Safe Fishing

[Alan Hammond]

If you look back over the years I do not think that society has changed a whole lot. What has changed is the population which means that percentage wise there are probably the same number of thugs and nutters around as ever there were but now there are actually more of them. There is also the factor of modern communications to be taken into account. Incidents that would have barely been heard of outside of the area that they occured in are now nationwide news within hours.

 

Not forgetting of course the loony system of political correctness that is being rammed down our throats and which states that the more evil you are the more you need to be loved, tolerated and rewarded.

 

I am speaking incidentally from the point of view of a retired Policeman who earned his retirement the hard way and who is married to a teacher who has worked in some of the toughest Primary schools on Tyneside.

[Dick Dastardly]

I think Allans (welcome to AN by the way) comments about modern communication making us more aware of these incidents are true.I often feel sad that my grandson wont ever have the freedom to wander across the fields to his local pond like I did as a kid.

 

Good to see you back posting Leeds.

 

With regards to the allready mentioned advice I must agree that it is wise to take these precautions.One thing that does amaze me though is the large amount of both adult and young anglers who cant swim.

[rob.i]

Good point Budgie I am a good swimmer but once came a cropper when I slipped into the canal one winter . I was hauled out ironically by a non swimming fishing mate .

[Peter Waller]

Can't swim, Budgie, and act on a boat as they might on land. Like idiots asking to drown.

[jeepster]

this may have some relavence to this thread, or maybe not

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshi...ire/4140885.stm

 

this one certainly does..

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshi...ire/4141197.stm

 

 

both taken from the bbc website today.

 

[ 02. January 2005, 03:14 PM: Message edited by: jeepster ]

[Resident Carper]

quote:

---

teenageers older than me hang around there!

---

all i can say mate is be very carful, i had a situation like this and in the end i had most of my gear nicked. so best advice i can give you is either find another water or go with a few mates.

 

Usualy I have found that these kids that dont fish and just hang around are there to destroy the place so the only name for the is Peduncles!

 

I hav had 2 cases in the last year where i have been fishing and these Pikies have destryed the fishing and the venue. but the owner doesnt seam to care. so i moved and about 50 or so other people moved and now he hasnt got many members at all left!

 

So just watch ya back mate.

[Alan Stubbs]

I put a lot of this down to an appalling piece of legislation - the Children and young Person's Act. Kids are savvy and this legislation so restricts discipline of children that they use it to their advantage. The majority of problems I've had on the bank has come from teenagers for whom a retributional smack in the mouth is something they've never had. And therefore a lesson never learned.

[Mat Hillman]

I fished alone and with a group of mates from around the age of 12 onwards, on a lake just behind the old kent road in central london, and the South London docks. I doubt if it was as "safe" as I thought it was at the time, but I don't remember ever having any major problems.

 

Personally, I don't think times have changed that much, there always have been idiots, thieves, perverts and bullys around, I think the difference nowadays is that modern communications means we get to hear about the incidents that happen that much more!

 

To LeedsUnited, how old are you if thats not to personal? My own kids are 5 and 1, so this question hasn't arisen yet for me, but I feel that I would allow a responsible teenager to fish alone, younger than that I think I'd rather they only fished when I or another adult I trust was with them.

 

But follow some basic safety rules, and you should be ok

 

Make sure someone knows exactly where you are, and that they know when to expect you home.

 

Carry a mobile phone, preprogrammed with your home number, local police station to your venue and your parents mobile(s) if they have them!

 

Use the mobile! if you change venues, or decide to stay on later than you originally planned let someone know!

 

Try to fish within sight of other anglers, not always possible I know!

 

Pick swims with solid level banks, fishing alone is not the time for hanging halfway down a sheer bank to reach that big chub under the snag - yes we've all done it!

 

Avoid confrontations, if the worst does happen, run, and don't stop running till you are safe, THEN call the police. Tackle can be replaced - you can't.

 

Lastly have you considered joining a club? there are lots of local clubs out there that have lots of organised trips to local venues or matches etc on venues they own, your parents might feel happier if were with other anglers as part of an organised event.

 

Hope this helps

 

Mat

[slodger]

'Where did todays society go wrong?'

 

Wouldn't by any chance be the fault of their parents would it? I.e our generation.

 

I don't believe many children are truly, 'born bad', they're allowed to become that way by their seniors, that's us. If you want somebody to blame then I'd say it was the fault of our parents, who allowed us too much freedom, which in turn has translated into even less responsible or undisciplined youngsters nowadays.

 

It's a case of, 'Physician heal thyself,' from what I can see.

 

Happy New Year.

[Alan Stubbs]

slodger:

'Where did todays society go wrong?'

 

Wouldn't by any chance be the fault of their parents would it? I.e our generation.

 

I don't believe many children are truly, 'born bad', they're allowed to become that way by their seniors, that's us. If you want somebody to blame then I'd say it was the fault of our parents, who allowed us too much freedom, which in turn has translated into even less responsible or undisciplined youngsters nowadays.

 

It's a case of, 'Physician heal thyself,' from what I can see.

 

Happy New Year.

I totally agree - it was my generation that put the legislation into place that I referred to. You can't blame people for optimising opportunities especialy when their parents were exhorted to do just that by the leaders of the country.