Why do we bother?

[Guest Alan Pearce]

Due to the F&M I have not fished recently. This morning I thought I would have a little recce around my area so that I can give an accurate report in the fishing column I write for the Suffolk Free Press. Sure enough all the fisheries were closed including around 12 miles of river. However there were people out walking all over the place, including in one instance through a field of sheep! Very few footpaths had any signs posted and three large golf courses were open for business. One club I stopped at has a stretch of river running through it and a fishing lake, both these were closed for fishing yet there were dozens of golfers out on the course. I went into the club house for a beer and had a chat with the barman, telling him my concern. He pointed me in the direction of a group of players and told me that two of them were local livestock farmers.

 

Enough to make a cow eat meat!

 

Alan.

[Guest Adrian]

Alan.

 

I had exactly this from a dog walker today. "The place where I walk the dog had a cone and a small sign, 50 yds down the fence was another entrance, with no sign,so I went in". To my mind the threat posed by dog walkers is much bigger than that posed by us.

Dogs cover loads of ground and go sniffing where animals have been. Golfers likewise, must cover several miles, including beating around looking for lost balls.

 

With the exception of grazing land, are we being over cautious in keeping away?, are the others being reckless or more realistic?.

 

Adrian

[Guest FishingMad2001]

There was at least 30 golfers out today on my local golf course. But the lake 100 yards down the road was strictly closed to fishermen. Another thing I say at least 3 dog wakers, walking around the bloddy lake this evening !

 

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Tyrone

 

Happy angling

[Guest Wert]

Golfers are a selfish lot (That should open the floodgates!). During the terrible '76 drought and again in the late '80s, when we were urged to conserve water at all costs, golf clubs continued to use sprinklers on their precious greens. Most golfing folk seem to consider themselves a cut above ordinary people and are consequently not going to let lesser mortals disrupt their sport by telling them what they can and can't do. Let's cull the lot of these wasters and have a nice big funeral pyre.

As you can probably guess, I don't like golf!

 

Wert

[Guest Bruno Broughton]

Originally posted by Adrian:

With the exception of grazing land, are we being over cautious in keeping away?,  are the others being  reckless or more realistic?.

 

My dog has been grounded, except for along the highways (and he ain't happy). Round here - on the Shrops/Staffs border, deep in the country - a walkabout dog which wanders onto grazing land would probably be shot: we are F&MD-free for a 40 mile radius.

 

We are not being over-reactive or naive in stopping fishing; we are being RIGHT, irrespective of what some other divs. are up to, including some 'farmers'. Remember, if we keep to this moral high ground, we can re-play the positive PR in future, to our sport's benefit.

 

On your (illegal) walker - I suggest that he/she is being moronic. In your place, I would reach for the mobile and contact the police.

 

 

 

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Bruno

[Guest uk_lurcher]

My dog is grounded too, and he is going stir crazy! I can only stand chucking a ball around the house for him to chase for so long, he could keep it up all day of course.

His walks are restricted to the highways too, but he REALLY wants to be off the lead.

 

Plenty of other people in the area seem to be walking their dogs in the countryside however, don't they read a paper or watch TV?

 

UKL

[Guest webmaster@qualitybaits]

Well it would appear that Bruno's 40 mile radius has diminished considerably since his last post. From what I hear from the Farming fraternity Bruno there is an unconfirmed case in The Acton Area.

It looks like fishing is going to be off for a few months so get out your tackle and change those rigs and polish your reels cos it looks like a long unhappy spring for us anglers unless we have a few weeks of hot weather which as a realistic Englishman I don't expect to see until the end of April at the earliest. I would even expect the angling show to be off at the NEC due to its location. God I am A DOOM & GLOOM pessamist.

Chin up lads worse things happen at sea.

[Guest mpbdsnu]

They read the papers and watch the news Lurcher, but they are ignorant bas***ds.

 

It just goes to show what good caring conservationists anglers really are.

[Guest John Weddup]

Alan this is exactly what I was getting at in my previous thread (waters open re foot & mouth). I new this would occurr and actually mentioned golfers and golf course lakes.I also said the publics concern will turn to frustration and anger soon I beleive it started in the tabloids this week. They were also showing concern for tourism at Easter. I know of a local family who have gone to the norfolk broads this week for a boating fishing holiday. No talk of that being stopped.If foot and mouth is carried on the wind why can,t i sit and fish near the road.

[Guest Paul Williams]

I to feel that soon their will be a public backlash...society to day is not the same as 67, they are losing out on to much and they can't handle that!!

If walkers, golfers, boaters, and even farmers are ignoring the potential dangers then the rest of country users ain't going to sit by!