Its been mentioned before but I'm going to mention it again!

Sad, sad tale in Anglers Mail this week. I'm normally in favour of reducing carp angler numbers but I thought the reported drowning of a carp angler was a tragedy.

Seems that this bloke's baitboat had packed up so he took to using a canoe, which unfortunately capsized. In itself a capsize shouldn't cause a drowning, but the man was dressed in his fashionable foul weather gear which, once saturated, helped to drown him.

I was up on the River Yare the other day having a break in the Coldham Hall pub. Their egg and chips is mega after a few hours piking. A group of very dapper pikers came in, all dressed identically as all good land based pikers should be, in olive drab foul weather gear, even though it wasn't cold! At the bottom end they all had on insulated field boots, at this time of year for heavens sakes. But that is not the issue, its if they had fallen in then their padded clothing would have soon become saturated, and they wouldn't have been able to kick their boots off, they would have drowned, and that would be a certainty. Even if they had had lifejackets on, which they didn't, their chance of survival was limited. In trying to pull someone out of the water, dressed like that, back into a dinghy, would be extremely difficult and likely to capsize the boat. The way the piking fraternity take to the water during the winter is an accident just waiting to happen.

Never fails to amaze me some of the people I see dressed up when in boats on the Trout Reservoirs. Even in Summer some of them are going to struggle to stay afloat for long with hiking boots on etc.

Timely and always appropriate advice, Peter. Not that I know anything about boats. When I watch the few piking videos that I have I can't believe some of those boats haven't capsized the way those folks are leaning out over the side.

I presume there are rules and regulations for boats - registration, insurance, and so on. But is it a bit like road vehicles inasmuch as if you have a small boat (say a canoe or a dinghy) you just drop it in the water and away you go? Or do you need paperwork/authorisation/etc for any size of boat?

Regards,
Derek

[ 05. November 2004, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

Peter I have given up on this subject as most when you try and give some friendly advice just take the ****.As Paul D says the trout res fish ins are the worst place to see this.Anglers who dont normally use boats forced to do so but to proud to listen.Sh1t some of them cant even start the outboard but still wont listen! I remember on one of the Piking days on Bewl it was a bit windy,we let the boats out but despite warnings we spent most of the day pulling people of the dam.Despite seeing this happen others would end up beached on it as fast as we could pull them off.When asked why they had done this after seeing all the others end up in difficulty some would just look embarrased but an awfull lot would reply"But their muppets mate we can drive a boat"!Hmmm obviousley not!!!Also as I have said a million times all the guys who fish boats and big waters always wear life jackets but all the "experts" who only go out on these sort of days never do.Its crazy! I fail to see anything macho about drowning as it seriously affects your catch rate! It amazes me that people are allowed out in boats without any form of training or testing of competence.Mmind you I shouldnt need to say this to Peter he must see some nightmare boat handling from both holiday boaters and anglers alike on his waters.

Garp anglers drowning whilst baiting up?Sorry to sound callous but this now happens every year and it suprises me no more than hearing another kid has been burnt by fireworks.Another ongoing tradegy caused by peoples stupidity and the powers to be's failure to bring in legislation to help prevent it.

Sorry to sound ignorant, but on a cold/wet/windy day what should one wear on a boat apart from a life jacket? I wear hiking boots all the time whilst fishing as they are the most comfortable shoes I have and have ever owned! To be honest the danger would not occur to me if I was to boat fish which is my own fault and I realise this now.

If an angler uses a boat that belongs to the water's owners I reckon the owners should have to go thru safety procedures and how the thing works (!) with them, and make them wear a bouyancy aid, plus talk to them about fish care on boats.

Well said Boozle.The only problem is you cant make people listen....ask the Coastguard! But on a more positive note it would be a starting point.As I understand it now people who hire boats out are legally obliged to supply life jackets but not ensure they are worn?

James people like you are not the problem!You will ask and learn (as long as potential dangers are pointed out to you)its the ones who dont want to learn.

Anglers are not allowed on the pontoons let alone a boat without a lifejacket on all AWs reservoirs.

Never mind boats the bank can be just as dangerous, I slipped in off the Grafham Dam early one morning in the middle of summer. I was in there for about 20 minutes as I couldn't drag myself out. Finally a couple of other anglers arrived and started fishing about 50 yards away, but they didn't see me until I shouted.
I consider I was very lucky as even in the summer I was beginning to get cold.
Just a week later I fell in again but off the natural bank and this time I was able to crawl out to hoots of laughter from the ensembled anglers and joe public! B@st@rds!!!!!!!!!!

Colin

then there were them two blokes on tv program "day ticket" sitting in a boat during a thunderstorm with a brolley up and waving carbon rods about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not just boat anglers that are in danger.

A female angler at our club tripped over a bait box and fell in her peg head first.
Hear head got stuck in the silt and luckily her husband was on hand to grab her legs and pull her out!!!!!!!!!

I am an experianced angler and I have fallen in twice by complete accident.
Once on a summer stillwater and once during December on Felixstowe beach.

During the winter there are anglers all round the country in boats, on river or stillwater banks, around the coast on various types of beach or rock and most are wearing heavy warm waterproof clothing.
Most would not stand a chance if they fall in.

If you have on proper floatation gear (life vest mostly) then the rest really should not matter as long as it keeps you comfortable while you are fishing.

If the situation Peter speaks of, where an angler with wet clothing can't get back on a boat without turning it over, I'd submit the boat was too small to begin with and while maybe fine for summer fishing, is not good for winter sessions.

As to the several mentions of regulating or forbidding things because they are dangerous - you must be mad!! There are too few ways these days to cleanse the gene pool of stupidity and here you are wanting to remove one of them.