has it happened to you

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Wendy Perry

Guest
Hi all just wondered if this has ever happened to you today i decided to go and fish on my local canal it was lovely and quiet birds singing sun out my sandwiches and a fishing rod in my hand heaven......UNTIL some bloody IDIOT decided to ride his bike and crush my landing net pole and never even looked back to say sorry i know it was only my landing net pole but this could have been someone's fishing pole and they are expensive things to replace.
Has this ever happened to any of you lot or is it coz i'm a woman that he didn't give a toss or is this always happenin ??? And if so who has a right in a situation like this .
If he'd have slowed down i would have had time to move it, the canal isn't very wide... i know i won't be goin there for a while grrrrrrr

Wend
 
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Clive Evans

Guest
No, Wendy. Not because you're a woman. Just because he is a LOUT.
He may have every right to cycle on the pathway, but he has no right at all to damage property,in his way or not!
You can hope that one day he might fall in the canal, drowning is a good cure for loutishness.

Hope you are fully recovered by now.
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
You actually require a permit (free) to cycle on canal towpaths. However , this does not cater for this poor behaviour.
I cycle along some towpaths, I get glaring looks from anglers, but I'm afraid its just one of those things. I do take my time past them, even when I'm in training mode-its just common courtesy in my book, and I would expect the same if I was fishing.
Unfortunately, it is the yobbish culture of today regardless of what sport , activity you practice.
An awful lot of 11-20 year olds seem to have little respect for anyone these days, and anyone questioning them over their attitude could expect anything from a mouthful of abuse to something far more severe. You have to think twice nowadays and bite your tongue, you could end up with a knife in you just like that....
 
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Wendy Perry

Guest
Dave what annoyed me more was that he wasn't a teenager he was i'd say in his early 40's and yes your right i was afraid to say something coz i was miles away from anywhere and he could have done anything and there was no-one around to have helped me.It has made me think twice tho now about going to my local canal and infact anywhere where it isn't under lock and key i think i shall stick to my club waters in future.
 
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peter webber

Guest
Its a sad sign of the times when people like yourself Wendy feel that you have to be very careful on where you fish for fear of this sort of thing.
Long gone are the days when you could fish where you wanted and felt safe by yourself.
I remember a time when I was fishing a town center strech of my local river and had my pole knocked flying by the skipper of the puplic day boat.
My pole was no more then 5-6 in off the floor and he could of easerly steped over it but no he kicked it flying.
We had words between us and it almost came to more.
Maybe you could try to get a fishing buddy for when you want to fish the canal ( is that a poss ? ) so there is someone with you just in case.
 
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Kevan Busby

Guest
It seems that the ignorant and irresponsible actions of someone who is "old" enough too know better have forced Wendy to retreat onto a safer water in order to carry on fishing. I too am in that situation. The rising crime rate in North Shropshire, fuelled by the leap in drug-related offences have forced me to fish secure waters as cars are now a target if left on certain car parks (Blakemere at Ellesmere for one). Tackle has been stolen on other waters (Newtonmere), so when I go it's always with a mate. This is a ridiculous situation when you consider that all we want to do is sit by a stretch of water and fish, but now it's safety in numbers. Crazy or what?
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Wend,
Maybe the guy was distracted by the scenery :eek:}

Seriously sorry to hear about that, I think Peter has the right idea with the fishing partner.
Chin up.
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
A good solid bankstick between the spokes of the cycle wheel usually does wonders. However, I do appreciate that if you are fishing alone it can be unwise to get into any confrontational mode. The person in question is a prat pure and simple. How about going along a few times with a friend or two and seeing if chummy still rides along there? You could all then confront him and demand he coughs up for a new landing net handle.

By the way Wendy. It's not that long ago that a guy did the very same during a match. This time however it was a quite expensive pole that got smashed. The cyclist ended up in the canal - not I hasten to add by any of the anglers actions - and had to helped out. I believe he was taken to court and prosecuted for criminal damage.

Kevan
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
It's her own fault!!...i cycled past her and smiled....i cycled past her doing a handstand on the crossbar...i cycled past with me pump in me hand and she just ignored me!!!!!!
 
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Wendy Perry

Guest
hehehehehe Paul if you'd rode past me i'm sure i'd have known about it my dear LOL

Unless that was you in that tree paul but i'm sure it wasn't a pump he had in his hand :)
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Cyclists are a fact of life on towpaths, you just have to set your stall out so your gear's out of danger.

Don't give it up Wendy. My wife's had her share of sexist comments and gob off people on the bank and beach when she's fished alone or with female mates, but she still loves being out there.

Fishing gives you things nothing much else in life ever does and being female doesn't bar you from enjoying any of them.

Glad you're over your op and back on the banks.
 
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Robert Draper

Guest
At the risk of opening up a rancid bait-box I have to add that it is the duty of anglers to ensure that they are not blocking a towpath at all times. I used to cycle to work along a canal towpath (and I did have a permit) but the journey home was horrendous. The journey back took over twice as long because I had to wait for pole anglers to clear the towpath. I was assaulted once for insisting that someone move their pole two feet so I could squeeze past (If I had gone back and used the road as the person insisted it would have added twenty two miles to my six mile journey!). Don't brand all cyclists - they have a lot to put up with from some of the less savoury elements of our sport.
 
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Robert Draper

Guest
Sorry got a bit carried away there, its one of my pet hates. I wasn't knocking Wendy or any other angler who has a lapse of concentration and puts something accross the towpath. I was knocking those idiots who think it is a god-given right to obstruct everyone until they can be bothered to move, or to force people to carry bikes, buggies and wheelchairs (yes I've seen that happen too) over their apparently immovable tackle.
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Robert. I quite understand your frustration I've seen it myself. I've even had to wait myself while an angler moved his pole gear out of the way. Yes, I had my gear with me so he could see I was a fellow angler. I have to carry all my gear on a trolley so it does get awkward sometimes but it's all about consideration. There are inconsiderate anglers, cyclists and dog walkers not to mention bargees and boating enthusiasts. But, there are far more considerate people in all of those categories. I will always say "hello" to ther users of the canal. This way I hope to foster a happier and more conducive atmosphere for others down the line. It doesn't always work and when it doesn't well, I have my own way of dealing it with it.

Kevan
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Robert.....you got assualted?......you must train harder mate....you should have Tomoe-naged them into the cut!!
 
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Robert Draper

Guest
I took up martial arts after I got stabbed in the arm while waiting for a bus in town, robbed at a cashpoint and was punched in the face (removing a tooth and puncturing my cheek) when I asked a football fan to stop urinating through my kitchen window all within a few weeks. I just snapped when faced with violence a fourth time and gave as good as I got. There had been a number of such incidents on that particular stretch and it was in danger of having angling banned for good. The problem is that neither you nor I can legally do anything to stop these thugs whether anglers or cyclists but our sport will be held to account for them.
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
"I asked a football fan to stop urinating through my kitchen window"..

sorry Rob, had a chuckle at the vision that conjured up.....

should have slammed the window on it!!!!!
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
CAKEY. I thought they all were now. I phoned British Waterways and that is what I was told.

Kevan
 
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Wendy Perry

Guest
yes cakey my canal is open well i'd taken my dog for a walk along it a couple of days previous to my fishing day and it was full of anglers so i just presumed it was open but the day i went there was only me
 
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