After reading some posts about etiquette in boats,and I point out im no dab hand myself in one,but would it not be an idea that before you went out in one that you had a boat handling course.?

Many pictures I see of fisherman fishing look pretty unsafe,standing up casting and rocking the boat,some with children in them no life vests(and I hate wearing one myself)

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Kevin

I Agree. Why not have some sort of proficiency exam for A. Boat handling B. Swimming. C. Etiquette. Also should boat anglers not pay some sort of Tax as they are omitting fumes from the petrol that they burn into the air. I am a bank angler so it should'nt affect us

Brian

Aye great idea, lets start it at the Lake of Mentieth

Walker

I agree too, it is worrying that an angler with no boat experience can hire a boat on any large water. Most fisheries tell you to wear a life vest but is still amazing to see how many angler don't bother

Give that man a ceegar......!

Far too many fannies out on the water these days.

Aye it gets bad at times over here to, especially at mayfly time,and you have donkeys ripping up the drift with 20hp engines and then pull in 40 yards away from you and then they are the first to blab on about no rising trout

There's absolutely nothing unsafe about standing up to cast and I'm sick of hearing about this. Yes, if you're so unsteady on your feet that you require the support of a zimmerframe in everyday life, then you should not stand in a boat.

Otherwise, I'm sick of hearing from the self-appointed Nanny State Safety Police about how "unsafe" this is. I stand all the time when casting and I've done so for all of the twenty-some years that I've been fishing on my own in boats. I've stood in boats of all types and hell I've even stood up an canoes. I've done this for millions of casts over thousands of hours and I've never been hurt. So much for it being unsafe.

I agree there needs to be standards of etiquette, but beyond that come on!

Why is it necessary for everyone in the UK to overplay the risk of everything? It's not like you're handing them the keys to a helicopter and telling them to take off and have fun. It's a damn boat FFS, why is it necessary to over-complicate everything? I was driving a 14 footer with a 10 HP outboard on my own since I was 10, I think most people are perfectly capable of figuring it out without introducing a licensing scheme.


Life vests? Yes, I wear one where I deem appropriate. In rough weather and while running at high speeds on big water, running at night, great yeah, I wear one.

Otherwise, there's no damn way. I hate life jackets, they're uncomfortable, they're hot, and for most summertime fishing situations they're completely unnecessary for normally functioning adults.

Blah, blah, what if I slip on a giant pile of Mexican seagull sh!t, hit my head, and fall overboard, blah blah so the safety lecture goes. Yeah, right, and my y-fronts could take a direct hit from a bolt of lightening on a clear blue day. The chances of either situations happening are about the same: Freaking none.

Grouse

1 death in fishing is too many, and over the years on a large west coast loch there has been too many. We can only hope with your gun-ho attitude to safety you are not next

There's absolutely nothing unsafe about standing up to cast


Well I strongly disagree, where water is concerned safety has to be paramount,and it is not the type of education I would show a young angler.
The way some cast using as much power to get a line out only takes that little topple and over you go.some will always take that little extra risk which can end up in disaster as in all walks of life,but to say it is not unsafe to me is wrong.
I dont like life vests myself and given the option dont like to wear it but I can tread water and get picked up hopefully but some cant swim when they go out in boats so would always recommend a vest.
maybe a vest which has on it mexican seagull Sh!t here!

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Kevin

Grouse I must say I'm amazed you normally talk sense, in fact I'm wondering has someone hacked your account