Own worst enemy

[Mark Wintle]

As someone who has baliffed for a long time, I endorse the tin bans. We brought one in to align ourselves with another club whose water we were sharing. Though there were the usual protests, I noticed that the amount of litter on the lake I baliffed went down by 90%. Not perfect but a result. Because far fewer tins were brought onto the water, far fewer were left. With hardly any tins lying around, the other litter wasn't left either. It worked. I counted the number of sacks of rubbish over the year; just 10% of the previous total.

I've had the luck to catch some of the cretins (you have to be sneaky). You should see their faces when they get caught! On one lake last summer, I watched a kid old enough to know better (17) hang carriers full of his rubbish in the trees. He then packd up and walked round to my side of the lake where his dad was. He then denied all knowledge of it. I asked for the club books. I made him walk back to retrieve them. I hope he learnt his lesson. His dad was furious but not with me.

 

[Baz]

Good for you Mark,I would have done the same.
We all know what constitutes litter, why confuse the issue?

 

[The Monk]

My lad went fishing at the local club late on an occassion when I was working away, his mother packed him some sandwiches and a can of coke (tins and cans are banned on the lake), the bailiff came round and noticed a coke can in my lads rucksack, my son apologised and the bailiff took no further action. When I got home I bollocked the wife!

 

[Jim Gibbinson]

Mark's encounter with a litter lout reminds me of an incident that occurred on a well-known syndicate water in south Essex. The part-owner the water was a really nice guy, but not the sort you'd argue with...if you get my drift. An angler packed up and left a couple of carrier bags in his swim - the aforementioned part-owner of the water intercepted him in the car park and "suggested" that he go back and retrieve his litter. The angler said something along the lines of, "If you want it picked up; you do it."

Oh dear....

The part-owner of the water then had to give the angler "a little slap" - which is Essex-talk for, well, you know...

Bet he thought twice about leaving litter after that!

 

[Robert Woods 1]

Jim,
That's a better way of litter control than a fine. They should have him as a "comunity policeman".

 

[Geoff Marriott]

Just looking through the replies to the litter problems, It is NOT just here where morons drop litter and rubbish in general.I have just returned from a visit to cyprus where I went to view and fish the dams near Paphos .I bought a permit, 10 pounds wasted.During 3 sessions Isaw locals scatter litter ,tins ,plastic bottles etc etc .At least 1 so called angler took the trouble to put a stone on the bags he was leaving on the bank.the fishing is dire every fish ends up in buckets be it an inch long or 2 feet.To be blunt the banks are a s**t heap ,every square foot looks like your pics.On a final note why not print a reply from one of the anglers that leave the crap they must have thought of a good reason why they do it because I certainly cant

 

[Wolfman Woody]

Fishing the Thames last night (it's up a fair bit and pouring through) and a Christmas tree went shooting past!

 

[jason fisher]

oxfords probably flooded again

 

[The Hood]

Dear Jeff

This stretch of the Thames was my most favourite from the very early 70's. My local club would hold matches there, and my mates and I would fish it too. I have even camped over the river at Longridge with the scouts.

There has always been litter here, but your picture shows how bad it has become now. I have not been there for a good few years and by the look of it I won't ever again. It's shameful what these scumbags can do to a stretch of river, they sould not be allowed to even step on the bank in my mind, line them up against the wall, criteria again.

The fish in this stretch are amazing, huge barbel and chub, years ago you could catch dace to 1lb and roach to 21/2 lb's, there's big bream at night, and monster pike in the lock cut, iv'e had them to 25lb plus, but that was in the early 90's when I last fished it.

A shame, and utter shame, for such a great stretch of "FREE" Thames fishing.

 

[Nigel Moors 2]

Sorry if I'm repeating anything already said. Disgusted etc. Adjectives aren't strong enough that stay web legal. What I don't understand is if the bags, tins packets of bait and food can be taken to the bank when they must weigh a fair amount, then why on earth can't they take them away weighing bugger all?

I've read some of the comments about an angler arriving at a swim and being responsible for the litter there and picking it up before fishing etc. As well intentioned as this may seem it's downright unfair on the good caring angler who might not have a lot of time to fish and has to lose some of it picking up others peoples crap. And looking at Jeff's piccies it's pretty obvious a bloody big sack would be needed! There is a well known spot near Culham on the Thames which has a really scenic willow shielded swim which can be seen from the road bridge and is very photogenic even to non-rivers users. If you settle down in this swim though the full horror of the litter louts can be seen. Piles of rubbish such as Jeff saw under the cavernous roots, I've picked it up before and taken it away but it doesn't stop it happening.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

"then why on earth can't they take them away weighing bugger all?"

Possibly, because whenit was full, the packaging had a purpose. When it is empty, it has no purpose. Perhaps these people should be defined as "empty" and if they have no purpose why do we need them? Get my drift?


Mike. there are some swims upstream of this, opposite Lingridge, that are in reasonable condition. It was only when I got around the bend in the river I found this lot.

I agree with Nigel as well, if there is so much rubbish, you can't hold the person now trying to fish there responsible. It would take ages to collect and where do you put it? In fact, I'd walk past and find another swim. If a work party was organised I'd help shift it then, but so much?

 

[Wolfman Woody]

Maybe this is a step in the right direction.

 

[Nigel Moors 2]

Good to see the article Woody but despite the few who care enough about it there isn't the manpower to police this on the bank is there?

The sort of oick who'd leave crap like that lying around would be only to pleased to try and mix it with anyone questioning them I fear.

 

[MaNick]

This litter buisness really winds me up too!...

Not just on the river banks... round here, chilterns above reading, people have started fly tipping on mass.... bloodt infuriating, at one point, we found a Television in FOUR bridleways whilst out hacking!!!!!....

I'm clearing my house out at the moment, and to get all my junk down the tip i had to hire a van, FORTY quid!.,.. thing is, i feel bloody pleased with myself for going through the correct channels to get rid of my junk, WHY CANT OTHER PEOPLE!!!

BACK TO THE FISHING!... JEFF, it really gets my goat when litter is left like in your pictures, and i'd be emmbarrased to have any connection with the TWATS that leave their crap around!...

How many times have you picked up packaging from previos anglers and you can TELL where it came from because of the price tags?...

LISTEN!!!... when you buy tackle, take it out of the packaging AT HOME!!! or IN YOUR CAR!!!! and transfer it to your tackle bag!!!!!!


ERGGHHHH!!!!!!.. i dont think it is down to one group, and i certainly dont think it's down to forward thinking anglers on this web site!!.... But how do we get the massage accross?...

 

[Brian Cook 2]

the way to get the message across is make the rod licence like the driving licence photocard renewable annually and a systenm of points once the level has been reached ban them they obviosly have money to burn on expensive tackle and baits so maybe hitting them where it hurts would improve their social understanding

 

[Twainy]

As well meaning as all of your suggestions are, IMHO there has only been one viable suggestion.
We have to educate from a young age that dropping litter is unacceptable.
If kids were fined for dropping litter, their parents would have to pay and that would soon cut the amount of litter dropped. We need to implement a culture change but this, by its very nature is a long term task.

 

[ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)]

Maybe this is the answer:

HERE

 

[Cakey]

Just a quick Q ....How many of you smoke and just chuck your butts away ?

 

[Wolfman Woody]

Oh yes Cakey. The number of swims I've been in and they're littered with fag ends or bobbing up an down in the water.



That's fag as in cigarette, just to stop this becomming silly.

 

[ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)]

hahahah
Glad you added that as an afterthought..
You couldn't leave an open ended comment like that on here Jeff