Death a real danger with overhead lines
As
is the case in may sports there are the occasional individuals who bring
their sport into disrepute by their mindless and selfish actions.
This certainly is the case with anglers who are selfish enough to implement
actions such as inconsiderate vehicular parking, litter (especially discarded
hooks or blood worm and joker packs), noise, foul and abusive language,
knock-up matches, night fishing where it is not allowed, urinating in
open places and pole sections stretched out over the towpaths just to
name a few.
Any one of the aforementioned discrepancies can, and do, cause massive
problems for the clubs and associations who lease waters from a landlord,
or fishery owners, who have the sporting rights on a particular water.
The one thing about the above list is that the majority of them are not
life threatening to the angler himself. But there is one other more serious
misdemeanour that some anglers involve themselves in that could cause
death – not just to themselves, but to other individuals, who may
try to save them in their hour of need.
I am referring to those anglers who ignore the overhead power cable signs
and fish under, or near, to them.
There is a national rule that all clubs who lease waters where there are
overhead power cables running parallel or across them, must be seen to
be complying with that rule – by identifying and ensuring that such
locations have warning signs positioned in the appropriate places.
These warning signs inform the anglers that fishing should not take place
within a 30-metre area on either side of the cables (60 metres in total).
Anglers who ignore these warning signs are either ignorant or completely
stupid.
Most associations, including the Grafton Angling Association and Worksop
and District Anglers’ Association, have had to forfeit some prime
pegs on their canal waters because of overhead power cables.
And quite rightly so, because they are not prepared to compromise the
safety of their members or pleasure anglers just for the sake of making
a quick buck to enhance there financial accounts.
Unsuspecting anglers should be aware that the majority of poles and fishing
rods that are currently in use are carbon based and that they do conduct
electricity.
The reason that warning signs are in place is to overcome the possibility
of death by electrocution caused by arcing electricity from the power
cables.
Just for the record, it is a known fact that in certain conditions electricity
from overhead cables can arc up to 7.5 metres (24 feet) through the atmosphere.
When you consider that some anglers are now using poles in excess of 16
metres in length, and that some are stupid enough to fish under or near
to cables that are 20 metres or less from the water’s surface, the
possible consequences do not bear thinking about.
Take the 7.5 metre arcing factor into account and the anglers are immediately
putting themselves into the danger zone. The 60 metre ruling equates to
the loss of four 15 metre pegs on the towpath.
I have actually witnessed first hand a father putting his two young children
as well as his own father at risk on the John Shaw section of the Grafton
waters of the Chesterfield Canal.
They were fishing (in torrential rain) directly under power cables to
save them walking too far from their vehicle that was parked immediately
behind their pegs.
Not only were they fishing at the side of the warning signs, they were
actually fishing towards another warning sign on the other side of the
canal informing them of the dangers.
In my own caring way, I diplomatically approached the father and asked
if he had noticed the warning signs to which he replied: “Yes, but
there are some good fish around here and we are near to my car.”
He was then informed that in his interest and the safety of other members
of his family they should comply with the warning signs or leave the bank.
Needless to say they moved their gear into a safe fishing zone beyond
the warning signs.
To highlight the importance of this procedure it has just been announced
that the Environment Agency are imposing a ban on the use of over 100
pegs on the Sibsey Trader, a prolific Lincolnshire Drain, purely because
of overhead power cables in and around the fishery.
Some of you may recall from previous reports that this is one of the venues
where the junior anglers of Worksop created history by becoming the first
junior angling club in the country to win the team event in all three
categories of the National Angling Championships.
That event saw Steven Forster from Dinnington breaking the junior section
championship record with a staggering 31lb 15oz of fish.
Because of national safety issues, the Environment Agency are having to
be seen to be complying with the advice passed on to them by East Midlands
Electricity, who have stated that health and safety issues must be taken
into account in the interest of the public, especially anglers.
The fishery has power lines crossing the drain at regular intervals, so
implementing 60 metre bans around each cable will have a devastating affect
on the finances of the club who lease the waters.
While I sympathise with their problem, you cannot compromise the safety
of the community for the sake of ensuring regular income from match bookings
and day ticket sales.
Grafton AA/Ken Ward Sports Winter League
The second
event in this six match series took place on the Tigers Den and John Shaw
sections of the Chesterfield Canal where a total of 42 anglers found form
even better than the previous week.
Top rod on the day from peg 124 with a magnificent winter weight of 23lb
3.5oz was John Brockway (Notts AA).
John managed to entice a selection of chub that are known to be resident
in this area by using caster presented on the pole.
Rob Seeley (Worksop) was runner-up with a creditable 15lb 5oz from end
peg 62 on the town end of the Tigers Den section, again with chub as the
main species using similar tactics as the winner.
Apparently, Rob lost two decent carp that would probably have given him
individual glory if he had been fortunate enough to have landed them.
Steve Shepherd (Worksop Senior Squad) was third with 11lb 14oz from peg
110 on the John Shaw section. Steve Lowther (Ken Ward Sports) was fourth
with 9lb 9oz from peg 66 on the Ivy’s followed by Stan Mee (Mansfield
Piscatorial) and Phil Turner (Worksop Senior Squad) who tied with 8lb
6oz from pegs 126 and 131 respectively.
The section winners were (62 to 72) Gary Dodsworth (Worksop Senior Squad)
5lb 3oz (p72), (81 to 90) S. Peck 4lb 7oz (p89), (110 to 119) Mark Thacker
(Lincoln Harrison’s) 4lb 10oz (p119), (120 to 129) Stan Mee (Mansfield
Piscatorial) 8lb 6oz (p126), (130 to 139) Phil Turner (Worksop Senior
Squad) 8lb 6oz (p131).
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Yours in Sport Glyn |