Angling Etiquette

[gozzer]

I've decided to ask this question in light of some of the comments on the 'dog' post.

I know there has been a bit of teasing as well as some heartfelt comments on there, it's always an emotive subject where 'mans best friend'(?) is concerned.

 

I grew up surrounded by anglers and angling. Most of the male members of my close family fished.

I was often taken to the old Leeds Anglers Club as a youngster, and rather than play in the gardens with the other kids, I was mostly found in the 'Trophy' room. (hmm, anti social even at that age, eh Mike). In there I was surrounded by glass fronted cabinets filled with silverware, and mounted specimens of most species, (including pike over 30lb and 3lb roach caught by the great Mr Bazley) hung on every wall.

I also listened to the older anglers when they were talking about their exploits.

It was in this atmosphere that I learned not only about angling itself but how to behave towards other anglers and the countryside in general.

One of the golden rules was, 'you don't approach too near to a fellow angler (while he's fishing) unless invited'. If you did get invited, then you approach slowly, quietly and keep off the skyline.

You keep behind him and to the side he wants you to, so as not to impede a cast. You don't outstay your welcome, and you speak quietly.

 

I keep saying I'm out of tune with much of todays thinking, as far as angling methods are concerned. But from what I see on the bank, and assume from some posts on here, I'm well out of date with what's acceptable or expected as reasonable behaviour in angling today.

 

I get 'anglers' marching up to me (with or without a canine companion), along the edge of the water. They stand upright by your side waving their arms while they give you the benefit of their 'years' of experience, and 'put you right'. They talk as if you are yards away. They usually stand at the side you want to cast from.

After all this, they take umbrage when you point out that they have just ruined your swim, and that you were catching just a couple of yards from where they are standing, (despite their advise that you should be fishing close up to the island 50yds away).

 

OK, I'll admit I'm not the most gregarious person on the bank, but surely there is still a bit of thought and considerstion left for fellow anglers in this modern age.

 

John.

Edited April 29, 2008 by gozzer

[jeepster]

You've got it right as far as I'm concerned John, if I do encounter someone else on the bank, unless he acknowledges me I carry on walking, if he does want to talk, I walk slowly to the peg, as unobtrusively as possible. I assume that most anglers go to the river to fish, not chat, I know I do.

[Guest tigger]

It's not just fishing the whole manners, etiquette thing has all but gone these days. People see good manners as a weakness nowadays and try to take advantage.

 

 

Trouble is if you've been brought up with them it's hard not to use them, it goes against the grain.

Edited April 29, 2008 by tigger

[badboybubbie]

I have never had any problems with fellow pleasure anglers.i am not an approachable fella in the real world but while fishing it is a different matter. if another angler wants a banter an give out a few tips i dont mind i like to learn.No one has ever walked into my swim waving an talking loud they normally ask what side to stand.I don't see many anglers crouching to there swims they just walk in.It may be the case on clear rivers i don't know.Carpers on the other hand "with there i've got a line in there or the blatant cast over your swim or fill the lake with pellets or march past with great big bucket of pellets peering just yards away ready to pour them in"they don't have a lot of etiquette or good manners they think cos there after bigger fish your swim or fishing don't count,and dog walkers suck big time with there dopey mutts bouncing through ur swim.i have never ever seen one get there dog under control as they pass you.no grace or charm.most anglers i meet are pretty nice fellas except the carpers (i've got a line in there covering 4 swims crazy people).I just don't get it crazy carpers.

 

tightlines shaun.

[gozzer]

You've got it right as far as I'm concerned John, if I do encounter someone else on the bank, unless he acknowledges me I carry on walking, if he does want to talk, I walk slowly to the peg, as unobtrusively as possible. I assume that most anglers go to the river to fish, not chat, I know I do.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one Jon, though to be fair, I do meet odd considerate angler, (maybe odd is an appropriate word ).

 

tigger Posted Today, 07:52 PM

It's not just fishing the whole manners, etiquette thing has all but gone these days. People see good manners as a weakness nowadays and try to take advantage.

 

 

Trouble is if you've been brought up with them it's hard not to use them, it goes against the grain.

 

I agree that it's a rare commodity these days tigger, but I would have thought that as anglers themselves, they would appreciate the situation. I'm not just talking about youngsters, 'seasoned' anglers can be just as bad.

 

John.

 

Edit,

 

You might want to don a helmet and retire to a bunker after that post Shaun,

Edited April 29, 2008 by gozzer

[Guest tigger]

I agree that it's a rare commodity these days tigger, but I would have thought that as anglers themselves, they would appreciate the situation. I'm not just talking about youngsters, 'seasoned' anglers can be just as bad.

 

John.

 

 

Ignorant people seem to be in the majority full stop.

[Vagabond]

by glass fronted cabinets filled with silverware, and mounted specimens of most species, (including pike over 30lb and 3lb roach caught by the great Mr Bazley)

 

How nice to read that!

 

Whenever I mention Jim Bazley it's usually "Eh? Wot?"

 

Numerous specimens to his name, and twice winner of the All-England - it was he who put me onto floating crust for carp before Dick Walker was even heard of.

 

...as for the etiquette, it is OK in the syndicates I am in, but there is not too much of it apparent on club waters these days, and as for commercials.....

 

Fortunately much of my fishing is done where you are unlikely to see another angler.

 

If that souds elitist, well, that's the way it is - I haven't changed much, its the rest of the angling world that has gone downhill.

[kleinboet]

It's not quite that simple when you have to fish commercials, but you can always tell the the true anglers from the "dabblers". The true anglers keep to the path (which is USUALLY a fair distance from the water) with the occasional "morning" as they walk past. The "dabblers arrive, load up their stuff so they look like the african bearers in Bowani Junction. They start their walk around the lake, stopping at each peg, trying to look knowledgeable at the swim. If the peg is occupied, they will stop and have a long dialogue with the angler about the fish in the water!

The funny thing is they usually pick the dud pegs!!

[dant]

It is indeed an emotive subject but being in the funny hat brigade it's not one I have to deal with that often really as a high percentage of my fishing is done out on the banks of windy rivers where it's rare to see anyone at all.

 

If I do see anyone on the small rivers I generally give them a wide berth as I know from painful experience just how spooky the fish are.

 

If I see someone fishing with rods on buzzers on a gravel pit for instance I generally stop by to see what's happening, it's usually fairly obvious if they're up for a chat, if not I bid them good luck and clear off.

 

I've gained some useful info from chatting to people whilst fishing including the contact details for a syndicate and water 10 miles from that I didn't know even existed despite my Google mapping exploits. Hopefully I may of imparted the odd bit too.

 

There has only been 3 incidences that stick in my mind.

 

The last one was fairly recently whilst fishing a mill pool (the one in the picture of my recent thread). The main pool is narrow, gin clear and around 3 feet deep.

I'm crouched behind a fallen tree route inching a lump of meat down towards the tail end of the pool when I hear some rustling in the bushes opposite and a chap emerges wearing a yellow t-shirt, proceeds to walk the mill pool wall directly above the water and stand with his hands on his hips, the sun behind him, surveying the water.

At this point I spotted the resident shoal of Chub evacuate at high speed into the side pool, not to be seen again that day.

The chap then starts asking questions like 'have you caught much mate' and 'wos in here then'. He must of seen me as I'm not that good at concealing myself.

I was dumbstruck. It was one of the rare occasions I've been stuck for words.

 

The first 2 were in the same week a few years ago and both involved the same guy. I was feeder fishing in plain view a stretch of the River Yare in the Brundall area when a well known Pike fishing guide tears down the river, kills the engine and then proceeds to slowly drift down the far side with the tide whilst his customers, under instruction fired small wooden submarines the full width of the river a couple of which landed only a few feet from the platform I was fishing from.

Once they'd drifted past once they motored back up and repeated the procedure.

The exact same scenario occurred exactly a week later. I was far from stuck for words either times. The second time I received verbal threats from one of the 'pupils' before the guide ushered him quiet and motored off.

 

I'm not having a pop at Pike anglers as I would consider myself one or for that matter lure anglers or guides. It's just a lack of common decency. I approached the guide in a local tackle shop and he was sarcastically apologetic in front of a few people, a few weeks later I saw him by himself whilst I was Pike fishing and received a slightly more appropriate apology. I'm still mildly fuming 6 years later.

Edited April 29, 2008 by dant

[Rusty]

I'm quite happy to talk to anyone who approaches me and asks in a civil manner how I'm doing, it seems like a perfectly logical way to open a conversation with someone who's fishing. If I'm walking a lake and see an angler in full camo gear lying on his stomach some five yards back from the waters edge then I'll figure that he's stalking and probably won't be in the mood for a chat. Carpman sitting on his bedchair watching a DVD with three matching rods on the pod is fair game but strangely can be reluctant to enter into any meaningful exchange for fear of giving away any secrets, or missing the vital bit of the movie.

 

I don't think we should get too hung up on angling etiquette, non anglers provided they are polite can talk to me anytime and if they unintentionally ruin my days fishing then I've always got other days.