I love canals but....

[BoozleBear]

Barges, barges and more barges.

 

And idiots in cannoes.

 

And arrogant cyclists.

 

And dogs.

 

Went carping on Kennet and Avon canal with my son Jack on Saturday. 10am - 4.30pm.

 

Blanked. Every time there were signs of fish and I'd casted to a good spot and all was cool, a barge would come past. Don't usually mid as I think it sometimes stirs life into the fish, and I use back leads so I don't need to reel in. However in the weekends you get the holiday barge bunch, who drive to quickly and stir up mud in the water reducing visibility to nil, and also wooshing around rubbish on the bottom onto my rig.

 

I went there with a dozen pva bags made and needed to make another 6 because of all the re-casting. (I was fishing 2 rods)

 

Most times I reeled a rig in after a boat wne past the rig came back with leaves, reeds and twigs on it.

 

Twice, a two man canoe went past. Sometimes they do come along, fair play, it's their canal too. But most times they see an angler they lift their oars and kindly drift past. Not these guys. Sploosh, sploosh, sploosh etc. I checked before fishing if there is a race on and there wasn't, so they could have easily not splooshed.

 

I told them what I thought.

 

To make it worse, on 3 different ocassions, cyclists ignored my rods and knocked them as they went past, despite the fact I had left loads of room.

 

Then there were the dogs - having to avoid their poo on the first stretch, and then stopping them from trying to each my pellets when I was preparing pva bags, and literally having to haul one away when it spotted Jack was eating a marmite sarnie.

 

So what could have been a great day was ruined by, in my eyes, a bunch of inconsiderate fools.

 

Grrrrrr.

 

Simon

[david t]

I know exactly what you mean, i to delight in canal carping, but it has its downsides.

The last time i went, a young lad rode into my rods, ok, it wasnt really his fault, he could hardly ride a bike, his parents shouldnt have let him ride along the towpath near the water.

i also had a group of cyclists ride past at full speed, at just a foot past me, being a cyclist, and being one that likes abit of speed, i know that at 20mph on a bike, you can easily faulter by a foot or so, especially if you are pedalling hard. So when they came back, i stood up on my box, and glared at them directly, i think they thought i was odd, but they slowed down!

 

What annoys me most, and unless you fish canals you may not know what i mean, is when they release the water from the locks in an instant, so you suddenly get this surge of water cascading down the canal.

 

BUT boozlebear, take note, i dont give much advice, but i tell you when i have often had a run, when they open the lock gates at normal speed, and the canal starts to tow, and your bobbins move up in the flow, often just as the tow starts to drop i get a run, I dont know why, but dont reel in until the boat is coming towards you, i have had at least 3 carp in the past season in that situation.

 

also, another thing, dont bother going on a sunday, and you would be mad to go on a bank holiday monday!

too busy.

[Stewart_Bloor]

Certainly at this time of the year, and on busy canals, I always opt to fish very late in the day and then through darkness.

 

I did a canal carp campaign last spring and didn't get bothered by 1 barge.

[BoozleBear]

Good points guys, cheers.

[A Worm OOE]

I used to fish the London canals a lot but gave up when a drugged up squater snaped my three day old pole over her knee. Now my canal fishing is limited to rural areas in the winter when there are fewere cyclists and only the keen (and usually more polite) boaters about.

 

 

PS when I fish public places these days (ie where dogs are walked) I tend to take some sand or soil to cover up anything left by our canine freinds before I start.

Edited May 8, 2006 by A Worm OOE

[GlennB]

Carp fishing 2 rods on the K+A in spring has got to be seriously hard work

In fairness I have to say the boat folk down Bath way are remarkably polite and considerate, but I couldn't say the same for many of the cyclists. Even on gravelly towpaths those b#ggers are on you pretty quietly and quickly. And the dog crap is a disgrace.

[JBee123]

Sorry guys, but its not your god given right to fish the canal.

 

Everyone else has a right to use it for their own legal recreational purposes. People have the right to walk dogs, boats and barges to use the canal(After all thats what it was put there for in the first place) ,canoeists to canoe and cyclists to use the toepath.

 

If you dont like it, dont fish em!

 

Simple as.

 

I have lost count of the amount of dirty looks and snyde remarks I have had just for having the gaul to jog past a miserable angler without slowing to a walking pace.

 

We dont own these places we have to share them, it is quite simple really.

 

These sorts of comments and actions just get peoples backs up and make us look like a right bunch of miserable old farts.

[BoozleBear]

Sorry guys, but its not your god given right to fish the canal.

 

Everyone else has a right to use it for their own legal recreational purposes. People have the right to walk dogs, boats and barges to use the canal(After all thats what it was put there for in the first place) ,canoeists to canoe and cyclists to use the toepath.

 

If you dont like it, dont fish em!

 

Simple as.

 

I have lost count of the amount of dirty looks and snyde remarks I have had just for having the gaul to jog past a miserable angler without slowing to a walking pace.

 

We dont own these places we have to share them, it is quite simple really.

 

These sorts of comments and actions just get peoples backs up and make us look like a right bunch of miserable old farts.

 

I wasn't making out that these people shouldn't use the canal!

 

I was complaining about inconsiderate people, and explained in each case why I was annoyed.

 

Many of the barges were over the speed limit.

 

The guy in the canoe swore in front of a 9 year old boy after my polite request.

 

Two of the dogs were not controlled well enough.

 

If you are happy for people to break canal speeding laws, swear in front of kids and let their dogs eat a 9 year olds sandwich then good for you!

 

Jack and I like dogs and one of the reasons we fish the canal is so Jack gets to say hi to the dogs and fuss over them.

 

I don't have a problem with ANYBODY using the canal, I just wished they used the same amount of consideration as I do.

[david t]

Jbee123,

I didnt say it was my god given right to fish canals.

I was just mentioning a few things that arent perfect about them.

Too be honest, i dont get any hassle from boaters, i have no problem there.

i mentioned bikes, as i sometimes think its abit dangerous when they pass at speed, i would say most cyclists are well mannered, its just the odd few, but its always the close encounters that stick in your head, its a personal safety thing, i had my young sister with me when i had cyclists go past too fast, and i dont want her being knocked in the canal, simple as that.

and regards the locks, im not seriously thinking of chaining up the lock or something.

 

talking about not fishing on bank holidays, it is busy, i dont like it, so i dont fish them then, i dont moan about the fact its busy, i just dont fish them.

 

having had a few days on the canal were things arent peaceful, i have learnt to be selective about fishing them, so that when i do go in future i have a good chance of having a good day.

 

i do like them, and have had many good days on them, its just a case of picking the right time.

im not being a miserable old fart by choosing to go at the quieter time, maybe just abit of a recluse that trys to avoid the crowds!

[JBee123]

David,

Chill out, I wasnt even replying to you.

 

its just that to me the canal system is for everybody, and Anglers have enough bad press at the moment without generating more for ourselves.