Lower Benyons mass canoe invasion

[Craig Wood]

canoes

hi everyone
Ive not had the pleasure as yet to fish the kennet but ive been reading your comments on canoes with interest..my local river is the severn where you will find canoeists in great numbers but one thing ive noticed over the the years is that the fish aint botherd by them in fact ive caught barbel whilst they have been going past me..the only problem is less experienced canoeists crashing through anglers lines and then the conflicts begin..The problem i think is the fact some of these canoeists have no experience at all and are completely un-regulated..i think they should at least have some lessons before navigating a river and be educated about other people who also use the river systems.(anglers)..A few years ago my friend and myself were fishing on the severn when a very big group of children came through our swims in canoes they were crashing everywhere when myself and my friend tryed to tell them they were in great danger a very big bloke who was in charge of this group gave me and my mate a right mouthfull,indeed he threatened us with violence..and then it happened..a couple of young girls got into difficulty and crashed into a over hanging tree they were both trapped in the branches and their canoe had capsised and sunk in the strong current..my friend and myself had to strip off and go in the river to rescue them..they were both very lucky..needless to say the bloke who gave us verbal abuse was made to eat humble pie..indeed he had an almighty bollicking off the police...My point is this..ive no problems with canoes but they should have lessons before going on a river and be educated about the dangers of anglers lines..

 

[Pete Marshall]

Craig, an interesting story.
I have Canoed and Kayaked, rivers and seas. Anybody either canoeing or kayaking in a river, especially a fast flowing and obviously dangerous one, without first having learnt the basics of craft control, being a good swimmer and in the case of Kayaking learning how to roll, is in my opinion an idiot and really deserves to drown. Somebody taking groups out on rivers without them first having been training in the basics in a safe environment (which includes showing respect for other river users) is a dangerous idiot and deserves to be drowned.
I learnt first in a swimming pool and then in still waters before ever venturing out on a river and most other Kayakers and Canoeists I know did likewise. There is a problem with some people not wanting to learn the basics and handing over cash for the instant adventure...those taking the cash in these circumstance are irresponsible in the extreme but equally those seeking quick thrills without the bother of learning the basics are equally stupid (bit like fishing commercials!!).
By the way, I don't think a couple of canoes or kayaks going down a river handled correctly are going to disturb fish. Handled badly they will and particularity those idiots who drag the bottoms of kayaks over gravel can do loads of damage to spawning areas ....unfortunately many kayakers aren't aware or don't care about this. I heard last year of a kayker on a well known salmon river in Scotland not only dragging her boat right along an important are of gravel, but on freeing herself then crashing into a wading angler who was worming downstream! I don't think this bloke, who had paid a couple of hundred quid for his days sport, was very impressed.