Are anglers the "guardians of the waterways"

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I've see it said many times that anglers are the guardians of the waterways
That we report pollution , clean up rivers and turn old ponds into places for everyone to fish

And whilst its true that working parties clean up rivers and lakes are we responsible for the rubbish in the first place

Walk along any river bank or round a still water and you see litter, ok some of it is food packaging and could have been dropped by anyone but who else leaves ground bait bags, hook packets, feeder packets except anglers

I've seen anglers flick a cigarette butt into the water on several occasions

Line left in swims is often seen

For the public to see the good we do they need to stop seeing the bad we do

 

[terry m]

You make a good point. Thankfully in my part of the world things are not too bad, but it is not unusual to happen upon discarded sweetcorn tins, Luncheon meat cans and hook/tackle packets that are almost certainly attributable to anglers. Along with beer cans etc, that may well be attributable to anglers.

 

[nicepix]

There is a larger issue though in that without angling interests over the last hundred years or more, many lakes would not be here today. We hear a lot of negatives about anglers particularly from a large organisation devoted to watching birds, but what many don't realise is that without anglers there would be less birds and other animals to watch. Same with rivers. It is the risk of financial penalties that stops wide scale pollution.

 

[Merv Harrison]

I've never quite understood why anglers leave litter, it's so simple to put it in a bag with a big stone in, throw it in the water and let it sink, beauty of this method is that other anglers think you're groundbaiting.

On a serious note, yes we are the 'guardians' of the waterways, if only because we are usually the first to spot any problems because of our presence/interest.

 

[tiinker]

We are the only guardians of the rivers and still waters. Have you seen what happens to anything that has not got the interest of a group of people no matter what it is . It will be abused one way or another. I can remember when we were kids a local club that was private let us fish a small pond that they did not use . The local residents threw anything and everything in it. Us kids at 10 years of age cleaned it out and it was our fishery. We still poached the big lake and put the odd fish in our pond but it was ours and we looked after it . the residents stopped dumping their rubbish in it because if they did they got it back.:wh

 

[bennygesserit]

Volunteers Remove Significant Quantity of Litter from the River Roe - Loughs Agency

Sorry I am not trolling I just think that a combination of organisations presenting a unified front is the way forwards and the above is a small example of this.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

There is a larger issue though in that without angling interests over the last hundred years or more, many lakes would not be here today. We hear a lot of negatives about anglers particularly from a large organisation devoted to watching birds, but what many don't realise is that without anglers there would be less birds and other animals to watch. Same with rivers. It is the risk of financial penalties that stops wide scale pollution.

True , without anglers many places would be watery dumping ground but we then let ourselves down by leaving tins, cans packets at the backside

 

[mick b]

Yes, about 75% of all anglers truly are guardians of our waters.
It's the other 25% that's the problem.

In my days patrolling lakes and rivers I've seen anglers leave all manner of rubbish behind when they've packed up.

I've also seen them steal cut timber, throat hook ducks on purpose, shoot-up no fishing signs with air rifles, steal fish both dead and alive, damage the landowners property, I could go on but you've all seen it sometime or other.

WHY do anglers do it?
Why does our sport attract these morons?
Some may even be reading this now?

Pull them up and they complain your 'like Hitler', take them before the committee and afterwards they tell everyone they are gonna 'sort you' out (I only wish they'd tried), give them their rubbish back and they just look at you dumbfounded!!

The finest remedy is to ban anyone leaving litter for one whole year, no messing!
This is the only punishment that works 100% in my experience.

But who provides the evidence, a bailiff in a stab vest?

 

[maverick 7]

I think we certainly are guardians of the rivers.......just a pity we can't guard them for a full year though isn't it?

When we are fishing.....generally speaking things are OK, when we are not fishing, there are allsorts of unsavoury beings frequent the banks of our rivers....and because we are not there.......

Maverick

 

[mick b]

During my night time patrols I caught more anglers white bums going up and down in my spotlight than anything serious.

Usually Wifie was at home looking after the kids while hubby was 'doing' an all nighter...... (-;

"Did you catch anything Darling".........(I b'well hope not). mg:

 

[MRWELL]

In a nut shell ..yes we are the Guardians of the waterways,like in all walks of life you get the ones who just say ..sod it and leave their rubbish around even if there is a bin near by they still do it and why?..because they are just pig ignorant and don't give one way or the other and with out us (the ones who do care)then just think what the waterways would look like,the wild life that would die because of that discarded line or tin can,that old bread bag floating in the waters that the water fowl and swans think is food and choke on,yes all these things would go unchecked in many cases if it was not for the ones who DO care and take time out to clean up what these morons leave behind...long live the Guardians .

 

[strutman]

I think that these days anglers are less inclined to bother about how our waterways are. There are more efficient guardians that range from conservationists and canal enthusiasts and boat owners and canoeists to canal restoration hobbyists. Face facts anglers on our waters wont give a toss until they can no longer use them. Then every one will be on the commercials sitting literally shoulder to shoulder catching the same fish umpteen times whilst reminiscing about the good old days.

 

[tiinker]

I think that these days anglers are less inclined to bother about how our waterways are. There are more efficient guardians that range from conservationists and canal enthusiasts and boat owners and canoeists to canal restoration hobbyists. Face facts anglers on our waters wont give a toss until they can no longer use them. Then every one will be on the commercials sitting literally shoulder to shoulder catching the same fish umpteen times whilst reminiscing about the good old days.

The work carried out by the people who work on the restoration of the canals is a credit to them they have got to be one of the hardest working groups of all. It would be great if we had this kind of enthusiasm in angling today.

 

[strutman]

The work carried out by the people who work on the restoration of the canals is a credit to them they have got to be one of the hardest working groups of all. It would be great if we had this kind of enthusiasm in angling today.

yes I have to agree with you those groups are so enthusiastic and they spend many hours days and months restoring what to most seem like lost causes until the finished product is seen in all its glory.
Incidentally there are loads of canal and indeed small river projects ongoing at the moment. These people are breathing life back into some of our lost waterways. A very well done to them I say.

 

[richiekelly]

I think that these days anglers are less inclined to bother about how our waterways are. There are more efficient guardians that range from conservationists and canal enthusiasts and boat owners and canoeists to canal restoration hobbyists. Face facts anglers on our waters wont give a toss until they can no longer use them. Then every one will be on the commercials sitting literally shoulder to shoulder catching the same fish umpteen times whilst reminiscing about the good old days.

Sorry strutman but that really is a load of rubbish, the ONLY people I have seen picking rubbish up on the rivers I fish have been anglers, most of that is stuff that has been left behind after the river level has been high, anglers on your waters might not give a toss but on the ones I fish and have fished in the past do give a toss.

 

[strutman]

Sorry strutman but that really is a load of rubbish, the ONLY people I have seen picking rubbish up on the rivers I fish have been anglers, most of that is stuff that has been left behind after the river level has been high, anglers on your waters might not give a toss but on the ones I fish and have fished in the past do give a toss.

I really hope that comment was meant as a pun and not an insult. Where I live I see no one fishing for miles. The only people who pick up litter and clear pegs are club members and even then that only happens leading up to the start of the season.
Before you tell me my comments are rubbish let me tell you I have been fishing as a match angler and more recently as a pleasure angler for 50 years. In that time I have witnessed massive work parties on the river Trent walking line abreast picking up anything that was out of place. Those days have gone. The only people I have witnessed picking up litter occasionally these days are dog walkers and twitchers. So dont tell me that my comment is rubbish as that is uncalled for. The real guardians are not anglers these days as there are more enthusiastic people around. You may have witnessed the occassional litter party but they will be club members looking after their own patch they are not guardians of our waterways they are guardians of their patch.

 

[richiekelly]

I really hope that comment was meant as a pun and not an insult. Where I live I see no one fishing for miles. The only people who pick up litter and clear pegs are club members and even then that only happens leading up to the start of the season.
Before you tell me my comments are rubbish let me tell you I have been fishing as a match angler and more recently as a pleasure angler for 50 years. In that time I have witnessed massive work parties on the river Trent walking line abreast picking up anything that was out of place. Those days have gone. The only people I have witnessed picking up litter occasionally these days are dog walkers and twitchers. So dont tell me that my comment is rubbish as that is uncalled for. The real guardians are not anglers these days as there are more enthusiastic people around. You may have witnessed the occassional litter party but they will be club members looking after their own patch they are not guardians of our waterways they are guardians of their patch.

No it wasn't meant as a pun, to say that anglers don't give a toss is a very sweeping and all encompassing statement that is in my opinion very wrong, yes I have seen angling related rubbish left on banks but I have also seen none angling related rubbish left most as I said after the river level has been high, dog walkers are not allowed on the river I now fish but on others where they are I have seen them hang bags of dog sh!t on fences and bushes.
During my 57 years of angling many things have changed but my hatred of litter never has, perhaps the waters you fish attract the type of angler that doesn't care but I think you will find most do.

 

[tiinker]

The ones that I cannot understand are those that go out of their way to hide their corn or meat tins paper bags stuffed in any hole nook or cranny they can find. fishing line stuffed in scaffold poles ect. why can they not just put it in their bag and take it home . The dog walkers that do not take their dog waste home with them should have it put in their pockets minus the bag. A certain amount of litter on fisheries is wind blown and water carried and some of it is left by lazy good for nothing litter louts who do not give a monkey.

 

[strutman]

Blanker

My comment stated "they wont give a toss until they can no longer use them". In other words until it is too late.I stand by that and from what I see they wont. Even commercial fisheries can be strewn with rubbish when there are bins provided.

A true guardian of anything is, in my opinion. someone who looks after and nurtures something. That doesn't mean just picking up litter now and then although that is part of it. The fact that you pick up litter is commendable but generally most anglers aren't guardians as there are others far more organised and better at it.

The fact that I leave my peg as I found it i.e clean and free from rubbish doesn't make me a guardian. The fact that I pick up discarded line on the way back to my car doesn't make me a guardian it just means I am litter conscious and care about my environment. Although I do believe it is a generation thing too. By the way stating someones opinion is rubbish in my book is an insult.

That is an opinion that I am entitled to have so please don't insult me again its boring and unproductive.

 

[richiekelly]

Blanker

My comment stated "they wont give a toss until they can no longer use them". I stand by that and from what I see they wont. Even commercial fisheries can be strewn with rubbish when there are bins provided.

A true guardian of anything is, in my opinion. someone who looks after and nurtures something. That doesn't mean just picking up litter now and then although that is part of it. The fact that you pick up litter is commendable but generally most anglers aren't guardians as there are others far more organised and better at it.

The fact that I leave my peg as I found it i.e clean and free from rubbish doesn't make me a guardian. The fact that I pick up discarded line on the way back to my car doesn't make me a guardian it just means I am litter conscious and care about my environment. Although I do believe it is a generation thing too.

That is an opinion that I am entitled to have so please don't insult me again its boring and unproductive.

I haven't insulted you so do not accuse me of things I haven't done! I just happen to have the opinion that what you posted was rubbish and you haven't managed to change that opinion.

I notice that you mention commercials and rubbish left by anglers even though there are bins provided, perhaps its the type of angler that uses this kind of fishery that you think doesn't care and on that evidence I would agree but please don't lump all anglers together as not caring on the places that I fish they do.