Leon Roskilly

The purpose of the Angling close season on rivers is to give spawning fish, nesting birds and other river-life the chance to raise their young with minimum disturbance. Not to allow canoeists the opportunity to disturb the riverine environment without disturbing anglers. I wonder how many young were abandoned as a result of your reckless jolly? As far as encouraging others to do the same, there is a call from some anglers to abandon the close season using the argument that folk with boats and dogs do not share the same respect for wild-life, and increasing use by other river-users makes the close season pointless. Do you really want to add weight to that argument and see anglers using the rivers all year round? From the other side it is likely that there will be increasing calls for growing boating activity to be subject to closure during the breeding season to protect the wildlife of the river environment when it's particularly vulnerable to disturbance.

er, not the bed, but the bank. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riparian_zone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riparian_water_rights

Nice.

I guess that would change quickly if bunches of canoes surrounded charter-boats and piers, splashing and larking about in front of anglers, tangling lines etc (And as sea-anglers get a much better understanding of the problems that freshwater anglers endure). Fortunately the sea is a big place, unlike the more intimate waters where freshwater anglers fish. Kayak angling is well able to co-exist with existing sea-angling activities and is one of the fastest growing sectors of sea-angling, encouraged by the Angling Trust. (see http://www.anglingtrust.net/page.asp?section=646 ). (And for freshwater kayak anglers, AT Kayak membership also includes access to river and canal areas not controlled by clubs at reduced rates - see link above) The same sort of conflict would arise if (say) an archery club was invaded by a gang of folk kicking a ball about on the range, or a game of cricket interrupted by golfers playing through on the pitch during a game. Kayakers enjoying a quite paddle when a group of jet-skiers decides to play. (Opening the 'free-access' genie could backfire spectacularly!) Some activities just don't mix well.

When I was but a lad, you could take your rod and fish anywhere that there was water (or so it seemed). Now all the venues I used to fish for free are controlled by different clubs The canoeists have a problem in that they are a minority interest with few resources pushing against the interests of a much bigger and more powerful lobby group and the interests of wealthy landowners. A change of strategy might eventually get them where they want to be. Forget the right to navigate for now, and concentrate on obtaining the right to fish for free wherever you want to. With millions of anglers benefiting, such a campaign is far more likely to succeed. Then, when anglers have the right to fish anywhere that takes their fancy for free, that might be the time for canoeists to demand parity with anglers. (There's some cracking private stretches of the Test and Itchen I'd really like to be able to fish one day)

Sorry. :contrite: News of Bob Shotter

Please see: http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk/activities/bait-collection/bc5.htm (Since then the Marine & Coastal Access Act (2009) has given IFCAs the powers to regulate bait-digging and collection). Also relevant is that EU legislation takes precedence over national legislation and therefore bait-digging within European Marine Sites is at risk. The Angling Trust is hosting a conference to address bait-digging issues in September.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385219/Dolphin-gives-10lb-cod-family-dinner-Devon.html

'Sweet-water cod' works for me

But changing (or perhaps not) http://www.katu.com/news/outdoors/Anglers---think-carp-arent-worthy-Better-think-again-217685401.html

I wish that were true phone. When dry-fly fishing, it's important to get the tippet under the surface, otherwise the line causes dimples as it distorts the surface. A dead give-away when the trout are suspicious. Flurocarbon in small diameters sometimes doesn't have the weight to break through the surface tension. Changing to a higher diameter might do the job, but the trout then see the line and it's reflection from the mirror of the water surface. And when using small flies the fly itself can be dragged under. Sometimes treating the line with a sinkant (such as leader sink) is the best solution. (When coarse-fishing I use a pad soaked in detergent to sink the line) Then (when fishing buzzers say) you sometimes want to slow down or stop the line sinking in which case a floatant applied to mono will do the job. (Trouble is you need to renew the dressing every so often) I haven't tried dressing my line with floatant when stick-float fishing, but it should work. Then there's co-polymer lines

I had a beard in my younger days. It traumatised the kids when I shaved it off (I think they were wondering what had happened to their old daddy). Now I've retired, it's hard to find the time to shave. Down to 2 or 3 times a week. But It's my lawn that seems to grow a beard mostly (I think that the neighbours may be organising for someone to have a word with me, though the local birdlife seems to appreciate the extra seeds, and the bees the dandelions).

You can still claim it http://www.bba.org.uk/media/article/understanding-and-locating-dormant-accounts

Please see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-23364657

Pretty much the same for anglers. You can buy a 'ticket', take out club membership or get the owner's permission to fish a certain stretch of river, but you can't just fish anywhere.

see http://sssac.webplus.net/fishing%20on%20sheppey.html

Condensed milk sandwiches, or better still mashed-potato sandwiches.

Problem is that most of them would probably be Harlequins

Took my pin down to the overgrown and tiny river Len this afternoon. Two chub, 2.5lbs and just over 3lb, and a 10oz roach. Surprisingly no smaller fish. Then I took my fly-rods down to the lake and had some fun with the rainbows.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/jun/15/particle-fever-walter-murch-video-interview That is a little bit worrying.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-22872803

(This and other job vacancies at: http://anglingtrust.net/page.asp?section=222&sectionTitle=Angling%20Trust%20Job%20Vacancies )

We are talking multiverse here Phone. Newt's post is bound to be correct in some component. (or it could be an age thing)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-physics-complications-lend-support-to-multiverse-hypothesis

It seems that the question should have been 126 giga-electron-volts!