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Canoeists & Anglers


Elton

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Dear All,

 

The thing is, from my side of the river so to speak, I didn't really understand exactly what it was the press release was/is mean't to say. I would like some clarification as to what it exactly means please FACT. Anyone else out there that would like to know more?

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

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Only one word for the thing:

 

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp...33567&dict=CALD

 

 

PS - thought of a better one: gibberish.

Edited by Paul Boote

"What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?"

 

Basil Fawlty to the old bat, guest from hell, Mrs Richards.

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Ah, now it makes sense. BBC breakfast TV is running a story on what the canoeists want; a "right to row". In other words, they want a legal right to unfettered access to all rivers. Hence the last line of the FACT release:

 

"The opportunity to manage river access in a responsible way, while contributing financially to the health of the rivers would be lost through statutory access rights for one group of river users"

 

So what the article is actually doing is opposing a movement which would allow canoeists access to any river they like, any time they like, free of charge, and sod anyone else's interests.

 

The BBC, surprisingly enough, have only covered the canoeists' side of the story. They haven't actually mentioned that some other river users might not like this. If you'd like to put the anglers' side, use their 'have your say' page at

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/3342693.stm

 

Steve

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Don't get me started about canoeists! They can a blasted menace; over the years, I have been inconvenienced, plagued, insulted, even threatened by them. They need, very quickly now, to be brought within the law and regulated - be made (a minority of them, at least, I hope) to cease their gonzo, cowboy outlook and activities. However, that FACT release was unintelligible nonsense. I read a lot of 'difficult' complex stuff (out of choice), but could make neither head nor tail of the thing.

 

CLARITY, in future, someone, please.

Edited by Paul Boote

"What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?"

 

Basil Fawlty to the old bat, guest from hell, Mrs Richards.

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I'm not sure that the canoists nescessarily want 'statutory' access because this would eventually open waterways up for other boaters. They certainly do want access and access managed to their advantage and supporting that is not in our best interests. I'm sorry, FACT, if I have misunderstood your intention on this matter. Personally I think that there is only one course to take and that is total opposition to access by canoes on rivers traditionally used by anglers. As I say, give an inch and see a mike being taken.

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Yup. That mile WILL be taken - certainly by the 'rad' gonzo element. I'll never forget encountering a pair of canoeists on the TINY spawning tributary of a Welsh salmon and sea-trout river years ago - at this time of year, just when the fish are doing their 'stuff'. When asked why they were canoeing on such completely unsuitable water, they told me that they were "doing the river", and had walked their canoes across several fields much further upriver to access the stream, and were enjoying the challenge of getting down such 'marginal' water. The verbal abuse started when I asked them to get out of the water, so I called the local water bailiff and the the police.

"What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?"

 

Basil Fawlty to the old bat, guest from hell, Mrs Richards.

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I'm not sure that the canoists nescessarily want 'statutory' access because this would eventually open waterways up for other boaters.

 

I'm afraid that's exactly what they want:

 

From the BCU website, the wording of the early day motion:

 

That this house urges the government to extend legislation on access to the countryside to allow canoeists and other non-powered craft the same access rights as those provided for walkers in England and Wales; and calls on the government to provide greater access to waterways in England and Wales for non-powered craft; acknowledges that the most successful Olympic canoeing nation, Germany, requires land owners to tolerate the use of non-powered craft on their waterways; and appreciates that with increased access to waterways, there will be greater participation in canoeing leading both to obvious health benefits for the nation and to increased chances of future Olympic success.

 

I had to have a snobby little snigger at their website while I was looking for this; someone should explain to them the difference between "lent" and "leant" and "formally" and "formerly". I digress.

 

Their analogy with the rights given to ramblers is flawed; their situation is more akin to that of mountain bike enthusiasts who have not been given any additional rights by the new laws.

 

They certainly do want access and access managed to their advantage and supporting that is not in our best interests. I'm sorry, FACT, if I have misunderstood your intention on this matter. Personally I think that there is only one course to take and that is total opposition to access by canoes on rivers traditionally used by anglers. As I say, give an inch and see a mike being taken.

 

I suspect that some compromise will end up having to be reached because it will be presented as "unfair" that we "monopolise" the rivers. Bottom line is that on any but the largest rivers fishing and canoeing are incompatible in much the same way that public libraries are not compatible with karaoke. We're getting our arses kicked in the publicity stakes; the BBC programme did not even point out that anyone did disagree with these proposals, let alone why they disagree. This amounts to an attempted land-grab by the canoeists because in many cases the idea that we can "share" the rivers is laughable. If they get the right to access to a small river, they may as well have secured exclusive use. Not much point staying off the skyline if there are half a dozen day-glo adrenaline fiends doing eskimo rolls in your swim.

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Oh dear, unpowered craft includes rowing and sailing boats. It gets worse . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

This is one thing that effects rather more than just anglers. The conservation lobby, even ramblers will be see the downside of this. Car parks etc at launching sites being one example. Anglers must sit up and take note.

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Oh dear, unpowered craft includes rowing and sailing boats. It gets worse . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

It may be necessary to mount protests to demonstrate that some activities need to be kept apart for good reason. I'm not sure whether it would be more effective to fish the local municipal swimming pool using a few pints of maggots for loosefeed or with a large plug. What do you think? Mackerel feathers maybe?

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It may be necessary to mount protests to demonstrate that some activities need to be kept apart for good reason. I'm not sure whether it would be more effective to fish the local municipal swimming pool using a few pints of maggots for loosefeed or with a large plug. What do you think? Mackerel feathers maybe?

 

Get 100 burly match anglers fishing down at the Henley Regatta ?

 

But seriously - "obvious health benefits to the nation"? My arse. Anyone who want to canoe can already freely do so. No extra access is needed.

Bleeding heart liberal pinko, with bacon on top.

 

 

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