What? Anglers in Britain are now the bad guys?

According to TV personality Rhys Jones – who tried to travel on many of Britain’s waterways by canoe – others should look to “disturb” anglers whenever possible:

In a newspaper interview Rhys Jones said: ‘After a year spent canoeing, swimming and surfing along our waterways for my new television series about Britain’s rivers, I have discovered that, in England and Wales at least, they no longer belong to the people. They belong to stockbrokers, to anglers and to farmers.

‘Private fishing clubs have bought up the banks, controlling the water to the middle where they meet rival fishing clubs.’

The 55-year-old is encouraging river users to get their own back by spoiling the chance of a catch for anglers. He has told canoeists and boaters to ‘disturb as many fishermen as possible’ on their travels.

The astute will realize this isn’t about anglers vs canoeists – it’s about public access and the privatization of waterways.

Anglers in the USA are lucky; we enjoy pretty good access to waters, though that’s become a constant (sometimes uphill) battle.

If you’re interested in not sleeping well at night, take a minute right now to imagine the nightmare scenario: consider all the waters you couldn’t fish if we didn’t enjoy the kind of public lands and access laws we do.

Of course, that’s the bigger brush stroke. I maintain Griff Rhys Jones is kind of a tool for suggesting that mucking up angling opportunities is going to solve anything.

See you over the weekend, Tom Chandler.

via Angry anglers tackle Griff Rhys Jones over advice to ‘disturb as many fishermen as possible’ | Mail Online.