When is a rule not a rule ?

Me and the boy have just got back from a well known reservoir that rhymes with Poddingtons where one of the rules is "no floating baits".I knew this and therefore did not take any mixers.

We had a good day but I was a tad cheesed off to see "local bloke" and what seemed like most of his extended family turn up and shamlessly feed & fish mixers exclusively.It was difficult getting the boyto understand why,if it was against the rules,they were doingit &we were not.

I have always felt that the fishery owner is perfectly entitled to set their own rules and provided they are reasonable [like barbless hooks,no nuts,no bolt rigs,no floating baits etc] it is a given that anyone fishing there should stick within them.I am less impressed by "no bait other than that bought on site" but I dont have to go to places like that...and dont.

Without going overboard is this not another example of kids getting the message from their parents that rules are there to be ignored or only apply to other people.Needless to say not a bailiff in sight and I have seen "Deliverance" and had no desire to star in a sequel.Them old Oxfordshire boys can be a rum lot.

Or am I being old fashioned ?

Skippy

One of the reasons I joined a club when I was in the UK was thatI can't stand people like those that you described.

Unfortunately when there is no consequence to theirrule breaking they will keep on flaunting them.

I bet it was really frustrating especially with the lad in tow.

Ignorance is bliss.

Local bloke will no doubt say if caught that he did not realise.

The difficult bit was when "Johny Oxford" hooked a decent fish while we were going through a barren patch.All small boy sees is bloke next door catching fish and Daddy not.Its only natural he wants to try the same.Howeverthe carp on the top very soon rumbled the mixers and hoyed off while we caught steadily.

What pleased me most was the boy 's acceptance that we shouldn't break the rules and [having caught his big carp] sitting there as happy as Larry knocking out roach on sweetcorn.

I think he may make an angler.

"a well known reservoir that rhymes with Poddingtons "

boddingtons ?

coddingtons ?

doddingtons ?

foddingtons ?

goddingtons ?

hoddingtons ?

loddingtons ?

moddingtons ?

noddintons ?

roddingtons ?

soddingtons ?

toddingtons ?

woddingtons ?

Nah, Zoddingtons...

Close.

There was a match on when we were there.Not being a match angler I was staggered to see the amount of gear these boys take.I dont think I could lift one of them barrow thingslet alone push it.

some of my local ponds have a no groundbait rule.

this rule is in fact a deterrent, not a rule. the owners will all happily tell you, if you ask, that they don't mind groundbait being used, they just don't want people turning up, balling in 5 kilos of groundbait for a 5 hour session, and then someone else doing the same in the afternoon, on the same peg. which has been known to happen.

just one example of a rule not really being a rule.

i don't however condone rule breaking in general, but i always question them, with the owners/bailiffs, to see if there is any leeway on the rules.

Cakeys post above... priceless... absolutely priceless /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gifPMSL

I can remember when the small club I was a member of at the time had a trip away to a lake near York. The club 'know it all/top angler' told everyone there was a 'no groundbait' rule on the water.

Imagine everyone's surprise when said know it all unloaded half a bag of white crumb from the back of the bus. No one else took any, he wasn't a very popular guy after that stunt. Fortunately it do him no good and he didn't frame.

My now club's river riparian owners have a no groundbait rule; they say it attracts rats. They don't seem to have a problem with people feeding ducks/swans etc and the left over/dropped take-away food on the banks of the city water would feed an army.