Quote "Hello all, sorry about the long post.
Before I add my tuppence worth I feel it is worth noting down what I?ve been up to in the last few years; namely, 22 years of fishing all over the UK and 10 years of canoeing all over the world. I have been a reader of Fishingmagic for a while but have never felt the need to post until now.
I appreciate comments about a ?minority of prats? in canoes seemingly disrupting angling. However, every group has its minority. If you go on canoeing discussion sites where the access issue is being debated you will see people stating all anglers do is deliberately drop litter and leave discarded line around to strangle birds. Each side has its minority and I have vigorously defended angling on canoeing forums. Pot?kettle?black? Both sides are as guilty as each other and little is achieved by mud slinging.
I am not condoning the actions of canoeists who apparently disrupt fishing. But, imagine for one moment that the tables were reversed. This is the situation angling would find itself in:
● Canoeists control all access to rivers and deliberately prevent anglers from using them.
● Anglers are, however, allowed to fish on around than 2% of the nation?s rivers. The canoeists expect the anglers to be happy with this. (I?m not sure on the exact figure ? but it is in the 2% region).
● Anglers are expected to gain verification from their national body before they cast a line anywhere in the UK.
● Even in the canoeing closed season, when angling is at its best, the canoeists do not permit any angling on their rivers (angling physically cannot be done outside of the canoeing closed season, as water levels are always too high).
● The canoeists fear use of the river by anglers in their closed season may damage the river for canoeing, even though it has been categorically proved it is not the case if angling is done responsibly.
● After 30 odd years of trying to negotiate access for angling, the anglers have got absolutely nowhere. The figure still stands at around 2%, after 30-years of effort.
● The canoeists still refuse to budge or offer any level of compromise whatsoever. Angling must not be allowed.
● Canoeists refuse to acknowledge that angling is a leisure pursuit that brings much needed revenue to the local economy during the canoeing closed season. Businesses close because of the sheer bloody-mindedness of canoeists.
● Finally, after 30 years, anglers are sick and tired of not being allowed to go fishing. They decide to harmlessly enjoy their sport. When they do so, canoeists shout abuse at them, throw stones at them, try and embed pointed lumps of metal in them and fire sloppy vile-smelling substances at them.
If this were the case, do you think anglers would go out of their way to try to find the best approach to compromise with the canoeists, understand their needs and actively seek a common agreement that suits both parties?
Or do you think the anglers would say ?enough is enough? and simply and responsibly go fishing every once in a while with the aim of enjoying themselves whilst causing no harm whatsoever to anyone?
I firmly believe acceptance, compromise and education are the way forward and more open canoeing access and angling can (and should) go hand in hand.
Mike."
I believe Mikes post in another thread sums it up nicely.