How To Self Destruct

GrahamM

GrahamM

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"A MISSION to rescue an injured swan which involved three fire engines, a boat and the RSPCA, was abandoned after rescuers spent more than an hour chasing the elusive bird.

"The male mute swan had become entangled in discarded fishing lines at Fir Tree Flash in Leigh. Unfortunately the fishing line had then frozen in the water and, trapped by the legs, the bird could not free itself."

These are the first two paragraphs of a story that appears in the 'This is Lancashire, <a href=http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/leigh/news/LEIGHNEWS1.html>Leigh News</A>.

I've put it here, on the forum, rather than in the news section for the simple reason that it makes me feel ashamed as an angler.

These are the sort of stories that inflict more damage on anglers than a 100 PeTA campaigns.

I reckon that any angler found leaving litter should receive an automatic ban from an angling club, and anyone leaving line should face prosecution and a hefty fine as well.

What else can we do to stop this self-destruction?
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Clubs and landowners need to really get tough, they really need to ban those who do such things instead of just talk of it.
Clubs WILL lose waters to syndicates over the next few years and that in itself is sad......but syndicates tend to be tighter run with members who have a brain so it will be a self inflicted wound to some clubs/organisations.
Its not just a fishing problem, on xmas eve i witnessed grown men hurl three Mcdonald bags from their car.......but we can make it known that such conduct is unacceptable in the angling world, by banning the assholes!!!!!
 
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Stuart Johnson

Guest
Anyone found discarding line on purpose, should have their legs and hands bound with
it and left on the bank.
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
I know some wouldn't like this idea, but if you really care about the sport and its future, then the EA/clubs should enforce the rule that if you are found fishing in a peg with litter within say 5 meters of you, you should recieve a suspension of your licence/membership, for periods depending on the severity of the litter.
That may sound a tad extreme, but hands up those of us who take spare plastic bags, and collect litter from pegs we fish. Not to mention pegs we pass on the way back to the car.
I am happy to say I do, but as a member of the 'thin blue line', I feel I should set an example to others in my own behaviour.
Plus I would feel very akward sitting amongst a pile of someone else's rubbish, being glared at by other anglers/public/bailiff's.
Society in general has a lot to answer for in the way it treats the enviroment, and we should educate ourselves to try and put these things right.
Shame we can't be more rigid in our enforcement of these issues. If the scandinavians can, why should we be any different?
 
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Steve Baker

Guest
If that was done Paul there would be no fisherfolk left at all. It would be the innocent angler that gets banned for someone elses litter which aint fair.

I am glad you pick up the litter of other anglers but that is dangerous as rats could have been around and contaminated the litter. Clubs and bailifs should do more patrols to catch the offenders.
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
Sorry you feel that way Steve, but lets face it, you can catch weils disease from all manner of things at the waterside.
I can see your point, but I find it hard to accept that innocent anglers would suffer anymore than we already do. If we don't do something about the problems they will only get worse.
Apathy will kill angling quicker than the antis ever could.
We like to think that we as anglers are the eys and ears of the waterways, but how can that be, if we aren't prepared to clean up after ourselves.
The point being that the litter shouldn't be there in the first place. If every angler were encouraged to take bags to keep their rubbish in then things would change.
It only takes one inconsiderate idiot - they can't be called 'angler' to dump his litter for us all to be tarred with the same brush.
I don't like the fact that people reading these articles will make up their minds that we don't care for the enviroment, when a good number of us actually do. It would be nice to say that the vast majority of anglers care, but I feel that isn't the case.
I agree that the clubs should do more, but how do we convince them that they aren't already. I guess half the bailiff's I have met carry bags for rubbish. Not enough is it? also my current club card states in the match rules that anyone found fishing in the close proximity to litter in their peg will be disqualified from the competition.
More and more clubs I suspect will take these sort of steps, but only when its absoulutely nessecary for their own survival.
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
As Paul (W) says, and I agree with him, it is more than just an angling problem.

It is a widespread social one, and I fear that it will get worse. The problem with our modern, individualistic society is that it brings, so often, the worst out of people.

I have been grayling fishing this afternoon in Shropshire. Getting out the car, prior to heading across the field to the river, I stopped to admire the beautiful scenic area I was in.

As I looked around, it sparked that inner sense of contentment that being in an area like that brings. That was until my eyes took in the car boot full of household trash that had been deposited by the hedgerow.

Why do people have to do this? It was obviously someone with a car, as the area I was in was a good distance for someone to walk, even from the nearest habitation.

These days, with council run tips everywhere, there is no excuse.

But just because it's a social problem, doesn't mean to say that we should just accept the inevitable, as far as angling is concerned.Far from it.

The message that littering is not acceptable should be a constant one. Then maybe those who deposit their trash at the water's edge will get the message.

I doubt it though, but we have to be optimistic. I fear we are fighting a King Canute type battle.

In regards to the story that Graham quoted from, it could be possible that the line had blown from a bin, or else was the result of a break off.

OK, I'm just trying to see something 'positive' in it. But even if it was, the fact remains that angling related litter is constantly left at the water's edge. And it shouldn't be.
 
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Andy Davis

Guest
Discarded line is a pet hate of mine, and to be honest I am fed up with picking it up from the lake I currently fish, along with all the other rubbish that gets left around the bank area, there is no excuse !!!
 
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DAVE COOPER

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I agree with all that has been said in that anyone leaving litter or line behind in their peg should be castrated! However, it isn't always possible to retrieve lost line. It does get left in inaccessible places by pure accident through break off's and cannot be retrieved without resorting to a boat or swimming. I don't see what we can do about these situations. Even if we all did take our litter home there are going to be occasions when wildlife gets harmed accidentally and we will have to live with the criticism. What we must do is keep eduacating the general public that we do really care and educating the morons that fish to recognise their responsibilities.
 
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Steve Baker

Guest
I always take my litter home without fail. I fished atcham today (caught sweet FA for a change) and there was litter everywhere, not just from anglers but everything shoes, orange cartons, milk cartons and even a pair of latex rubber gloves............

Sorry but i aint touching this rubbish with a barge pole. If that makes me a bad angler fair enough but sorry paul i shouldn't be banned from the place as a result. I go fishing not litter picking. Forgive my apathy.
 
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andrew jackson

Guest
Of course I always take my litter home, and some that isnt mine. I have also got into the habbit, of coiling up any line that is to be discarded, then cutting it up with a pair of scissors. This leaves the line cut into short sections. If you think about it, even if line is carefully discarded, it could find its way out of the system at various stages. Even its ultimate resting place could be a land fill, wich act like a magnet for bird life. As for crack offs, snap offs, there is little anglers can do about this, other than make sure that set ups are adequate for the conditions.
There are two types who engage in acts such as dropping litter, those who are ignorant, and those who are brain dead. The former can be educated, and this has to be the way forward, the latter are a wasted cause, because they just dont care, and are incapable of reasonable thought. :(
 
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Paul Kendall

Guest
I've recently been lure fishing a town lake that is frequented by carp anglers, having a good head of upper doubles - I've been bouncing a jig and fishing a spinner very close to the bottom and in the process must have collected nearly 1000 metres of line, about 20 leads and endless bits of end tackle - all of it I have to say from carp fishing.

What is really annoying is that alot of the line and bits of tackle is just chucked in the bushes at the back of the swims or dropped in the swim itself - there are 3 litter bins around the lake.

I've also collected sweetcorn tins / luncheon meat tins, cup a soup packets and endless fag packets.

The lake has a large number of wildfowl, including swans, ducks, coots, moorhens and greylags and how none of them have become tangled I do not know.

It is disgusting, anti social and ruins the already tenuous reputation of our sport.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Litter.
The seemingly eternal angling problem.

I really fail to understand the type of person who will knowingly leave their litter behind at a peg/swim when leaving after a day's fishing!

I used to fish a lot of mathces in both Norway and Sweden where the local rules would disqualify any angler with litter at his peg, (following inspection,) right after the match weigh-in, and preceeding the prize presentations.

Thesedays, I am a member of CAC and of the Hale Syndicate on whose waters I can reasonably say that there is rarely any litter left at the bankside.

The CAC have a "no tins" rule for most of their waters. Maybe the fact that you have to take your tinned baits in bags means that you have a spare bag at the end of the day?
Also, in the CAC Rules book there are no less than 26 pages out of 114 with a "No Litter" reminder printed.
As far as the Hale Syndicate is concerned, I imagine that none of our members want to see the loss of this fabulous water. Link that with the fact that the Secretary walks the banks daily and you may have a potential solution?

However, in the final analysis, it is the "responsibility" of each of us to take our litter away and dispose of it safely!

If you have a real concern with Weil's Disease then take a pair of plastic disposable gloves with you.
If you really have a big problem with this disease, then should you really be fishing in the first place?

Please, don't go blaming the clubs and associations for not doing enough to solve this problem.
The solution lies with each and every angler in the Country.

TAKE IT HOME !
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
Steve, As before I do understand your point of view, regarding your own health and welfare, but the problem lies in that the public will almost certainly regard litter on the banks, as that of anglers.
Dealing as I do with the many waifs and strays of society on a daily basis, probably explains why I don't mind picking up other peoples litter, and don't like fishing amongst it. Not everyone has the same 'privilege' of being in this position (if thats what it can be called!), but I would rather pick it up than be regarded as responsible for someone else's mess.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
It's constantly in the angling press and on responsable anglers minds to remove litter from the waterside, however as it has been said before anglers don't generate all the litter but we get the publicity for the mess. I've seen family picnics where the kids feed the birds then throw the bag on the ground before having a drink and packet of crisps, then drop the rubbish before running off to play in the park. The parents wait in the car and drop the rest of the rubbish under the door and empty the ashtray before leaving. Or the people who sit in the carpark reading the paper and eating their McDonalds for lunch and throw it out the window when leaving, It is not just an iresponsible angler problem but people in general have no values or respect for the environment and the wildlife in the area they have access to. I often have to clear my swim of rubbish and some of it is angling related...but mostly from everyday people walking the dog or playing/watching football, feeding the birds or just passing through.
 
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Peter Morton

Guest
A couple of carriers in the bottom of a holdall is all it takes.I have no qualms when it comes to picking up litter and neither should any responsible angler.
As Andrew says line is a nightmare,coil it up and then cut it into short lengths so that it can't tangle
even if it escapes at a landfill.
People may not like cleaning up after others,but if you ignore it and subsequently loose a favorite bit of fishing because of it,don't complain cause you will be just as much to blame as the original person who dropped it.It's no good turning your back and hoping that the problem will go away,IT WONT!
Weil's disease is caused by rats,rats are attracted by litter/rubbish.Take it home and BIN IT,don't dump unwanted bait on the bankside,take it home and freeze it,you'll be amazed how much money you'll save in the course of a season,if not take it home and BIN IT.
Don't be an Ostrich with your head in the sand,this problem is not going to go away without a lot of effort,are you prepared to make that effort?
 
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Michael Hall

Guest
About a month ago I was fishing at my local lake and I was told my a senior member of the club that there was a duck which has became trapped when it had gone for a boilie on the end of a rig which had became snagged and snaped. He said that it had been there since early hours of the morning I phoned up the bailiff and we got the boat out of the metal container. We dragged it out and started out rowing upto the top of the lake, the duck was in a state of shock and hungry. We got to the duck about 10 mins later and it started to flap about and splash water every where and we got soaked, however eventually we got to the bird and unhooked it and surly enough it was a rig used by one of the carp lads, I personally am going to bring it up at the next AGM and propose a fine for any angler caught leaving litter and line about, the one proplem is that with me being 15 I may not be allowed to propose it! It needs doing and needs doing as fast as possible as this illegal and discrasful act can not be tollerated anymore!
 
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Nick Smith

Guest
A firm favorite of mine is to carry a pringle container (as in the crisp)which compared to sticking in the bottom of the tackle box was a easy way to store it.
This allows me to easy access it to drop broken line in to it and also to store hooks that I bent shut or straighten with pliers or even cut the end off.
But you say how do you dispose of it and as mentioned before, you can,t very easy so would it be a better idea if the lake,(for instance like my local which has a office which you buy permits from and is open in fishing hours permintaly) offered to incinerate the line with others which is collected throught the day.
This also causes polution but could this reduce the many bird deaths a year.
 
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Terry Ellis

Guest
Why do so many people find the need to dispose of line when fishing? I never seem to have to. Do some people change their line at the waterside? On the subject of litter a lot of the rubbish on riverbanks is deposited there after a flood and could have originated from anywhere.
I imagine that most clubs have rules about litter but they are almost impossible to enforce. I rarely ever get asked for my permit. Many peoples idea of not leaving litter on the bank is to throw it in the river and that is virtually impossible to legislate against.
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
It seems very easy to be 'responsible' when you fish local small club waters, that tend to be visited by paying members.
As a generalisation, a person who is prepared to pay out ?100+ on an annual permit tends to be more serious and thus more responsible than someone who buys 2 ?5 daytickets per year.

I will (and do) pick up any litter that I find on my club waters, but I believe that commercial owners are responsible for the image of their own waters.
They are making a profit out of it, so a bit of rubbish clearing by themselves and rule enforcement will help the problem along.
The issue here is that most commercials find it hard to turn away a paying customer, even if they have no regard for the environment.
Until the profit making is taken out of fishing, with every fishery owner trying to make a fast buck, then this problem will never be eradicated.
 
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