Members of the public are, in the main, not fisherpersons. Apart from canal paths and Chesil beach they probably never come across each other that much. I occasionally have a moan when the local seafishermen leave their rubbish behind; their discarded line and mackerel carcasses especially. But its out of sight/out of mind in the main.
Where I started fishing a month ago is a tiny river hardly fished but it is close to easy/free parking so the dog walkers are legion. I was uncomfortable about this at first what with the banning of fox-hunting and the rumbles about fishing being the next target; only going early morning at first.
Apart from one bloke that obviously ignored my "Good Morning" and fed the fish with bread one side of the bridge whilst I caught them with bread on the other I have met no hostility. In fact today it was like a muddy motorway. Had lots of people curious about what the fish were; a lot of banter about the size of my trophies/fish/photos in Angling Mail/etc. Some just stopped to watch the float trundle down and a fish hooked had the parents and kids in some excitement. I was dreading a deep hooking but it was all lip-hooked, an effortless removal of the barbless hook, show the nippers a perfect roach and quick return to the water. In a perfect bit of PR I lent my landing net to a kid because his dog had dropped its ball in the river
Where I started fishing a month ago is a tiny river hardly fished but it is close to easy/free parking so the dog walkers are legion. I was uncomfortable about this at first what with the banning of fox-hunting and the rumbles about fishing being the next target; only going early morning at first.
Apart from one bloke that obviously ignored my "Good Morning" and fed the fish with bread one side of the bridge whilst I caught them with bread on the other I have met no hostility. In fact today it was like a muddy motorway. Had lots of people curious about what the fish were; a lot of banter about the size of my trophies/fish/photos in Angling Mail/etc. Some just stopped to watch the float trundle down and a fish hooked had the parents and kids in some excitement. I was dreading a deep hooking but it was all lip-hooked, an effortless removal of the barbless hook, show the nippers a perfect roach and quick return to the water. In a perfect bit of PR I lent my landing net to a kid because his dog had dropped its ball in the river