A quick afternoon run down the Lakes Esk. Despite huge overnight rain, the river level was falling very quickly and we would have been much better of getting on earlier, but no worries, it was a paddle. Until it turned into a debate about the rights and wrongs of paddlers using the same water as fishermen...
Did we know that the EA had declared the Esk to be unnavigable and therefore not accesible to canoeists? (They haven't and it isn't.)
Did we belong to the British Canoe Association - because they have a special arrangement with the fisheries not to use the river? (I do and they don't)
Did we know we were trespassing? (We're on the river and so cannot be trespassing)
Did we not appreciate that they (fishermen) pay lots of money to fish this river? (Yes I suspect that's the case, so why not crack on and enjoy your fishing instead of whinging and spoiling our day?)
And why did one of these guys threaten to catch me with his spinner? He turned rather sheepish when I paddled directly towards him and asked if he wanted me to get onto the bank so that he could repeat his threat to my face. Oh please...
Did we know that the EA had declared the Esk to be unnavigable and therefore not accesible to canoeists? (They haven't and it isn't.)
Did we belong to the British Canoe Association - because they have a special arrangement with the fisheries not to use the river? (I do and they don't)
Did we know we were trespassing? (We're on the river and so cannot be trespassing)
Did we not appreciate that they (fishermen) pay lots of money to fish this river? (Yes I suspect that's the case, so why not crack on and enjoy your fishing instead of whinging and spoiling our day?)
And why did one of these guys threaten to catch me with his spinner? He turned rather sheepish when I paddled directly towards him and asked if he wanted me to get onto the bank so that he could repeat his threat to my face. Oh please...
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