Was I wrong?

[benzonar]

Let me tell you a story.
Tonight myself and my girlfriend decided to go for a bite to eat in a local pub. In order to get there we have to walk along the Basingstoke Canal, which is quite pleasant and it also gives me the opportunity to talk to any anglers that may be fishing. Now quite a lot of the general public walk along the towpath, and I often find myself dismayed by how much litter is along the path or in the canal itself.
Just before I got to the pub I happened upon a man who was fishing with his two young sons, fair enough I thought. However, as I got closer I realised that he was surrounded by an immense pile of litter. This included cans, crisp packets and numerous kit kat wrappers from a multipack, the remainder of which was also on the path, one of his kids at this time was tucking into a kit kat and subsequently dropped the wrapper on the path.
As I walk passed I wanted to say something, and I admit I normally wouldn't. However in the light of the recent goings on with our friends in PETA I felt obliged to do something, especially as this path is in constant use from the public. So I said "Evening, any Joy."
"Not really" he said.
So I said "Sorry to ask, but are you going to pick up all of this litter?"
Well you would have thought that I had just accused his mother of having carnal knowledge of canines. Now, he didn't know I was an angler and he basically told me to f&%k off and mind my own business, and that unless I was a baliff he didn't have to take any notice of me.
So rather than argue with him I carried on towards the pub being followed by a tirade of abuse from him and his kids.
Hence to say when I walked back after the meal he was gone, but better still so was the rubbish.
He may have intended to pick it up all along, however I felt the real issue was how the public who would walk past him as he was fishing would view us anglers.

Sorry to have ranted on a bit, but this guy really made me despair with his attitude.

So should I have done it? I think I was right , and OK I may have made him look like a dick in front of his kids, but what other choice did I have.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by benzonar on 01/08/01 08:40 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

[daytimedave]

good on ya geeza
these people give us anglers a bad name
the life old saying......its the small minority that spoil it for
the rest
....am i right?..............your not wrong.
take your litter home!

keep it clean
dtd

[Baz]

Sallers might be the one to ask on this one
Eh Sallers what do you think.............lol/images/forum/icons/tongue.gif

You done the right thing and it would also made the kids aware of it as well

Baz/images/forum/icons/smile.gif

[loki]

Interesting point here though, is it ok to sit in a pile of rubbish while fishing providing you clear it up and take it home? I suggest the answer is no, particularly in a public place, but the offence is leaving your rubbish behind. However, in view of all the negative publicity flying around at the moment, image is everything.

How about one of the angling product suppliers producing a range of rubbish sacks, say with a catchy 'fishy' logo on the front, that tackle shops can stock and sell at minimum cost. Encourages Joe Public to clean up as he goes, and gets positive image points at the same time (I'll waive my commission on this idea, but will be looking for an extra 2% on the next one, lol).

[Rivercarper]

So it was you was it who spoke to me last night when I WAS FISHING.

[benzonar]

Actually he did look a bit like David Bellamy!

/images/forum/icons/wink.gif

[fatboy]

I expect we have all found ourselves in similar situations in the past ,but you have done what many of us probably wish we had, but for various reasons chose not to.

Definately the right thing to do, well done that man!!

[FGRW]

You did the right thing! I suggest a bravery award.
Regards
Rich.

[DanCleary]

you did right, because I would of told him that he is giving angling a bad name, and that it's people like him that will give momentum to angling getting banned(not likely). I would of called him a tos£$r and probably ended up in a fight, you would not believe how much rubbish I pick up off the canal, and it seems to be carpers. How many pleasure anglers get pizzas or fish and chips? good on yer

[maximus]

Not all of us "carpers" leave rubbish mate, from a very early age my dad allways instilled in me to leave where i am fishing free from all rubbish and even if the swim had rubbish in it when we arrived we would clean it up. I know not all people do this but us "good guys " can still make a difference around fisheries.

[benzonar]

The guy in question was actually pleasure fishing.

Does every post have to turn into a us and them scenario between carpers and pleasure anglers.

[DanCleary]

Benzonar, i'm a carper so what's your point? just saying what I see and know, So pipe down will ya.
and of course all types of angler leave rubbish, but luckily it's the minority, maybe we should spray " take your rubbish home" on the back of there bivvies, the known offenders that is.
Maximus, where did I say EVERYONE?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by DanCleary on 02/08/01 01:14 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

[maximus]

Sorry mate did not mean to cause offence to anyone. I just feel strongly about rubbish being left in swims that's all.
IBenzonar i've got no problem whatsoever with "pleasure anglers" infact i fish for other species aswell and not just carp. At the end of the day it is down to all anglers to keep our rivers and lakes free of rubbish etc

[G_CHILD]

i can never understand anglers who leave rubbish,,cuz if they were to walk in a swim with s**t everywhere they would soon be moaning.why anyone wants to ruin the lake they r fishing or any other lake for that matter i dont know.

keeping it green and tidy

G_CHILD
HOODED PRIEST

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by scorpio on 02/08/01 11:45 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

[mike]

He didn't actually leave any rubbish!!!!!

I reckon if anything you would have encouraged him to leave his litter even if he wasn't going to in the first place. Remember he picked his cr@p up not you. Stop patting yourself on the back and "angling" for complements here!

If someone came to me on the bank and rollocked me for not taking my litter home even though I hadn't left the place I'd throw them in lake!!

[DanCleary]

Mike, why would you throw litter on the floor to only pick it back up again when you pack up?
sounds like madness to me

do you like creating more work for yourself?

ever thought of taking a bag with you, so you don't need to throw it on the floor so non anglers walking pasts you don't get the wrong idea about us anglers?


point no1, i repeat NO1 from PETA

Organize a clean-up day with your friends around local fishing spots. The number one cause of injuries and death to birds and other animals who live near the water is "fishing litter," like hooks, fishing line, nets, and string. When animals come to the water for a drink, they get tangled and sometimes strangled in fishing litter. Grab your friends and head for a creek, lake, beach, or pond, and help out the animals whose lives count on that water by cleaning up.

• Put up signs at local fishing spots reading, "Please do not leave fishing line here."

ANGLERS please try NOT to feed them with ammo, by throwing litter during your session. over and out

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by DanCleary on 02/08/01 03:53 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

[benzonar]

Mike did you actually read by thread properly. Where did I state that I rollocked him?
I merely asked him politely. Throwing someone in the lake, especially a non-angling member of the public would do our sport a lot of favours. Good publicity there.
I wasn't looking for compliments, in fact I felt somewhat bad after speaking to him as he obviously seemed to take offence. The litter wasn't in his swim as such, it was all over the towpath and there were lots of people out walking.
If someone had done the same to me I know I wouldn't have acted like him, but then I wouldn't have had half the contents of a sweet shop strewn all over the footpath in the first place.

[G_CHILD]

and i said he did !!!!!! no. so u would throw me in if u were sitting in a swim of rubbish and i said...nice swim mate i hope all thats going home with ya. u could try mate.
cant believe i have even been drawn into an arguement when there wasnt even one there in the first place.

[benzonar]

Mate! I think his post was aimed at me.

[G_CHILD]

was it...i thought it was aimed at me..to me to u to me to u
chuckle chuckle
in that case by all means carry on sir.

G_CHILD
HOODED PRIEST

[scorpio]

The image a non angler has about an angler is all in the first impression they see.... for instance.. I used to fish the Queen Mother Reservioir in Datchet a few years back and to dispatch their fish some anlers would hit the fish against the concrete wall... okay so the fish is now dead but this is barbaric so the general public think we are barbaric... litter? If you are stting by the river with a pile of litter next to you people are going to think anglers are messy and no good for the environment..... think about htese factors guys... don't argue about this amongst yourselves, this time could be spent in other more constructive ways... all it needs is education of the anglers involved... I bet there are anglers here who have left litter on the banks... not all of you but some of you reading this have done it... think about it, our sport could possible be banned because of things like this. Benzonar you did the right thing mate, maybe if you told him you was a fellow angler and that viewable litter could damage an anglers reputation the guy may have then thought about it more.

Tony

[Beserker]

Benzonar,
If you had approached me and just asked if I was going to take my litter home I would'nt be offended (mind you I would'nt have strewn it on the bank in the first place). I'd have most probably thought "Thank christ there's someone else out there who gives a toss". Education about litter is as important as education about fish care.
The canal (I know it well) is a public access area - we get watched, don't give the antis ammo.

Kim

[loki]

No Rivercarper it wasn't me who spoke to you (?).

What happened to the spirit of unity guys? LOL.

[sallers]

You did the right thing mate. As sais by others this sort of thing gives us anglers a bad name and more ammunition for the likes of PETA..

It takes nothing to put your rubbish in a bag, and is much easier than throwing it all over the swim to tidy up when you leave!!

Keeping it tidy

Sallers

[Nerys]

we litter pick our PUBLIC water and get free fishing, qiuds in all round me thinks.... and we're carpers...

although a barbel once in a while wouldn't go amiss.. any tips on the Blackwater......

Nerys

[LeeTebble]

We shouldnt give people the excuse of "Someone else will pick it up" or we will end up with rat infested dumps for fisheries!
Not sure about the Blackwater, but the Kennet at Burghfield and St. Patrick's near Maidenhead are prime Barbel fisheries available on the Group Water ticket. Well worth a cast...