What is the matter with people

[Peter Adams]

much has already been said i am a bailiff for my club and when you start fishing the swim becomes your responsiblity and all litter found is taken home this helps but for the life of me i do not understand how people can throw tins on the floor and bug-off home.
regards
peter adams croydon

 

[Mick Smith]

The litter and rubbish left by anglers appalls me. I regularly clean up after visiting anglers on my local river, The Aire. On my last visit to Ireland I felt so ashamed by the mess English anglers left, I sent a letter of apology to the local paper in Ballinamore. I assured them that we were not all morons and that there were still some caring responsible anglers around.

 

[Dave Feeney]

The thing that amazes me about litter is the extraordinary lenghts people go to hid it, stuffing it all the way down rabbit holes, hiding it under large stones some of which could give you a hernia lifting, pushing it into tree roots, and putting it into a bag then hanging it off a bush or tree, effort wise it's just not logical for them to do, but try telling them?? once I walked around picking up litter and to try and shame one guy I started to pick up litter near to his swim, as I did he handed me his chocolate wrapper he was eating as if I was there for that sole purpose, you had to laugh, well actually I didn't and I think by the look on my face he knew I wasn't amused.
I think a lot of litter is left by casual anglers not hard core who fish regulary, well I hope so anyway.

 

[Andy McWilliam]

My local club operates a 'you are responsible for litter in your swim - yours or not' policy. It works. Some of the waters are on private land, some on land to which the public have access.

The level of litter on our private waters is very low indeed compared to the others.

This for me speaks volumes about where litter on fisheries comes from.

 

[Steve Burke]

The answer I feel is for stronger enforcement. Some of those who control waters could be very much stricter. Most clubs have a no litter rule, but how many of them actually enforce it?

At Wingham I get no litter whatsoever from my anglers except for the odd cigarette butt. Yes, these are litter too! The occasional reminder is all that's needed to control this as my members know they're liable to instantly lose their ticket. Besides every member is vetted and I can't imagine any of them offending in the first place.

Discarded line is probably the biggest problem. To the newcomers amongst you I'd ask please don't bury it; cut it up into tiny pieces and take in home for disposal. Don't forget that, unless cut up, line can be a killer to wildlife on rubbish dumps as well.

If you do get line in a tree and can't get it out, tell the owner. I've only once had this misfortune in recent years, but I got the owner's boat and retrieved the line. The result was a dead swim - but it's a whole lot better than a dead bird!

 

[Andy Doughty]

If you can burn your old line. Its a damn site better than throwing it away, but if you have to bin it, as Steve says, cut it up.

 

[Cathal Quigley]

anglers just,JUST HAVE SOME SENSE AND DONT POLLUTE WHAT YOU LOVE

 

[Craig Smith]

The point's about disgarded line reminds me of the best tip I've had:
Always carry an empty Pirngles tub, cut a cross in the lid. Hey presto a little bin for bit's of line and ciggy ends(Stubbed out!!) and all other little bits of litter.

 

[Dave Feeney]

Spot on Craig, I use the same, the cross cut in the lid pulls the line of your fingers, and the container weighs next to nothing, so no worrys about having to carry extra weight it's surprising how much line you use and discard in a matter of weeks!!! Bisto gravy containers are also good and come with a plastic top.

 

[Steve King]

Some BAA stetches of the Teme & Severn are really bad. One stretch of the Teme has 2 dumped cars in the car park - OK it may be that anglers were not responsible for dumping them, but leaving them there to rot does little for our image. I've been a member of BAA for five years and have never once seen a baliff. I've picked up fifty beer cans cans (all empty!) from one swim alone. I retrieved a great bird's nest of heavy line (at least 15lb) from a farmer's field with horses in it. Oh, and another stretch of the Teme has an old gas boiler dunped in the car park - that must be due to a so called "angler" as it is right at the end of a very long and rough farm track and is only used by anglers.

 

[Ashe Hurst]

I live in SE london/north kent,the local waters are in a bad way,the lakes have bailiffs but not once have i seen any one pick litter.Some anglers blattently drop or kick litter to one side.If you ask somone to pick thier litter up, you are given verbal or a threat of a good kicking.
Also the public are as bad,bikes, cars,buggies,CD,s, trollies,cones,bread bags,the list goes on.
The council dont do anything,example is the river cray in bexley,north kent.21 dumped cars in a 1/4 mile stretch,tons of fly tipped domestic and building waste and all this on a cleen green ,signed area.
The sign has a department phone number regular/daily council and EA patrols.
But when it comes to flood defence,all the banks and reed beds are ripped out by the end of August and the cars and rubble left alone.
I have mentioned to the local environment departments of my intentions to plan and deal with the problems,but they say there is no need for it.
As for litter I do pick up others mess,in front of them if they dont get the hint whilst watching me .I dont litter,when used i place it strait into a bag,even my left over bait.
Do we need a national TV add showing a bunch of Divs attempting to fish and a angler pointing out that they should not litter,also members of the public dropping litter and being pulled up by an angler.
We have these adds for keep britain tidy set in towns,why not around lakes and rivers,both country and urban?