The beach should be for all water users

[heathcliff]

I have just had another water sport person come in and complain about the local beach fishermen. We understand its probably only about 10% of them but that 10 % give a bad name to the rest. The list is so long with the problems we have had with them,
1. Rubbish, 2 Sundays ago I saw them leaving their tents which had fallen over on the beach, and often walking off leaving beer can and bottles.(not just fishermen)

2. The hooks and weight they use i lost count of the amount of times i seen surfer, swimmer and kid receiving deep cut from the tackle they leave in the water or get tangled up on the wall and rocks.

3. Fishing over the top of surfer, the line is do dangerous, get that around your neck its not nice i had it a few week ago. Surfer cant go else where, unlike the fishermen can fish any where along the beach.

4. in the summer I saw family trying to swim but could not find any were to swim safely as the amount of fishermen spread out along the beach.

5. Often seen boat setting in the harbour or the off wall at rock an oar waiting to come up the beach, it is a working beach and a so called access, fishermen casting out on top of them _ _ _ you just cant believe them some time

6. swimming, kayaking, rowing, sailing and any activity you care to think of going alone the beach always running in fishing line and angry fishermen swearing at them for so called disturbing their fish I do try and warn every one about the local hazard. But what if your swimming with your head down ???????

WE don't know what the answer is as we believe the beach should be for all water sport use. And their is always the bad in every sport.
We seen beach fishermen casting their lines and hook at surfer swim and kayakers trying to hit them .

We al so understand how big fishing is and the enjoyment it must give to the people that do it. And we like the fact that people are getting away from the tv and getting out .
When ever there is surf, surfer will turn up in the same spots. Surfer will also try and talk to the fishermen on the beach and if need be just ask them to angle their line in a safe direction away from the surf.
But there has to be a better way
I think we all need to be more considerate to our surroundings.
What do you think ?
>:( :S >:(

[Anonymous1]

Hi,
I sail at Pevensey bay sailing club, earlier this season we had beach a fisherman casting at us. A friends Laser was hit., the weight narrowly missed his head.. After the race 6 burly sailors went and had a word with him, alas he was not repentant. He didn't care if he killed someone ( if the weight hit someone on the head it would) he reckoned people shouldn't sail where he wanted to fish. The man was obviously a Psychopath, so we left him to his life of antisocial misery and solitude. In my experience most (but not all) beach fishermen think they have the right to fish anywhere regardless of who was there first_ _ __ _ _.I believe there is a move to licence beach fishing, Presumeably this means in allocated areas?



Edit,
just found a link:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3528172.stm

[heathcliff]

licence beach fishing.. now that would be a good idea .. at least they could be sent info on keeping a clean tidy beach and working with all baech users and wild like _ _ _

[Nightrider]

As an angler,allbeit freshwater,I am sad to read about the behavior of some fishermen.
I would have thought that the best place to fish from the beach would be along by rock n or and that it was not a place for too many other water sports as the water is usually deeper with little or no surf.A am also surprised about the littler as all genuine Anglers are very careful about loose tackle for the sake of wildlife if nothing else.I cannot agree with licensing,we freshwater anglers are forced to pay for an annul rod license even if we were to fish in our own private lake!!.
Surely we are already TAXED to death(and after).

[heathcliff]

I will agree we get very little problem when we kayak or swim on river. We try and paddle pass on the opposite bank quietly and as quickly as we can. But the thing with the river is we can paddle any where, even tho its small we can all get on with our own sport in our own way and find our own part.
We were surfing again on Sunday and one fisherman, that was there before we turn up really did not want to move his lines saying he was there first. Fair play some might say. But I turned up as early as I thought the surf was going to work and some surfer had turned up earlier.. s we come when it works and only to the one beach all we ask is that he angles his lines by 90 decrease as he was trying to fish over the wall.
I went up to him and ask him were his lines was so I did not walk in to them.
They seem to sit about 20 meters away from the waters edge (half way up the beach) so they take they hole beach up and no one else can see where there lines are. He did not want to be that polite saying how he was there first and we should not be surfing were he is fishing Once again I told him we cant surf any where else and if he fished there regularly he would we will be there when ever we can ( surf dose not happen all the time).
The thing is the surfers have had enough. They had trouble with fishermen the week before. They have given up asking nicely. As Im been writing this another surf has come in tell me of another surf sport and had a fisherman set up 6 rod and cast straight on top of them on Sunday .. They werent very polite to him, how can you be when you dealing with such idiots.
Over the week end we have been talking about this trying to come up with an answer. We really dont know what we can do other than ask for signs to be put up asking every one to be considerate of over water sport users. Plus the fact that is only a few beach can be used by kayaks and surfs and boater.. I.e. rock an ore and old Stamco as the council seeing on putting a railing along the hole beach so we cant get kayaks or boat down and surf only breaks in the 2 spots. We dont even take the hole beach up the wave doesnt break that for along .

[bigchris]

i am fishing down the beach_ _ _and i must admit that alot of the anglers leave mess and paper ny the stade and on the beach_ _ _i am disgusted with them!!!

however sometimes u cannot help leaving tackle as the rocks and weed break line and wieghts and too be honest its annoying for the anglers as well_ _ _.

please dont tarnish alll fishermen the same, i am 'eco friendly' and believe that you take home your mess as u bothered to take it in the first place_ _ _

i think we have more problems with the idiots who eat macdonalds and junk in the town_ _ _.. cycling up the A21 from the beach back to my home the road is full of maccie d wrappers!!!!_ _ _.least i eat what i fish..and i am eco friendly !!

right on!!!

[kevy]

beaches are a no mans land every one has the right of way so any one can use the beach what i think is wrong is that fisherman get the blame i am a fisherman my self and the amount of boat that just sail speed or just go were u are fishing is untrue but as for putting a licence on beach fishing thats just wrong another tax scandal in y eyes that what pole tax and every other sodding tax in this country is for

[Peps1965]

FISHERMEN GO TO SEA ON BOATS _ _ _ PEOPLE WHO SIT WITH RODS ARE ANGLERS !!

PLEASE DONT CONFUSE THE TWO