Hi guys,

I’m just wondering whether I can pass something by you all and, generally, ask for your help.

No doubt, by now, most of you are aware of Canoe Wales’ demands on the Welsh Assembly Government for unlimited access to all inland waterways and systems. For this level of access they are prepared to pay...a sweet 'absolutely nothing’.

If, like myself and thousands of other anglers, you feel that this is not fair (as anglers, some of us pay a lot for the privilege to access our waterways in order to fish), and feel that canoeists,kayakers,etc should enter into access agreements with riparian owners and be prepared to pay for their enjoyment of the use of such assets, then I would like to ask that you please download a copy of a current petition being headed by the Campaign for the Protection of Welsh Fisheries (and supported by other governing bodies such as the Federation of Welsh Anglers, and the Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association) by clicking here.

If you are willing to collect a few signatures for this cause, please scan and email the petition back to myself at gareth[dot]lewis[at]flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk; I would be so so appreciative.

If you haven’t got access to a scanner, please feel free to PM me and I can distribute a postal address. Petitions have to be received no later than July 14th.

If I can also make you all aware, that this isn’t a matter of ‘for/against’ canoeists using Wales’ waterways, nor is it an argument of ‘it works in Scotland, so why can’t it work here?’. What the petition hopes to make the Welsh Assembly Government aware of is the fact that both the angling community, as well as other users of our waterways and members of the public, do not feel it is fair to charge one group to utilise a resource, while others are allowed to roam far and wide for free. It is a matter that is, ultimately, likely to effect us ALL.

If any of you can help in gaining even a few names, I would be very very grateful.

Thank you,

Gareth

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Fly Casting Tuition, Guided Fly Fishing Trips, and High Quality Fly Tying Services

Web: Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing
Blog: Fly Fishing in South Wales

keep up the good work I have taken some copies to dist my local clubs-venues -s.e. brum

as a lapsed member of DRAC I am all to aware of the nuisance inconsiderate canoists can cause they don't bother to find out what their access points are if any at all and they care even less about the other river users.the sooner they are asked to contribute or any form accountability can only be a good thing

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

Well done Gareth for posting this. I'll certainly be sending a petition off to you next week. It's a real shame that so much apathy exists amongst us

Come on guys , take a minute out and get a few signatures on the sheet. If we want things to change we all need to stand up and be counted.

Cheers

Dan

What is actually happening here is that Jane Davidson (Lab) and Mark Bates, (LibDem) neither of whom is seeking re-election, are taking an initiative from the Petitions Committee into the Sustainability Committee and the significance of this is that the SC have the power to ask Westminster to give the power to legislate. They will be seeking the power to legislate for free and unfettered access to Welsh rivers for canoes and other water users and there is currently no intention for them to pay anything.

They will be launching a consultation and evidence gathering at the Royal Welsh Show (probably on 21st July) from which they are going to try to exclude most anglers and their representatives following which they will try to adopt the completely inappropriate and flawed Scottish model and that will be that.

A group of Welsh anglers is trying very hard to stop them and your support is needed. We need your support and if we can't raise a good response then the Government will rightly decide that the anglers don't care and this legislation will go through and any river in Wales will be fair game for unlimited numbers of canoeists, gorge walkers, rafters and other water abusers. If you want to know what that's like ask anyone who fishes the Wye where days of fishing can be completely written off by other water users.

Can you imagine the prospects for sea trout fishing if 20 canoes have been eskimo rolling in your favourite pool just a few hours beforehand. I notice that there are posts on the Sea Trout forum in the past few days complaining about (illegal) canoeists in pools on the Conwy prior to fishing them.

Support this action by anglers trying to protect our fisheries or don't moan when your fishing is ruined by canoes.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

foosandtrout, DanC, and SB, a huge personal thanks to you all. You support is very VERY much appreciated.

SB, spot on, and as in-the-loop as ever. To be honest with you, I'm very worried about this issue as [the canoeing groups] seem to have a very professional stance as well as a very loud voice; a voice which is beginning to be listened to by the WAG.

After nearly 24 hours, this thread has had only eighty three views, and of those eighty three views, only THREE have replied. I must say, this is hugely disappointing. This, after all, is an issue that WILL eventually affect us all. Scotland, it seems, was just the beginning...Wales is now the front line...I doubt it'll be long until our cousins to the east will be next.

...any canoes on the Test yet?

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Fly Casting Tuition, Guided Fly Fishing Trips, and High Quality Fly Tying Services

Web: Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing
Blog: Fly Fishing in South Wales

One of the more worrying aspects is that apparently anglers gathering signatures in South Wales recently met with a number of anglers who refused to sign in the misguided and selfish belief that the free and unfettered access would apply to anglers as well and that in this way they could fish anywhere in Wales without the need to pay a landowner or join a club.

This is unbelievably stupid and short sighted and will not work. You might be able to walk the bank (you can now in all practical senses) but you would not be able to fish for nothing under the proposals.

The most recent news is that Mick Bates has invited some anglers to the launch and cleverly timed it to make it impossible to travel by public transport to Builth Wells in time for the launch. A strong North Wales contingent will be going and have fired warning shots in the form of a letter to Mr Bates signalling their belief that the WAG is acting outside of their remit and without a mandate from the Welsh electorate. Apparently 20,000 signatures have been obtained already and this is 20,000 real signatures compared to 10,000 electronic and therefore unverifiable signatures on the canoeists petition.

It's going to be interesting and resistance is growing but there will be no second chances or any reason for anglers to start complaining if this goes through and they haven't registered their opposition, particularly if they live and/or fish in Wales.

England will be next and the canoeists have already started the process, success in Wales will give them a momentum that will be hard to stop and before long there may well be canoeists enjoying the famous fishing beats on the Test, Kennet, Itchen, Avon and Stour in the South of England.

You have been warned!!

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

A very, very interesting thread this. I wish all of you good luck in your quest to stop the canoists.
Here in SA we lost the fight even before it began.
Canoists have free reign over the rivers and the landowner's riparian rights mean squat, as long as the canoist does not decide to have a half way picnic on private land.
They even have the power to artificially increase the flow of the Vaal River, below the Vaal Dam.
Imagine the frustration that follows when you drive an hour and half to get to your favourite spot ( where the flow is supposed to be 20 tons a second ) to find the flows at 80 ( mostly unfishable ) and a flotilla of jabbering falling over canoists going past shouting " Any luck yet?".

Bump!!!

Important subject this one gents, and had already slipped to page two!!!

G

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" Life isnt about waiting for the storm to pass, Its all about learning to dance in the rain"

169 views and 7 replies!? Are you serious!!!???

Earlier this evening I spoke to both angling club committee colleagues and angling partners/contacts, all of which seem to be under the impression that the angling faternity cannot be trusted to provide majority support on this HUGE issue. I'm starting to totally agree. I'm very disapointed.

This issue has been posted on several fishing forums, all of which are showing the same result - zero support.

I'm beginning to give up, and can already forsee future issues in regards to 'i can't get on the river because of canoeists' or 'Christ! Don't fish there! It's rammed with canoeists!' etc.

To be blunt, I'm gutted.

When this topic is being ignored, other balls threads such as 'i think using a 7' rod is rubish blah blah blah' seem to be going mad. I give up.

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Fly Casting Tuition, Guided Fly Fishing Trips, and High Quality Fly Tying Services

Web: Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing
Blog: Fly Fishing in South Wales

Gareth you're so right. I also despair, all the many moronic and illiterate threads get multiple responses and this issue that will affect everyone fishing a Welsh river very soon and England in a couple of years (Scotland already has it) gets virtually ignored.

You'll need a 7 foot rod in a few years as it's the only one that will fit between the canoes and rafts!!

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary