What do feel about club water baliffs

[Guest Legs]

Do you think club baliffs go over the top, or they do/give a good service?

I have been a member of a club for over twenty=five years and in that time have never had any reason to call the baliffs, they, in my opinion have done a really good service. That is until earlier this year,when my son was stopped by a baliff for being away from his rods, the distance was measured as 5meters and the reason he was away from his rods was that an angler fishing next to my son had shouted for assistance. While the baliff was doing his bit he noticed an empty Lager can in my son's bag for which he was then accused of bringing cans and drinking alchohol on the clubs waters. In reallity my son had picked the can up on his way to his swim,(removing litter), for these two offences he was expelled from the club despite the angler who he assisted speaking up for him.

[Guest Alan Roe]

Difficult one to call this as none of us were there at the time. Though from your description of the scene the decision seems to have been a touch harsh.

To a more general point around club bailifs though these are people who take on a difficult and often thankless task for the benefit of others and most should be applauded for it.

However as in all things the job does attract a small element of those who enjoy the exercise of minor power over others and abuse it i.e. the 'jobsworths' of this world.

It is the role of the club's committee to prevent this from happening by taking care over whom they appoint.

A good baliff is a tremendous asset to a club a bad one can ruin a club.

[Guest Alan Taylor]

Originally posted by Legs:

Hi Legs,

welcome to AN.

If the facts are as you have indicated (I see no reason to doubt you) I think the bailiff went more than a bit over the top.

It was a good job the person that your Son went to help was not drowning, imagine it, hang on mate I have to wind my rods in first then I will come and help. OK now I am over the top.

We had a similar experience when we went to England for a trip this year. ExpatStu was talking with us about 15 meters away from his rods when this bailiff came up and started giving him stick for leaving his rods. He could have taken the trouble to look at the rods first and he would have seen that they were wound in and there was no bait on the hooks. This same bailiff gave some others stick as well for real or imagined offences. He also gave the organiser of our fish-in some real stick about an angler that was fishing out of bounds. It turned out to be a guest of one of his own club members.

 

Not much help to you I know but just to illistrate that you get good and bad on all waters.

 

Can your son appeal? Lets face it, the young anglers of today are our hopes for the future.

 

Good luck to you both.

Alan(nl)

[Guest poledark]

Love'm or hate'em? As Alan says they are mostly ordinary guys doing their bit to keep the fishery in order. There is no doubt that a "hard" baillif is an asset to any water, some of them put the fear of god into you when they turn up.

 

Witness the number of anglers scooting along the bank to their swims as the gate opens and Nasty B comes in

I've been there and done that and it does make the job easier if the anglers know that you wont stand any nonsense.

It was my experience that over 90% of anglers will attempt to break the rules in one way or another, often it was simple things like bringing bottles and cans on to the water, which most baillifs would turn a blind eye to, the worst offence in my eyes (actually the only one I bothered with) was leaving rods unattended. Unfortunately it is usually the guy that "never leaves his rods" that does get caught out on occasions. the persistent rod leavers are always on the lookout whereas the feller who goes to help someone else falls into the trap.

Most good baillifs would have accepted the reason and let it go.

 

One of the waters that I fished up to recently has a couple of "resident" baillifs and they are a nasty pair, full of **** and importance, and even though they live on the water (in bivvies ) they still do not manage to clear the litter even when it is only a few feet away from their swims.

 

As I said, love 'em or hate'em,...I do both

 

 

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poledark ANMC

[Guest Steve Burke]

Sorry, to hear about your son's trouble, Legs. On the basis of what you've told us I'd agree that the club was out of order. In the UK we're supposed to be innocent unless proven guilty. In any event, in this instance education seems to be the answer, not expulsion.

 

However, it's very difficult for bailiffs and water owners to get the balance right. And as Alan has mentioned appointing the right bailiffs is very important.

 

At my own water at Wingham the bailiffs' cards state that "Bailliffs have the management's authority to interpret and enforce the principles and rules, and in the event of a breach to confiscate the offender's ticket and insist that he or she leaves the site. If the breach is upheld by the management, the offender will forfeit his or her ticket without recompense."

 

Like Poledark. my pet hate is definitely unattended rods. However, in the event of someone needing assistance I accept that rods may have to be unattended. After all it may be the least of two evils. So interpreting the riles sensibly is one of the main jobs of a bailiff.

 

What's important to understand is the reason behind the rules. The old phrase "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men" springs to mind!

 

 

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm

[Guest phil hackett]

Originally posted by Legs:

Do you think club baliffs go over the top, or they do/give a good service?

I have been a member of a club for over twenty=five years and in that time have never had any reason to call the baliffs, they, in my opinion have done a really good service. That is until earlier this year,when my son was stopped by a baliff for being away from his rods, the distance was measured as 5meters and the reason he was away from his rods was that an angler fishing next to my son had shouted for assistance. While the baliff was doing his bit he noticed an empty Lager can in my son's bag for which he was then accused of bringing cans and drinking alchohol on the clubs waters. In reallity my son had picked the can up on his way to his swim,(removing litter), for these two offences he was expelled from the club despite the angler who he assisted speaking up for him.

 

Legs

Sorry to hear that No.1. son has been thrown out of the club unjustly.

But as we both know the club is officious, overbearing and pompous.

 

It was once said to me on the banks by a member, that he felt that it was

possible that some of the committee lie awake in bed at nights dreaming up more bad rules to inflict on the membership.

And the ultimately logic of this would lead them to ban all methods of fishing on their waters.

 

Sooner or later mate one of the unjustly treated members are going to take them through the courts and stuff them.

 

In the case of the bailiffs, they are as good or bad as the people who appoint them, and as we both know they reflect the attitudes of the so called great and the good of the club.

 

Well bang goes my membership! They wish!