Bankwalkers

[bros]

I don't think that any of you have ever drawn on a proper clear canal, where you can see the fish and actually decide which ones you would want to catch!

One day on the Pelsall canal I drew a peg on the Anglesey Arm. It was proper "Gin".
I was late to my peg as is usual. I had an angler to my left but an empty peg on my right. I approached my peg past the empty peg and saw the shoal of fish in it!
I set up seeing only the odd perch swim about my peg. I was able to choose the weed free parts as I could see everything!
With 30 minutes to go, I walked into the empty peg and the shoal of roach and skimmers moved up towards the next angler. I stopped. They stayed where they were (between the empty peg where I was now and the next angler). Another 5 paces towards the next angler and they moved back into the empty peg.
I then tried to move them towards my peg 5 or 6 times (Is this cheating?). They would only move half way before returning.
I caught next to nothing that day, even though there was about 60lb of fish in the next peg. They would not move.

Another time I could see the fish was on the Trent & Mersey canal.
Gin again and I could see the gudgeon at the bottom of the track.
I settled down and they were still there. Set up, went for a pee, still there. Then, not thinking, stamped my foot on the floor to see how they would react. They dispersed never to be caught for the 5 hours I fished!

Last Sunday, I was on peg 39 - next to the walk-over and the bay. I had about 30 people stop to look at the ponies behind me. It stopped me catching. I had started to catch stampers on the line nearest!

There has been another particular walker this year that has stopped in the wrong place. He stopped me catching. He is an angler (who had dropped himself from his own team) and stopped 7 yards away from me, opposite one of my lines!

So, even though I don't like rules, I hate walkers, especially when they stop to talk.

In my ideal world I would not ban walkers. We have loads of them! What I would do is to ban people stopping on their way to where ever they are going! ::)

[bill yards]

Extracts from NFA Match Rules 2008. Some may be relevant to this thread.

Stewards will do their utmost to prevent spectators approaching or interfering with the competitors.
However a maximum of four bank runners per team are allowed who will be clearly identifiable. They may pass information to their own team members only. Bank runners may use mobile phones to contact each other but not contact any of the competitors.

A competitor must not cause annoyance to, seek to interfere with another competitor or use mobile phones during the course of the Championship.

Maximum length of pole permitted is 16 metres, floating poles are not allowed.
Floating baits, either hook or feed are not permitted.

[bros]

Thats my casters banned then!

[cheslynboy]

Bank walkers i can put up with but MOUNTAIN BIKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i could quite easily put a rod rest through there front wheel and turn them into astronauts.
On the subject of shotguns for eliminating bank walkers i have a good contact for cartridges my son works in a gun/field sports shop

[MarkV]

Thats a cracking, interesting post yesterday, Bros.

I've often thought, when you see anglers behaviour, noise, banging shouting etc. How much damage has been done.

The point for me is, they/we will never know. It's too late.

Fishing to me is still basically hunting, even though we go about it without crawling about too much ! But I think that even on the cut a bit more stealth / care would go along way.

Has anyone had the opportunity to observe fish reaction to voices ?

[Simple]

At the last grueller match as I was setting up. My swim was only 4-5m's wide.
I lowered my keepnet in carfully as not to spook the fish and kept fairly quiet.
KOD to my left threw his keepnet in and it went half way across his swim.
I thought at the time "Thats your peg f**ked" but however he still went on the catch 1lb more than me and caught from the off and all the way through the match really.
I guess the fish ain't easily spooked where we were fishing.

Sprucey taught me to be quiet when setting up and never throw your nets in. Place them in carefully.

[MarkV]

The thing is Simon, as I said, we'll never know if anything we did made any difference or not lol !

Watching fish on heavily fished, clear river was a massive eye opener for me though.

[bros]

Thanks Tiger. I think that when we have the opportunity, we can learn loads. It does n't happen often though.

I do not know a lot and look to other anglers for answers. I have noticed that in the match scene, that some anglers set up ASAP and then go a walk (these are the anglers that do not want bank walkers by the way). There is no set pattern for walking prior to a match and catch rate. However, the best anglers do tend to walk but that may be because they take less time to set up as they quickly know their options and set up accordingly.

On the other hand, the only angler I ever feel I will struggle to beat (and I won't blow his trumpet but most joker anglers would agree) turns up late and usually beats us all!

I once saw barbel flashing in my peg on the river Dove. I was 2 pegs below at the time but it was me that they were wary of. I am sure. All I caught was minnows!

So, it may depend on clarity of the water and other factors such as noise and even the location of the fish when you arrive at your peg.

What I do know Tiger, is that the less noise and distraction you make on the bank, then the more chance you will have of catching the better stamp fish. That's obvious.

However, that is not the answer to better catching......you need to mingle into your background by getting a good tan and then go "clubbing" til 5am in the morning! That is what the best angler does. And he "draws-crap!"

[Dodge]

I started this thread just after teams of 3 rd 1