delibrately hovered over his swim.

The OH had problems getting ashore because of this angler as I did not want to hit his keep net, not for his sake but for the fish that might have been in it.

But shouted to her when she was ashore loud enough for the angler to hear sorry about that blame the idiot fishing on the lock landing

[GSer]

I think the OP has done the right thing, a letter of complaint should enlighten them as to their responsibilities, whilst i'm quite broadminded i find competative anling on lock moorings on the edge of decency, perhaps i'm getting old.

 

 

And the rest of you with 'he did that' 'they did this' bollix should know better

[Guest]

I think the OP has done the right thing, a letter of complaint should enlighten them as to their responsibilities, whilst i'm quite broadminded i find competative anling on lock moorings on the edge of decency, perhaps i'm getting old.

 

 

And the rest of you with 'he did that' 'they did this' bollix should know better

 

??? -

[nb Innisfree]

They normally chuck bait in the canal - often maggots.

 

No use on the tow-path...

 

They also chuck them at boaters who they think may be intimidated by such action when boaters exert their right to approach or land on a lock landing where they are fishing from....last few times they did it to us Jan just gathered 'em up and chucked them back in the cut or right back at them.

 

Having dealt with patients with maggots in their wounds it really doesn't phase us.

 

If he threw anything at my missus, he'd get a bunch of fives straight back in his kisser.

[Guest]

If he threw anything at my missus, he'd get a bunch of fives straight back in his kisser.

 

Jan wasn't phased on any of the times....

 

I left her to it - as I said she'd removed a good few from patient wounds - normally leg ulcers.

 

It's worth it to see the look of disappointment on the face of the stupid twerp that threw them at us.

[nb Innisfree]

Jan wasn't phased on any of the times....

 

I left her to it - as I said she'd removed a good few from patient wounds - normally leg ulcers.

 

It's worth it to see the look of disappointment on the face of the stupid twerp that threw them at us.

 

Mind you if my old gal ever did lose it she would be a match for a bloke, Seriously, I pushed her a bit too far once when we were playfighting (young and foolish) took an effort to calm her down, some sort of survival thing buried deep. Scary!

[Tiger 1057]

Last June I took my first nb holiday hiring a privately owned boat for a week on the T&M.

I did not come across any fishing matches but did pass a few anglers. Some looked disdainful at me but I always politely acknowledged them and I have to say they always lifted their rods in ample time causing me no problem.

However on one occasion two gentlemen thanked me for slowing down for them but made the comment that I had been the only boat to slow down for them that day!

I fully agree with the OP that to fish from the lock landing is totally out of order and the fault lies fully with the organising committee and he is right to complain both to CART and to the angling club. Hopefully a little education will address the issue on this occasion.

I fully understand that boaters make a significant financial contribution to the upkeep of the navigation but the end of the day we are all going to have to share the resource that the canals offer us. Perhaps CART, as part of their communication strategy, could inform angling clubs of the difficulties angling can cause those in charge of boats and perhaps that the occasional transgression of a boater is not indicative of the general boating community.

Now as a newcomer I may be naive with my comments but they are honestly made.

[boathunter]

Anglers (should) pay for a licence too and all they get for it is the right to sit on the edge, catch fish if they have a good day, then chuck them back in.

[little duck!]

I generally dont mind anglers, or at least those who nod and acnknowlege that you are there, i have passed a lot that dont even give eye contact and have unfortunately come across those who have shouted abuse at our speed ( appatently to fast/slow -you can't please them!) But what i thought odd was if they hate us getting in their way why do they chose the spots they do? We did the four conties and Caldon canal earler this year, one angler had set up at the exit/entrance to the staircase lock, exiting the lock heading back towasrd the T&M there is a bend which is right where he was!

Then on one of the locks on heartbreak hill there was an angler actually fishing in the lock mouth spreading his gear out on the steps leading down to the point where i would normally get back on the boat! Seemingly it should be a 2 way thing- if they want us to be courteous to them then surely they should do the same and think about where they fish!

[ditchcrawler]

Anglers (should) pay for a licence too and all they get for it is the right to sit on the edge, catch fish if they have a good day, then chuck them back in.

But they don't. They buy a licence but that doesn't give them the right to go fishing in all cases, that is down to an agreement with whoever owns the fishing rights.

[JerryP]

I generally dont mind anglers, or at least those who nod and acnknowlege that you are there, i have passed a lot that dont even give eye contact and have unfortunately come across those who have shouted abuse at our speed ( appatently to fast/slow -you can't please them!) But what i thought odd was if they hate us getting in their way why do they chose the spots they do? We did the four conties and Caldon canal earler this year, one angler had set up at the exit/entrance to the staircase lock, exiting the lock heading back towasrd the T&M there is a bend which is right where he was!

Then on one of the locks on heartbreak hill there was an angler actually fishing in the lock mouth spreading his gear out on the steps leading down to the point where i would normally get back on the boat! Seemingly it should be a 2 way thing- if they want us to be courteous to them then surely they should do the same and think about where they fish!

 

 

It's hard to work without tools

[Les&Gerry]

Sorry for the late reply beer cans fishing line plastic bags.

 

Les

[steve hayes]

We came across a angling match pegged across the water point at Stoke Prior (Worcs-Bham) a few years ago.

When we tried to pull in we were informed by a match official that we couldn't use the water point because a match was on. I said that we were and if the angler who was in our way didn't move his net it would be at least squashed and most likely wrapped round my prop. The officious official moved the angler. While we were filling with water some t**t decided that we should have maggots thrown over the counter.

We left without starting a fight and I complained to the angling club and to be fair they did phone back a few days latter. Apparently the anglers were not on the water point they were adjacent to it, I did point out that you don't moor a boat pointy end to the bank on a canal and that we would need at least 70-80 foot of clear bank to access the water point. Apparently were we being unreasonable in wanting to use the water point during a match and the maggot incident was nothing to do with any of their members, TWATS...

 

On a more recent note we have just returned from three weeks up to Llangolen (and back) the fishermen up there we all friendly and talked as we passed, back on the Worcs-B'Ham today the standard approach is to avert eye contact or to complain about all the b****y boats passing.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Theo
Use of language.