THE IDIOT FRINGE

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

Is it just my imagination? (I don't think it is) or do you find the same thing happening all around the country?
I have seen evidence of it on this website in what some people write about. It would be unfair of me to mention any particular club or water, as I feel the problem is widespread across the country.

What I am talking about is that a water can be taken over by a bad element. And it only needs to be one or two people that will drive decent anglers away from a water.

I am trying to understand what is going on.
What seems to be happening is that there are so many problems that sometimes it is better to sweep things under the carpet and hope it goes away, and that is one problem less then isn't it?
I really do get the impression that a lot of people are so fed up with the idiot fringe, that rather than do something about it, the easier option is to go and fish somewhere else and leave them to it.
The only problem is that we are running out of quite out of the way places to fish.
I am sorry to say, but I think the idiots are winning.

What say you?

Peter Bishop · May 30, 2006

Baz, when you hear of decent people being attacked, knifed and tragically murdered after confronting idiots in all walks of life is it any wonder the decent amongst us choose to walk away rather than challenge those who make our lives intolerable. Even when you confront a miscreant on a one to one basis the chances are he'll return with some of his charming mates,armed with baseball bats to either damage you or your property ie car/fishery etc. Sadly, it is not even confined to teenagers who think the world and everones else owes them a living and 'no one tells me what to do'. There are plenty in the 30-40 age group who fueled by booze from an overnight session are aggressive with anyone who objects to their behaviour. The only thing clubs can do is weed out the groups and get rid of them if they spoil the enjoyment of others. As for day ticket waters you simply go somewhere else or tell the owner. Thats all you can do sadly. I work on the premise that if they are so inconsiderate as to fish three lines into my swim, have loud rap music on, drink copious amouts of beer, or smoke wacky baccy there is no point in me trying to reason with them because such people listen to no one. Once an ars*hole always a...

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · May 30, 2006

I had a lovely experience on my local ressie the other day.

Up turns this character dressed in jeans, hooded top and baseball cap.

(Don't these twits have any imagination when they dress) He was carrying a fly rod???

He had no landing net and his entourage included a much pierced woman with bare midriff pushing a pram with two other brats, screaming much better.

He proceeded to fish (I'll bet he didn't have a licence) in the banned spot on the lake due to the proximity of powerlines. There is a sign up there of course but it transpired that the bloke couldn't read.

The language that exuded from both the bloke and the womans mouth was vile in the extreme. And they kept this up all the time.

As luck would have it, the yobbo hooked a trout which was dragged up the bank, unhooked and left flapping there on the gravel!!

Then a little bloke arrived. I recognised him as a member of our local trout club. Did he tear into the yob. I thought for a moment that the yob was going to turn violent, but he walked off sheepishly cursing and swearing with the woman sceaming FO every other second.

Dear dear dear, I often wonder why people like this actually want to stay alive, so terrible must be their existances.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

EXACTLTY Peter.

What you say in the first part of your reply is what is on peoples minds. (revenge attacks) and so it is easier to find somwhere else to fish. And it isn't always from the 40 age group either mate.

You are also 100% correct in saying there is no point in trying to reason or educate them.
Once an ars*hole they will remain that way for life.
Anyone got a sweeping brush?

Graham Whatmore · May 30, 2006

I just don't recognise the sort of waters you are referring to Baz. Over the course of a year I fish many many venues both river and lake in over a hundred mile radius of where I live but I can say, hand on heart, that I've never come across the sort of behaviour that is in any way threatening. I have on a few occasions heard a couple of guys shouting to their mates that they have or have not caught anything but I've never come across an intimidating situation.

Maybe its something to do with the fact that I don't normally fish weekends but I know lots of guys that do and they have never mentioned having any problems. Are you perhaps referring to a particular venue or a situation that has been reported on here?

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · May 30, 2006

So how do you deal with yobbos on your waters Baz?

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

There is so much of this that and the other going on all the time Ron. And it is now beyond a joke.
Fast going are the piscatorial practices of Walker and co. I am afraid the bad element are taking over.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

Graham.
One particular recent thread about the River Dane is an example of what I am talking about. I no longer fish this stretch because of what is happening. Although I believe the problem is more widespread than this. You are very lucky in the areas that you fish mate.
Everything is reported to the club Ron.

Peter Bishop · May 30, 2006

For all the pillocks out there, thankfully there are ten others who restore your faith in human nature. Believe me there is a far greater proportion of the people we are talking about associated with football, and having been a football reporter for 25 plus years I've met a lot especially those that follow England. Oh, how they enhance our international reputation abroad. One year in Belgium I spent much of the tournement apologising to local people for the behaviour of my compatriots.Very embarrassing but that is the baggage UK society takes with it wherever it goes, and that includes alongside lakes and rivers. Graham, you are right in that it is possible to avoid these people if you fish remote country venues but if you have not had at least one unpleasant encounter you should consider yourself exceedingly lucky. That's one of the reasons I fish my own club waters more than anywhere else.
Whilst fishing other venues I have come across a number of surly 'big time charlie' matchmen and snarling 'occasional anglers', but I have to say the majority of my bad experiences have been with the instant carp angler brigade who regard overnight sessions as an excuse to get rotten and make a racket under the guise of 'enjoying themselves', and leave a dreadful mess of cans in the undergrowth afterwards. They are a blight on our sport but challenging them needs a 'risk assessment' first!

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · May 30, 2006

I remember visiting a client in Holland years ago.

Everyone there spoke excellent English, were well dressed and their manners impeccable.

I was taken out for lunch by their MD.

He asked me if I was English or Australian!!

I told him I was English but had spent most of my life in other countries. He then asked me why I didn't have a shaven head, tattoos, enormous belly, bum cleavage and jeans; and was pi$$ed all the time?

It was a joke of course but that is the impression that many on the continent have of Englishmen.

What many Englishmen don't realise is how bloody daft and stupid they look when they dress like this.

Tony Rocca · May 30, 2006

Baz is right the idiots are winning overall, not always though.

My friends and I walked away from a water once because of groups of them. Fires, litter and beer cans everywhere.

It didnt sit well with me so I leased the water, formed the HPS, and kicked em off for good.

A small victory for right minded folk but the only solution I could think of.

Cue row about open to all ;O)

yoggy · May 30, 2006

An incident last year....2 blokes fishing on a certain water,their behaviour was beyond imagination..after myself and another angler warning them,they carried on regardless this time even worse behaviour...the result,lets just say we sorted the problem!! and havn`t seen them since.It was totally out of character from myself and the other angler but they pissed us off that much after countless warnings that we took action.Sometimes you get to the point where you just have to show these idiots that they quite simply just cant get away with things.

Bryan Baron 2 · May 30, 2006

Its due to these idiots that waters go over to syndicates and clubs with limited membership. The problem is what do you do. Ring the police they may turn up and as been mentioned there is always the threat of reprisals on anglers. The answer i am affaid lies elsewhere untill we as a society deal with these idiots nothing wil change. I would start by shooting all the left wing do gooders that say its not there fault.

Deanos · May 30, 2006

As I also don?t tend to fish much at the weekends due to shifts, so meeting up with idiots in the one place that I go to get some peace and happiness is rare.

When I was 14 I got a beating from a group of lads whilst out fishing, I have never forgotten that. It set a certain ?course? in my life, not long after I started to learn martial arts, which I practice still today some 32 years later.
I carry a hellish stick in my rod bag, and the day anyone would threaten me again with violence, or try to whack me, whilst going about this pastime that I and so many others love! They would get the battering of their lives, I am at peace with the consequences, respect the law very much, but if it is not there to protect me, I have to look after myself. And, I respect you Yoggy for your action as much as I respect the law of the land.
How sad peace is invaded by the tribe of ?No Brainers?.
I hope that any of you fellas reading this post don?t think this makes me as bad as the no brainers, because if I saw you in trouble I would not walk away and leave you to a beating! Yep...feel very strongly about this one!

john ledger · May 30, 2006

Baz
You know my views on Britain only too well and in all honesty the Liberals PC Brigade Liberty Civil Rights groups Amnesty have provided us with a country THEY deserve and it will only get worse.
How many stabbings have we had in the last few weeks(they dont even get in the newspaper)
A braindead runs over and kills a pensioner and is fined ?250
Sorry but the time has come when you need to protect yourself

Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA) · May 30, 2006

JL, come on now dont slip into your bad old ways!

By the way I think your 8 word insult is a record even for you ;-)

I think Baz is exagerating for effect.

Its easy to point to high profile incidents and think they are the norm.Whilst on the increase, they are still, thank god, few and far between.

I have never come across any aggresive behaviour whilst fishing either from other anglers or Joe Public. I do fish waters where you wouldn't expect it I accept, but I think we need to be careful not to paint too negative a picture about anrchy on our waters.

PS whilst on the subject of rule breakers, I was heartened to see that AM included Nige Willimas details on a feature on how to have a day with the stars in this weeks paper.

Peter Bishop · May 30, 2006

Protect yourself? The law unfortunatly does not distinquish between those supposedly 'protecting themselves' and those with aggressive intent. An offensive weapon is an offensive weapon whoever is carrying it. Dont some of these young ones claim they carry knives to 'protect themselves?' What are you suggesting, carry a baseball bat or a shot gun in your rod holdall? That doesnt make you any better than them-certainly no different in the eyes of the law. Leave it to the Police.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

Peter Bishop has hit the nail squarely on the head in both his postings. How I wish I had somebody like you by my side Peter.
Although giveing somebody a good leathering would make us feel better, in reality we know that this is not the way forward to defeat the louts. Neither is warning them time after time, after time. Risk assesments are a very necessary thing today, which does already happen.
What I believe is hapening is that the decent anglers will gradually disapear and somebody will be left with a fishery full of no hopers.
Now who will be to blame for that I wonder?

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · May 30, 2006

Nigel.
I make no apology my friend, but it is the kind of bury my head in the sand attitude that you are displaying that encourages the idiots to do what they like.

Do you really think I am exagerating for effect? Not!!
Who knows? you might get lucky on the Trent Fish In and expierience it for yourself firsthand. I sincerely hope not as the shock would probably give you kittens.

yoggy · May 30, 2006

Although it is completely correct to leave it to the police unless you are in a situation yourself it is hard to understand why law abiding citizens turn toward the way of the "vigilante".

Even though i`m a law biding citizen myself my faith in the law is extremely low.

In this ridiculous politically correct country we live in i haven`t a single problem with so-called vigilantes,bloody good luck to them,because the law these days seem to protect the "scum-bags" instead of the victims.

THE IDIOT FRINGE

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester

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