River Ettiquette & Conservation - Name and Shame

[firephish]

hehe ... fair enough, i noticed this quite a few times ... people see you catching fish so come and stand right next to you and try drift their gigantic flurescent orange thingymabob between your legs.

Pretty annoying!

I also usually just move, although I've been tempted to start false casting in their general direction a good few times

I didn't say anything.... Cos I felt like drowning him... I can appreciate what you saying Michael, but the Vaal is a big river and there really is no feed to #$5&* stand on top of me... But it was funny to see how he thought by standing where Mike was he would now haul out fish.... He clearly has a heck of a lot to learn!!!!

[damage]

Mike you can't get upset if the guy didn't know
You needed to be calm and explain it to him Remember in bait you stand and chat your fellow fishermen not avoid them

Coach him
Possibly even helping him get a fish out of the faster water away from the beds that way you have a convert that can spread the word
You may even make a new friend or possible client !


By getting agro or just walking off you just reinforce the behavior he thinks ahh all I have to do is muscle in here and the guys will give me space

Not talking to him and calling him a tool later doesn't help any one !

I know it's easier said than done and"some men you just can't teach "

Then it's time for stern words

/d

[Michael]

Anyone have the latest contact details for Nature Conservation, specifically the Parys, Potch and Orkney area's?

What I had, was this: (Just need to update it)

Nature conservation:
Gauteng 24hrs: 082-759-0078.
Free State: 051-447-0407. (or your local Conservation Office).

Free State Chief Law Officer - Nature Conservation: Werner Boing 083-400-6595

[angi84]

mike, i'm waiting to hear back of a friend of mine with some contact details for someone in nature conservation (she's quite high up and she actually gets things done). i'm setting up a meeting with them to discuss some ideas and plans that we were chatting about over the weekend. will keep you posted.

[Michael]

Mike you can't get upset if the guy didn't know
You needed to be calm and explain it to him Remember in bait you stand and chat your fellow fishermen not avoid them

Coach him
Possibly even helping him get a fish out of the faster water away from the beds that way you have a convert that can spread the word
You may even make a new friend or possible client !


By getting agro or just walking off you just reinforce the behavior he thinks ahh all I have to do is muscle in here and the guys will give me space

Not talking to him and calling him a tool later doesn't help any one !

I know it's easier said than done and"some men you just can't teach "

Then it's time for stern words

/d

D, I hear what you are saying, and you are right...I should have gone to speak to him. Problem was I stripped my mo*r so badly I thought let me just get the F*** out of there before I lose my cool completely.
And I seriously doubt he "didn't know". You could see this guy was not new to fly fishing the Vaal, clearly just didn't care much.
But yeah, I have spoken to many people over the years on the water...so next time it happens my approach will be different.

Talking doesn't always help either...you saw the Oord Nebo thread, where some of the guys did speak to the anglers, only to get the reply "I do it 'cos I can"...stuff you basically.

[Michael]

mike, i'm waiting to hear back of a friend of mine with some contact details for someone in nature conservation (she's quite high up and she actually gets things done). i'm setting up a meeting with them to discuss some ideas and plans that we were chatting about over the weekend. will keep you posted.

Thanks a lot Angie, would appreciate it. I want to re-print the pamphlet we did many years ago and start distributing it again to the shops and venues, but need to update the contact details on it first.

[angi84]

cool, no prob. got some solid ideas and am busy putting a proposal together to present to them. any ideas that you guys have and would like to add, please feel free to send them through to me on angi84@gmail.com
(aside from anything that includes slashing tyres, pellet guns and the likes! )

hopefully something positive can be done soon!

[Michael]

At some venues, we used to chat to the land owners and then put up stakes with sign boards, and red/white plastic tape around the spawning areas. Showing guys not to fish there.
Problem was some guys did not even give a sh1t, stepping over the marked area. We even returned to some venues only to find the tape had been cut or snapped off. Also, the floods washed away the boards and tape anyway. But it was a start at least, and helped some.

[GrahamS]

It's not lekker when guys don't understand etiquette, especially when they ruin a run you've been working towards. But I feel Mike's pain because I've often wanted to break my wading stick over some clown's head - in those instances it's better to just find somewhere else to fish rather than try to talk sense to them.

[Stones]

Hey Mike, good work! Keep it up. I have mailed you some details.

.....funny, I have a buddy that doesnt stand for any K@K and uses his fists. Also not a guy you want to mess with either. I have the subtle approach when educating but him.....eish! But he does mean well....

I like the idea of kinda taking the law into our own hands, in a nice way, by approaching offenders and asking for permits and explaining the threats to our indigenous fish, as well as the correct/legal ways in catching and releasing. We need to all do this!