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Unwritten rule

David Schofield

David Schofield

Senior Member
Does anyone think the same as me, when I get too the river and look for a swim I always make sure I don’t go anywhere near any other angler who’s on the bank side even if he’s near the swim I want too fish, if it’s too busy I’ll go elsewhere and definitely don’t go a peg down stream of them, that is my pet hate as far as I’ve had a few crossed words when people have done it to me,one time I was on the tidal Trent in midweek and I was the only one on a half mile stretch when another angler turned up as I was landing a barbel, he decided to set up in the next swim down stream so I had a word and he told me to F off,after I had a few more fish he had caught nothing so when it got dark he got in his car and went to sleep,little did he know it was high tide that evening and when he woke up all that was remaining was two bank sticks,if he hadn’t been aggressive I’d have told him but hay how you live and learn the hard way
 
Yeah I'm exactly the same. I wasn't bothered at first but then it kept happening enough to wind me up.
Getting up at 3am to fish a park lake before the numpties arrive, another angler gets there at 5am, doesn't even say hi and sits in the swim next to me, fishes float and feeder at same time, spraying bait all over the shot. Now if he'd said hello and it turned out he'd been planning on fishing that peg or had prebaited etc I wouldn't have minded.
 
I think any one worth their salt would ask. Sometimes a fishery is busy and options are limited but it’s always the done thing to say, “do you mind if I drop in...”
What does my head in is when you park away from everyone else at the quiet end of the car park, there’s like 100 free spaces and some person assumes your car needs a buddy and parks next to you. It’s like they can’t stand to park alone, they often then proceed to open their car door onto yours. 🤬
 
I have to disagree with this outlook I'm afraid. If you've paid your ticket and the swims are obvious swims, it's up to you where you fish. The problems arise when pegs are too close together but it's not on to assume your neighbouring peg shouldn't be fished because you prefer to be alone. If one area fishes considerably better than others then other anglers will know that and if there is an empty peg why shouldn't they fish it?
What I find more exasperating, but equally within anyone's rights, is when several swims are baited and others drop into them. That is a chance you have to take because you can't reserve swims on rivers, not any rivers I know of anyway.
 
As an unwritten rule I wouldn’t do it and I’d not expect it to be done to me out of curiosity However if there is an official peg downstream from me and I’m not sitting in it, I’m not really in a position to tell or even ask people not to fish there.
unless you own the land unfortunately you can only claim one peg at a time and if Johnny five thumbs wants to plonk his arse in the next one then that’s his right as a paid up member.
yes he’s being a bit of a dick by doing so if there is plenty of free spaces.
World is full of them.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
As an unwritten rule I wouldn’t do it and I’d not expect it to be done to me out of curiosity However if there is an official peg downstream from me and I’m not sitting in it, I’m not really in a position to tell or even ask people not to fish there.
unless you own the land unfortunately you can only claim one peg at a time and if Johnny five thumbs wants to plonk his arse in the next one then that’s his right as a paid up member.
yes he’s being a bit of a dick by doing so if there is plenty of free spaces.
World is full of them.
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I like that @Richard Isaacs , "Johnny Five Thumbs" ...I think I've met him a few times on the bank, and regularly during the first lock-down😆
 
The irony is , two anglers fishing close together are essentially fishing for the same fish , neither anglers chance of catching a fish is enhanced . At the end of the day it's a matter of etiquette, sadly some anglers haven't a clue . I rank them alongside people who hang bags of their dogs faeces on fences for the dog s**t fairy to clean up .
 
Crikey - you must've been bored to start this thread. Was the event you've detailed even recently? "One time......." suggests it was eons ago.
For the sake of our sanity, let's hope the lock-down doesn't last beyond 2nd December! :rolleyes:
 
i think anglers of a few years would in the main say this is an unwritten rule, some, who may have fished day ticket ponds in the past will think differently as that's all they've known. Personally, unless fishing with mates I would rather no fish next to anyone else. I've apologised to people before when i've not realised they're in the swim below me.
 
I'd never do it, the last thing I would want is to be right next to someone, but have experienced it on a few occasions. If the river is busy then inevitably I'll speak to the angler and check where he is casting etc so as not to impact them.

That said, I wouldn't have a conversation out loud on the train or play my music via my phone for everyone to hear etc etc.

There are some ignorant, clueless people about though!
 
I was roving a small Thames tributary in the summer when a guy, with no tackle, climbed down the bank in the swim opposite me.

"Are you taking the pi$$?" I enquired in that friendly way we all greet dickheads.

Turned out he had been fishing the swim but gone to get something from his car - I just couldn't see his tackle from my side of the river...

I apologised of course but was very surprised that he hadn't said anything to me!

Agree with the majority of sentiments on this thread, always fish away from other anglers and don't like other anglers fishing near me.
 
As touched on previously I suspect many have their origins as carp puddle anglers who have made a recent transition to river angling. A different set of ethics which I understand. As one of my pals who only fishes commercials commented "I make as much noise as possible (on reaching his peg) so the fish know they're about to get fed."
 
Richard Parsons said:
Crikey - you must've been bored to start this thread. Was the event you've detailed even recently? "One time......." suggests it was eons ago.
For the sake of our sanity, let's hope the lock-down doesn't last beyond 2nd December! :rolleyes:
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Crikey, I started this thread to get people talking during the second lockdown instead of being sat at home waiting to criticise others, p.s I’m not bored I’m on the riverbank
 
Gavin Hoe-Richardson said:
As touched on previously I suspect many have their origins as carp puddle anglers who have made a recent transition to river angling. A different set of ethics which I understand. As one of my pals who only fishes commercials commented "I make as much noise as possible (on reaching his peg) so the fish know they're about to get fed."
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Does that really work Gavin ? I will give it a try, you always impart the best advice 😄.
 
The swim he chooses may be his favourite swim, he may have been baiting it for weeks etc. If we don't know we should be more tolerant. What I don't like is after I have set up on a small stream another person (I won't call them an angler), sets up in the next swim and proceeds to cast his heavy feeder out a dozen times and repeats the casting out every fifteen minutes. It works for me for bream on a large lake but never for barbel on a small stream!
 
A couple of years ago on the wye at hoarwithy I was fishing with a mate when a swimmer appeared from downriver he swam towards where my mate was fishing from... he got out of the river right next to my mates rods ... then enquired if he had caught anything
 
Terry Harman said:
A couple of years ago on the wye at hoarwithy I was fishing with a mate when a swimmer appeared from downriver he swam towards where my mate was fishing from... he got out of the river right next to my mates rods ... then enquired if he had caught anything
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Your mates very tolerant.
I’d of been very tempted to extend his swimming session 😡
 
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