Fishing opposite someone

[theartist]

You arrive at a good swim on stretch of river which has pegs on both banks but someone is fishing directly opposite, do you....?

A) Leave them alone as there's other places you could fish
B) Ask them where they are fishing/if it's ok to fish opposite
C) Fish it anyway

 

[rich66]

A... definitely A
Just common decency I suppose.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Mostly A but it's going to depend a bit on how wide the river is and how it's being fished. On some of my club river waters the clubs ask that members ask other anglers for permission if within 25 metres of where they wish to fish and I'd try to be further away than that if possible. Always best to at least ask. Conversely I've had lure anglers 'top and tail' me without so much as a by your leave ie 10 metres either side and very much unwelcome. Also had an angler rolling a leger through my swim from the other bank just 15 metres away the moment my back was turned when I was trotting a swim.

 

[nottskev]

Definitely A. And not just for their sake - I don't want to fish facing anybody across the river. (Although there are stretches of my local river where anglers fishing the stick, say, on opposite banks would have plenty of "spare" water between them). Nor do I occupy the adjacent peg above or below an angler already fishing - unless it's a friend and we agree to it - as there is generally so much empty bank that an angler would be quite entitled to ask why someone wants to fish so close with all that water to go at.

 

[barbelboi]

Only seen one other angler (apart from my fishing buddy) on the local rivers in the last 4 years - I'd probably rub my eyes and wonder if it was a mirage or just my imagination..........

 

[Ray Roberts]

A for me, I can’t stand it when there are miles of bank and some numpty pillock decides they are going to fish right next to you. Most of the rivers I fish lately, if you both leant forwards you could shake hands.


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[mikench]

A for me too. Mind you most sensible people give me a wide berth.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Times HAVE changed. My local river Frome Wareham Quay hotspot commonly had up to 4 anglers fishing within 12 yards back in the 80s though it always fished better if you had it to yourself. Also back in the 80s I went to stay near Nottingham to fish the Trent for the week and can remember discussing with the president of Notts AA on the Sunday where i might possibly get a swim whilst standing on the bank near Burton Joyce. Every peg for miles was occupied, mostly by match anglers. He thought I might be lucky and get a swim on the Nottingham Embankment. I duly went there, found a single vacant swim but by the time I'd opened the boot it was taken. I then found a 20 yard reedbed and beat out a swim midway down it to get a swim and still caught a few.

Somewhere I have an old Angling Times article on the Royalty fishery dating back to 1971 and there are anglers every 4 yards, both banks. Also back in the 70s I can remember counting the anglers on the three quarters of a mile of bank on the free stretch of the Frome at Wareham and finding 57 anglers, mid week in August.

 

[nottskev]

Times HAVE changed. Also back in the 80s I went to stay near Nottingham to fish the Trent for the week and can remember discussing with the president of Notts AA on the Sunday where i might possibly get a swim whilst standing on the bank near Burton Joyce. Every peg for miles was occupied, mostly by match anglers. He thought I might be lucky and get a swim on the Nottingham Embankment. I duly went there, found a single vacant swim but by the time I'd opened the boot it was taken. I then found a 20 yard reedbed and beat out a swim midway down it to get a swim and still caught a few.

They certainly have. I had to take the car for MOT in West Bridgford today. I drove the length of the embankment from Wilford bridge to Trent bridge at 8 am, and back again at 11 am. Not a single angler on either bank. That's true for pretty well every time I go past.

 

[barbelboi]

Somewhere I have an old Angling Times article on the Royalty fishery dating back to 1971 and there are anglers every 4 yards, both banks.

That's why we avoided the place in the late 60s early 70s and fished Throop that was very quiet and peaceful then.................

 

[S-Kippy]

Definately A.

Its actually in one of my clubs rule books on a stretch where a different club has the rights on the opposite bank. Its in their rule book too though they dont observe it with quite the vigour we do. Maybe its just certain individuals as some I meet bankside dont seem to understand the concept of rules.

I first fished the Royalty in 1971 and dear God it was a proper circus. Fights on the bank over swims were common. I even had a bloke literally stand on my feeder one day.

 

[stillwater blue]

A for sure, I don't like busy venues. TBH unless I was having a session of a lifetime I would most probably move myself if someone set up on the opposite bank.

 

[108831]

They certainly have. I had to take the car for MOT in West Bridgford today. I drove the length of the embankment from Wilford bridge to Trent bridge at 8 am, and back again at 11 am. Not a single angler on either bank. That's true for pretty well every time I go past.

Crikey,is it devoid of fish now then,or is the parking bad,used to be some cracking fish and pegs along there.

 

[108831]

Anyway back to topic,A for me,I wouldn't want to be competing with another angler for the fish for one, plus it's pure angling etiquette for me,I once was fishing a stretch of the Severn at Shrewsbury,trotting meat with a pin there was nobody on either bank for about a mile,apart from myself and my mate,there was a big tree over the water on the far side,so I gingerly waded to mid-river and started fishing, I'd caught four barbel an a guy walked along the hedgerow going across the field opposite(obvious access point I suppose),anyway he did no more than plonk himself upstream of the tree,set up,then cast an ounce plus lead over my float,never once saying a word,even though I'd actually asked him what he was doing(nicely),must have been his favourite swim...

 

[carpinbob]

Definitely A got a thing about fishing opposite other people.

 

[no-one in particular]

I fished a river and not one angler in sight on both banks, a Sunday on a nice day on a free stretch in a town. Same another river nearby, never a problem for me having someone to close.

 

[nottskev]

It seems like a lot of us like a bit of space and think it's poor etiquette to crowd anyone. It's probably true that wanting to get further away from the next angler adds to my preference, along with the fishing styles, for natural waters. Mind you, the relative emptiness of the river banks can create another problem - there's usually nobody there you can have a chat or compare notes with to find out what's being caught where, and how. On balance, I'll settle for that, though.
On balance, I'll settle for that

 

[theartist]

It's interesting I think everyone here has gone for A yet when I'm fishing I often get a C and sometimes B opposite me in certain swims. I'm not sure if it's because i'm always float fishing or if they are seeing me catching of if they are not expecting anyone there, it's worse when you've walked miles and worse still if they are total idiots.

I suspect it's ignorance more than arrogance as I remember actually trying to fish opposite someone as a kid, I didn't know it was wrong but I got short shrift and told where to go by two burly looking blokes, safe to say I learned from that. Like others though I've had lure anglers 'fishing through' and leads cast across, that has to be arrogance.

Sea angling is different as you'll get someone fish right next to you on the end of a pier every time, I don't like it but it seems the norm there. Mind you they'll have problems fishing opposite on that one

Also thinking about it I'd like to think that's there's plenty of anglers going past the swim opposite me like you guys would but i'm noticing the ones who don't

 

[Peter Jacobs]

For myself it would definitely be . . . A . . .

And a mental note to get there earlier next time

 

[mikench]

When I first started fishing and had no club memberships I visited twice a large commercial in Warrington called Partridge lakes. There must be 8 or 9 waters resembling a snake lake or canal and whilst it was match day I struggled to find a vacant peg and was completely turned off by row upon row of poles and boxes. I left and have never been back. I would have had anglers in front of me and to both sides. Not for me . You might catch a lot of fish but one would do so in a barrel. A lovely water in a nice location and barely a soul there is my preference. Shame about the fishing.