Steve wrote " I always slow down for anglers and make a point of saying hello and asking if they're having a good day's fishing. "
I agree as we try to do the same. Some will answer and some just grunt. Others say now't and just stare at you. We take care to check their rod type and position the boat accordingly having slowed down first. Luckily most competitions tend to concentrate on the same rod type. The roach pole geezers want you near to them, away from the opposite bank, whilst the short rod users want you straight down the middle. I believe some of the rude comments she has received from fishermen in the past is why Brenda gets annoyed when they then start to criticise her steering. During one memorable trip through a match, the wind started taking the boat towards the towpath side and so she asked a fisherman to watch his keep net as it might get crushed. He started mouthing off to her about bad handling and so she stepped of the back and told him to get on and show her how to do it better. All the time the boat was continuing on drifting sideways towards the piling due to the side wind. How his colleagues laughed once she had got back on and recentered the boat in the channel. Watch out next month - we've got the National canal fishing competition in the Midlands on 8th August I believe. Graham www.jannock.org.uk
