Peter, you seem to think that i'm on the paddlers side but i'm not. I've paddled the Wye on many occasions with groups and have seen the stag parties which in my opinion are as welcome to me as seeing a stag party on the bank trying to fish. (Just in case they're, not welcome).
Many people didn't believe that the R2R would actually come into affect but it did. The land reform act in Scotland is similar to Englands R2R but it extends to waterways. Most people didn't think that would ever get through either, but it did. Its worth pointing out that fishing rights in Scotland are extremely expensive due salmon etc. I've paddled lots of rivers in Scotland including the Tay and the Spey. Simply awesome rivers and teaming with Salmon. I always feel a pang of guilt when guiding a group past fellow anglers as i'm fully aware of how much its costing them but its not my fault that it so expensive. I'd also like to point out that i've never had a run in with an angler in Scotland whereas i've had several in England. There seems to be a very different outlook there.
Similarly i usually feel green with envy when i paddle past a fellow angler on the Wye because i'd much prefer to be behind a rod than in a boat there.
If you want to read more about the Land Reform Act:
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
There's also a misconception that all paddlers are trespassing when paddling through private land. This isn't the case. It all about ACCESS. If the paddler has to trespass to gain access to/from a river then they are in the wrong. Whilst the boat is afloat and the river bed is not being touched they simply aren't trespassing. I guess this is similar to flying over private land, again not trespassing unless you land. Sorry.
Rivers Access Campaign - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The reason i can't be bothered to reply to the money issue is that a river trip isn't going cover a single beat or short stretch it'll cover many so its simply impossible to organise that structure. Paddlers pay the BCU, they're just an insurance company however if they were to pay ALL land owners in the country how much should they pay each one. Should it be a set rate per mile? Its unworkable. Would this help? I don't think so.
If a compromise doesn't come about we (as anglers) will suffer. It seems that i'm in an extreme minority where i've got a vested interest in both angles and perhaps as a result i can see it a little more clearly than others.
Also, i want to reiterate. I've not paddled for just over a year now. The next time i plan to be in a boat is during June where i'll be running a couple of trips to the Wye. In terms of angling, i've been spending plenty of time on the bank and am due to head off to France next week so i'm certainly further into the anglers camp than the paddlers. I'm just saying it as it is.