grhe
Alevin
Posts: 51
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Post by grhe on May 9, 2011 10:31:52 GMT
I've become a member of the UTFA for the first time this year and have been out on the water for 2 weekends so far.
There seems to be a real problem with people swimming their dogs in the river. Last weekend I walked well downstream of Fingle Bridge, had just started to fish a pool, having spent 15 minutes getting into position, had 2 takes on the dry fly when a dog came swimming down the river. It then spent 5 minutes trying to scramble up the bank, thrashing around, discolouring the water and spooking the pool. This happened twice in an hour.
It's particularly annoying because the permissive path that runs alongside that stretch of the Teign has a sign that specifically requests that dogs be kept on leads during the nesting season.
I guess it's less of a problem during the week but I live in Bristol and can only fish at the weekends. The UTFA looked like great value because it has so much water but I'm starting to wonder whether it's worth it when much of the water seems to be unfishable at weekends because of the crowds.
Maybe I'm exaggerating the problem. How long does a pool take to settle down after a disturbance like that? 15 minutes? Are there any other UTFA members who can recommend stretches of the river that are relatively quiet at the weekend?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2011 16:54:17 GMT
Yes they are a pain at times, but most dog walkers will attempt to control their dogs if they see a fisherman, only trouble is they often don't expect to see us in the river. Weekdays are better, but you will find less disturbance above Drogo pool and below Clifford Bridge. I have caught brown trout above the bridge at fingle within a few minutes of a dog going in, but you do have to bite your tongue at times. But as i am on the committee i must say you do get value for money with your membership! Cheers Richard
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Post by brownie on May 11, 2011 13:29:17 GMT
grhe: I have every sympathy with you - but also (as the owner of a near-amphibious labrador) with the dog owner. We fishermen don't have exclusive rights to the water, and I agree, dogs can be a pain: but people, in my experience, can be worse!
A couple of weeks back, with the water levels at an all-time low, having had no success in crystal-clear pools with scarcely any depth of water, I decided to hike to Drogo Weir Pool to try a few casts, only to find a mob of 'oiks' (for want of a better term) screaming and yelling and leaping in and out of the river, hurling sticks and stones, and generally causing quite a rumpus. I had to stomp another quarter of a mile or so just to get some peace.
Weekdays are, inevitably, best; but it is possible to get Far From the Madding Crowd: it just means a bit of a walk!
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grhe
Alevin
Posts: 51
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Post by grhe on May 12, 2011 9:56:46 GMT
brownie, I don't expect exclusive rights to the water - far from it. I'm a walker as well as a fisherman and I've walked in the Teign gorge many times. Also, it's great to see kids and dogs messing about in the river just above and below Fingle Bridge.
What particularly annoyed me was that the path from which owners were swimming their dogs was permissive with a specific request to dog owners to keep their dogs on leads. It is this breaking of the rules that I object to.
As to people being a greater disruption, your experience differs from mine. Although I've only been on the Teign a few times, my fishing has been spoiled by dogs far more than by people.
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