In the UK a "day ticket" water is private water where the angler pays to fish for the day. A "syndicate" lake is where the angler buys a yearly membership.
Everywhere I fish for Carp is public water. I plan to fish for Carp in three states this year. I would pay if it was required but I don't have to as all of the water is public.
Today I received the following email from Bobby, a Carp angler in the UK:
Hi I am a carp fisherman from the uk and my sister inlaw lives in north wales Pennsylvania. I have been to visit her on several occasions and have been trying
to find a day ticket water to use whilst on holiday if you could please help in
anyway possible could you please email me thank you for your help.
I am becoming increasingly aware just how damn fortunate we are to be able to fish for Carp here in the United States. For FREE, for bloody FREE!!
And thus Europe is way down the list of dream vacations.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be able to afford fishing if I had to pay everytime I went out.
ReplyDeleteKaty and I went to England in 2006. That was the first time I had traveled off the continent. She encouraged me to bring a fly rod. I researched fishing on a famous chalk stream. It was going to cost me $800 to fish for about 6 hours. Needless to say that did NOT happen. Seeing the history in England was absolutely incredible. We saw the Magna Carta. The real thing. Its 800 years old. We saw the Roman Baths and we saw the Avebury stones. Its moving. I would go back in a heart beat; there is so much to see and learn. I just wouldn't go there with any idea of fishing.
ReplyDeleteStealth, I think if I had to pay every time I went fishing I would have to find something different to do.
It is very easy to take for granted that I can access public water and fish for free.
Huzzah! You're so very right in this post. I often forget how fortunate I am to live by so much public access land and water.
ReplyDeleteAnd even here it depends sometimes on where you live. Not paying, but access. We are lucky that carp live in places that often allow easy access, city parks for instance. But, many states are largely private when one looks at land owned by indivuduals v. the state or federal lands. Idaho has 63% public lands, a very large one I'll not name has 3%. I know from visting mt wife's relatives in SD that access often depends on who you or your family have known for generations. Thought I'd point this out.
ReplyDeleteGregg