The canoeists and anglers controversy

YOUR article this morning about the controversy between canoeists and anglers prompts me to write to you, tells Gordon Dwyer.

I am both a boater (for six years) and an angler (for over 20 years) on the canals and I can confirm that the canoeists can be a menace, not only to anglers as per your article but to boaters too, as they do seem to have the impression that the canal belongs solely to them.

We are not welcome

I usually fish the Gloucester & Sharpness in the outskirts of the city, but when the canoeists turn out I now pack up, as they have their headquarters there, and they leave us anglers in no doubt that we are not welcome with our rods reaching into the water. All too often the rods are purposely struck but no apology is forthcoming, just abuse for being there, and fellow anglers tell me it is getting the same at other places now that Canal & River Trust are encouraging canoeists on the canals.

Yet as a boater I met a couple of canoes with children under the supervision of adults on the Staffs & Worcs and they pulled into one side and all greeted me in unison, that I found charming, but what a difference to the solo canoeist who often shouts at you for not getting out of his/her way.

Not all the same

But please, let me state that they are not all the same, some being most considerate, but it will be the worst behaved of them that will become more of a problem if they get the charter they are after as they will really believe they own the canals.