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Common Courtesy and the half way rule

P

Paul Cahill

Senior Member
I had a big row with another angler on Friday night on the River Ribble.

The section I was fishing is fished from both banks through different tickets. It is probably about 30 yards wide on average. Now everyone who fishes the Ribble knows that the river has a "channel" of deeper water which is where the fish reside. The key to catching is to bait this channel and attract the fish upstream.

I walked a long way on Friday evening, and whilst there were a few anglers on my side, in the mile or so I'd walked I didn't see another angler on the far bank. I picked an unfancied, rarely fished area where the channel is closer to the other bank, about 2/3 of the way across river. Now as I hadnt seen another angler downstream, and could see another quarter of a mile plus upstream, where there are dozens of good pegs and areas, and I couldnt see another angler up there either.

Just as I'd baited up and was getting settled in some other angler arrived, making his way upstream, looking for a peg. I sat with a sinking heart as he got closer and closer and then, you've guessed it, plonked himself directly - I mean totally directly, opposite me. I tried to catch his eye and give a shrug, but this guy just looked at me, ignored me and carried on setting up. I couldn't believe it. The only fishable area for him was right into the water I'd just baited. right in front of me.

Furious, I packed up and told this guy what I thought of him as I left. Now I know to the letter of the law the half-way rule applies in these situations, but surely I'm not naive to believe that common courtesy is the key here? I'd never dream of fishing in another angler's water in that situation. Everyone on The Ribble fishes into the channel and, believe me, this guy had miles to go at. It wasn't even a particularly fancied area.

So which takes priority? Manners and courtesy or the half-way rule? I know what I believe.
 
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Courtesy should apply, personally I don't like to fish near anyone on my own bank if I can help it never mind opposite another angler.
 
If you fancy the area past the half way line , that's the risk you take

Unfortunately that was his water you baited

The courtesy thing goes out the window at times
 
Do you know why the other angler fished where he did? Like Graham says, most anglers will not fish next to or opposite another angler unless they have no choice or unless there is a good reason. Maybe the other angler had pre-baited the area, maybe he knew that the channel was close to his bank so he could be more accurate etc., maybe he had been told it was a hot swim?

I imagine that if it was any of those things he would have been as disappointed to find you opposite as you were to see him.

There are just so many unknowns when you fish.
 
David Chant said:
Do you know why the other angler fished where he did? Like Graham says, most anglers will not fish next to or opposite another angler unless they have no choice or unless there is a good reason. Maybe the other angler had pre-baited the area, maybe he knew that the channel was close to his bank so he could be more accurate etc., maybe he had been told it was a hot swim?

I imagine that if it was any of those things he would have been as disappointed to find you opposite as you were to see him.

There are just so many unknowns when you fish.
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Well he might have been disappointed but I was there first.

Having watched him work his way upstream, I'd say it was pretty much nailed on that he just fancied the area. He was going from peg to peg and looking at each. And when we were rowing he was going "I was going to chuck downstream" as though that made it alright. And I can tell you for a fact that the peg was no better, or more popular, or more fancied, then any of the other fifty in the area he was fishing. To be honest, I only decided to fish it as a change.

Personally, I believe strongly that courtesy over-rides the half way rule in that situation. If every peg was taken I'd say he was in the right. But on an empty river...you just don't do it.
 
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Happened to me on the Swale at Topcliffe (same club Leeds asa on both banks at that point) he even asked me where I was fishing (which was obvious as when I saw him setting up I catapulted some pellets in) then cast one of his rods to that spot. A similar row erupted and I ended up leaving as I go fishing to relax not argue. Worse thing was he caught a nice Barbel as I left. I've not visited Topcliffe since, too many numpties.
 
A bad case of six and two threes. I can understand the frustration. However, whenever you fish beyond half way, on water that has good access from the opposite side, it's the risk you take. While I quite agree that the bloke on the other bank is extracting the urine plonking down opposite you on an otherwise empty stretch, it's a little rich for you to complain when you aren't exactly playing by the rules in casting beyond half way. If you apply rules of "fishing etiquette" to others you've got to play by them yourself.
 
Paul Cahill said:
Well he might have been disappointed but I was there first.

I can tell you for a fact that the peg was no better, or more popular, or more fancied, then any of the other fifty in the area he was fishing. To be honest, I only decided to fish it as a change.

Personally, I believe strongly that courtesy over-rides the half way rule in that situation. If every peg was taken I'd say he was in the right. But on an empty river...you just don't do it.
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fifty pegs in one area of the ribble you will be lucky if there is 10 good pegs in in a mile of river on most stretches
be interesting if you name the area .was it ticket length or you a member of paas or radac
 
Road rage, river rage and yesterday I was a victim of tip rage when some silly beggar thought I was taking too long to dump my rubbish.

I'm beginning to think DG is right and we are all going to hell in a handcart.
 
Here's one of my favorites.
Many years ago I was fishing at Longham, same bank as the pub, which was allowed in those days. I was fishing the stile swim. A huge angler with a mountain of gear walked past. He then crashed his way to the waters edge, level with where I was casting. He spent about 15 minutes leveling and destroying the bank side vegatation with a bank stick, set himself up, and started running a stick float down the river. My next cast produced a volley of abusive threats which translated to 'how am I supposed to catch with your feeder crashing into my swim'. I mentioned that I was there first and that him sitting on top of my swim, waving a rod over the river wasn't helping me catch. I actually shortened my cast, I was just a wee lad and he was a man mountain, but I did not move. He left after catching a handful of small fish and feeding pints of maggots, telling me I had ruined his day. I then cast much further down to where I estimated his maggots were hitting the bottom. 2 nice barbel, thanks rude man.
Shaun
 
Chris Jones said:
A bad case of six and two threes. I can understand the frustration. However, whenever you fish beyond half way, on water that has good access from the opposite side, it's the risk you take. While I quite agree that the bloke on the other bank is extracting the urine plonking down opposite you on an otherwise empty stretch, it's a little rich for you to complain when you aren't exactly playing by the rules in casting beyond half way. If you apply rules of "fishing etiquette" to others you've got to play by them yourself.
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Point taken with reference to the risk I take.

But on the Ribble I'd say the halfway rule is pretty much ignored by all. In fact on pretty much every small to medium river I've ever fished it's accepted that it isn't really workable. I don't see it as poor etiquette to cast over halfway if noone else is fishing there. Everyone does it.

The good news is that I fished a new peg and caught three, so I guess I had the last laugh ;)
 
Paul Cahill said:
But on the Ribble I'd say the halfway rule is pretty much ignored by all. In fact on pretty much every small to medium river I've ever fished it's accepted that it isn't really workable. I don't see it as poor etiquette to cast over halfway if noone else is fishing there. Everyone does it.
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I would tend to agree that the halfway law is ignored by most, regardless of the river. I'd agree that it's barely workable. However, I can't see how anyone can complain about poor fishing etiquette, from a bloke on the opposite bank, when they are ignoring a law (not just unwritten etiquette) themselves. We simply can't have it all ends up.
 
I don't see how the half way rule can apply if when an angler arrives there is nobody on the far bank, if someone else is silly enough to fish opposite an angler that is already fishing all it will do is ruin the fishing of both anglers.
 
In case the 'half way rule' is introduced on the bit off the Sussex Ouse I fish, can any one recommend a reasonably priced 4 foot Barbel rod.
Shaun
 
The halfway thing isn't etiquette and it isn't a rule, it's law. Unless the riparian owner has rights to both banks, you are only entitled to fish half way across a river. It doesn't matter if the river is a hundred yards across or only ten.
 
I never fish opposite anyone if it can be helped, it pays to find pegs where it isn't possible for anyone to fish opposite. Personally I'd say the half way rule should only count if there is someone opposite, regardless of the law, so although the bloke was clearly being a d**k, he was kind of in the right.
 
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Chris Jones said:
I would tend to agree that the halfway law is ignored by most, regardless of the river. I'd agree that it's barely workable. However, I can't see how anyone can complain about poor fishing etiquette, from a bloke on the opposite bank, when they are ignoring a law (not just unwritten etiquette) themselves. We simply can't have it all ends up.
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I'd like to see a single - one - river angler who claims to have never cast over half way in a single-bank-rights situation.

It might be the law but it's not one which is implemented. It's also against the law to have a wee on the tow path or to use swear words when you lose one.

I still stand by my point. Etiquette should have over-ridden "the law". The facts that I was there first and that the whole far bank was empty are the most pertinent part of this situation. And it was me who moved, remember.
 
Paul Cahill said:
I still stand by my point. Etiquette should have over-ridden "the law". The facts that I was there first and that the whole far bank was empty are the most pertinent part of this situation. And it was me who moved, remember.
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I beg to differ, you were technical stealing his amenity and poaching, the fact you were doing it from a bank where you do have a license to fish is irrelevant.

You can't have it both ways and apply only the laws which don't inconvenience you.

The fact is the other angler was in the right and you were in the wrong.

Good thread.:)
 
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