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Lower Benyons mass canoe invasion

Pete Fox

Pete Fox

Active Member
Last Friday, while fishing the Kennet, a group of 15 canoes/kayaks came over the weir and made their way down the river despite being asked to leave as I believed they were tresspassing.
Does anyone care???
Does anyone know the relevant laws?
This was an organised party claiming to be from Adventure Dolphin.
Has anyone encountered canoes on this section before?
They claimed to have been using this venue for 25 years!
I fear it could be the end for this venue unless this is nipped in the bud.
Help!!!

Pete
 
I did send an email to RDAA on Friday eve but no reply yet.
I have been looking at that website but can't see any further details of the 'weir bash'
I have to say, I'm amazed nobody else seems concerned by this!

Pete
 
Seem to remember there is an annual race from Newbury to the Houses of Parliament. These guys perhaps were just training. Their bigest problem was always negotiating the locks where they have to "dismount" and carry their craft over the locks. A grueling race that as its only once a year and held [from memory] during the close season perhaps we turn a blind eye for once.
A guy I spoke to some years ago was also a keen angler. Perhaps if he reads this he can enlighten us all.

Mike
 
Mike Wilson said:
Seem to remember there is an annual race from Newbury to the Houses of Parliament. These guys perhaps were just training. Their bigest problem was always negotiating the locks where they have to "dismount" and carry their craft over the locks. A grueling race that as its only once a year and held [from memory] during the close season perhaps we turn a blind eye for once.
A guy I spoke to some years ago was also a keen angler. Perhaps if he reads this he can enlighten us all.

Mike
Click to expand...

The Devizes to Westminster race is usually run over the Easter weekend - so always in the close season - this doesn't sound like training for that - but some outdoor adventure types...


C.
 
19 February 2010
Half Term Local Weir Bash, Paddlepower Discover level
that's for kids.
 
The canoe races use the navigation sections and RDAA usually inform us, so we know where and when to avoid fishing.

Adventure Dolphin seem to be a responsible organisation, to be applauded for their work involving kids in outdoor activities, and I'm assuming this was their half-term weir bash as suggested. They did appear to be an organised group of adult leaders and youngsters and so presumably would be aware of their rights of navigation.
I have always assumed that the backwaters were not officially part of the navigation system, perhaps that's not the case and all parts are fair game for boats.But my worry is that, if as I suspect and hope, this was tresspassing, a respectable organisation should not be encouraging youngsters to act illegally. If not tresspassing, then this could be yet another nail in the coffin for many Kennet fisheries, as I did get the impression that they were on a mission, so to speak.

If this was a one off (and I hope that's the case) then ok.

I'm awaiting a response from RDAA, hope they can shed some light.

Pete
 
Pete, the simple fact is we need to get along with all water users, I have come across some rude and bloody minded canoeists but have equally come across some bloody rude and inconsiderate anglers. Canoeists are here to stay and provided they are polite with me I will always be with them. I believe they caused even more problems further up at padworth mill, or at least their support people did.........................
 
As the demand for high adrenalin outdoor pursuits increases year on year I suspect we'll see more & more of this on our overcrowded Island. Not all, but I think a large number of canoeists see ANY water as fair game. Other than the odd landowner or disgruntled fisherman who is going to challnge them as they thrash up or down rivers at speed. I've had canoeists completely ignore me despite shouting at the top of my voice, 10 seconds later they're out of sight. Most organised clubs and groups will know where they are entitled to go, but many don't care and do as they damn please.

D.
 
I think you have summed up the attitude of many canoeists Duncan. On the Wye we have many quiet and polite canoeists that pass with barely a ripple yet many others make a lot of noise or will beach right next to your position and proceed to make a huge disturbance without so much as eye contact.

I have had several deep and meaningful discussions with some of the less considerate users of the river:rolleyes:
 
The issue as I understand it is not so much one of navigation but of permission to launch. Effectively, if they take the canoe out of the water to navigate a weir for instance then do they have the right to re-launch it below the weir? Or should you make the ****ers get orf your land and carry their canoe with them.
 
Paul Garner said:
The issue as I understand it is not so much one of navigation but of permission to launch. Effectively, if they take the canoe out of the water to navigate a weir for instance then do they have the right to re-launch it below the weir? Or should you make the ****ers get orf your land and carry their canoe with them.
Click to expand...

well anyway, i wouldn't want to stop 15 canoes from re launching, would you?
 
You miss the point, I am no expert on this but I would imagine that they must surely be breaking some law if they ignore your requests to leave the land and launch without permission? Then again I might be talking row locks but would be interested if anybody knows the position on this?
 
Its getting any authority interested in enforcing those rules Paul. There's no right to land on the Wye save for a few launch sites yet they do so all the time. I doubt that they are even told at the point of hiring the canoes.

If you rang the police, do you think they'd come? If not, who would you then go to?

Legality through apathy - Britain in the 21st Century, yet put a plastic bottle in a paper recycle bin and you are likely to get a 3 o'clock knock.
 
To be honest they need permission of the landowner to disembark or re-launch onto the bank. They legally need permission of the land owner to pass through the river if it is not officially a navigable waterway, unfortunately I believe Lower Benyons is classed as navigable, as is the whole Kennet and Avon system.........This club will probably have sought permission of the land owner. The real question is, what right do we as fishermen have to challenge them, we do not own the land, in the case of this particular river stretch, we are simply members of a club who leases the "angling rights" for 1/2 of the river width, the opposite bank being a different riparian owner, most of us would not have a clue who the riparian owner is, yet we feel we have some right to police the use of the land, which, by the way, includes a public footpath..................

Don't get me wrong, I would much rather have a clear and free river, just for fishing but it is not realistic and we need to start realising that we do not have a god given right to be the only people using the water..........
 
I'm finding it very difficult to know what to believe with conflicting opinions on access. I can't find any definitive info on this at all.
DOES ANYONE KNOW THE FACTS???
They didn't claim to have permission, rather that it was a public navigation. If all the backwaters and weirs are navigable...doesn't bear thinking about!:eek::eek::eek:...How am I suposed to get my gin palace through the obstacles...should we expect major dredging and tree removal?:D

My email to RDAA asked:...
Were you aware of this event?
Did they have or ask permission?
Is this a legitimately navigable part of the Kennet?
If any of the answers are no, then I feel this must not be allowed to go unchallenged.
I intend to take up this matter with Adventure Dolphin but do not wish to, in any way, jeopardise the association.

I've now received a reply from RDAA stating that it is a non navigable part of the Kennet and they should not have been there, and to let them know how I get on with Adventure Dolphin.

I accept that we don't own the river but we do pay for the priveledge of fishing it, I think that gives us the right to challenge such disruption IF they were indeed tresspassing. If left unchallenged they will be able to claim rights due to usage...hence their (false?) claim to have been using it for 25 years. I'd like to think we could find a mutually agreeable compromise, perhaps a time-sharing arrangement, but flying pigs come to mind. Unfortunately as it is only really angling that is disrupted by this, we stand no chance against their far superior organisation. But I do think we should resist for as long as possible before retreating to the commercial ponds or golf!

Unless/until I can find any reliable clarification of the access issues I don't feel qualified to persue this.
So perhaps I should just leave it, in the time honoured angling style....apathy rules!:(

Pete
 
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