Angler blocking footpath, I know I was unreasonable, but would this annoy you/what would you have done??

[Patienceisntvirtuous]

I realise this might need a diagram! I was out running with my dog today. There's a footpath off the main road which leads to a dam. People fish on it. The footpath has a fence either side of it right up until the dam, give or take about 4 feet of land comprising of grass and another footpath (between the end of the dam and the fence). An angler was sitting at the dam, with his fishing rod to his left propped up on some apparatus completely blocking the four feet of land which I was to run across, right next to the fence. No way around it without going for a swim. It was poised about a foot and a half high.

I stepped over it and my dog jumped over it. Dog is huge, didn't touch the rod just cleared it. I didn't take a flying leap, I stepped over it carefully. Then continued my run-but he shouted after me that I shouldn't step over it, he'd have moved it (he hadn't said anything like this before I stepped over it). I shouted back that it was okay, and he responded that had I broken a section of his rod it would have cost me £250.

It's then when I was unreasonable, I shouted back that I wasn't waiting for him to move the rod, I've as much right to the path as him.

And he was blocking it which isn't great. Further up from the footpath would have been fine, no fence there and grassy areas surrounding so I could have just avoided.

I imagine he'll spend half his day repeatedly moving his rod, sitting in the spot he was right opposite where the footpath emerges, It's a regularly used-route.

Would you have hung about while he moved it (again he never said 'hang on I'll move my rod')?
I had no reason to think he would, and I wouldn't have asked either because I didn't know it was possible without a lot of faffing about. It wouldn't have been an especially quick thing to do, a long fishing rod with various elements and garments attached to it.

Anyway no harm done but I perhaps shouldn't have argued back with him.

He should have anticipated and moved it before you got there. You we’re running - you clearly wouldn’t want to break stride/ lose your momentum.

Sorry to generalise but I find this a really male thing (obviously not all men). They never anticipate. They wait till you’re right up to them and have to stop and stay excuse me, rather than anticipating and moving in advance. Drives me mad tbh. Women don’t seem to have this problem. Again IN GENERAL. It’s anything from standing in front of kitchen cupboards and not moving until you’ve actually asked them to, to not moving their bag off a train seat until you ask. Or just standing in your way - when it’s obvious where you’re going.

He pays to fish , not to be on the path

It is a public footpath, isn't it? If so, yanba.
If it isn't a public footpath and private land, which is probably doubtful if canalside, then you obviously would be entitled to right of access.

Is there any other reason men go fishing?

No, he was rude- and foolhardy- to use an expensive bit of kit to block a right of way. Serves him right if it gets broken. Hope he’s insured of he’s going to behave like a dick.

@lljkk my saddles are expensive, which is why I wouldn’t leave them blocking a right of way with the expectation anyone else using the path should ask me nicely and wait for me to move them.

I once totally accidentally demolished someone’s very expensive rod when cycling. Genuinely didn’t see it. It was blocking the tow path. Bloke was furious, screaming that I needed to pay. I told him to fuck off and left. I obviously would have stopped if I’d seen it. I didn’t even see him initially, he was behind some bushes further down the bank!

God this happens to me all the time on the canal towpath. Moronic men blocking the path for everyone else. They put me off using the towpath. Complete twats.

He was probably absorbed in what he was doing & you made him jump, I know when I used to fish you could have set a bomb off next to me & I wouldn't have noticed, I was in the zone watching my float.

Selfish fish bastard.

Whilst I think the anglers blocking the path with their tackle are being a bit selfish and stupid, I am not that sympathetic to cyclist on narrow tow paths either.

Are they actually allowed to be there? I am nearly sure that cyclists were not supposed to use our local canal towpath but lots did in order to make a circuit involving another local trail. Now it seems to be common. If you are walking and meet a cyclist on some stretches you have to stand up against the hedge to let them past.

Very true @5foot5 Ive lost track of the number of times I’ve been instructed by a ding ding of their bell to immediately press myself and the dog into the undergrowth to let cyclists go by at speed. One charmer even shouted MOVE and gesticulated with her hand for me and other walkers in front of me to get into the side so she didn’t have to slow down even a tiny fraction. If someone had pushed her into the canal I would have laughed.

OK so I just checked on the Canals and Rivers Trust website and cyclists are now permitted to use tow paths but they are advised to go at a leisurely pace and be mindful of other users. It says if you are in a hurry consider using another route.

I would suggest @QuebecBagnet that if you ride in to this equipment you were not being very mindful of other users so you were the unreasonable one in this scenario. Though obviously he shouldn't have blocked the path with it.

@SirChenjins Actually we did see a cyclist fall in the canal once!

Years ago when DD was a baby we went for a walk and DH had her in a carrier on his back. A group of cyclists came along behind and we moved to the side but DH didn't want to go right in to the hedge obviously because of DD. Three went past OK but the fourth got a bit of a wobble on and tippled slowly over the edge in to the water. Fortunately it wasn't deep and she was able to stand up and climb out. It was truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

Dp is an angler. I have been down to visit him when he fishing locally. He is really particular about not blocking other peoples paths, but also wouldn’t want his rods disturbed. Not a chance would he risk having them set up where they blocked someone’s way. Even if I go down, he makes sure wherever I have sat isn’t where someone may want to pass.

Usually, you pay for the license and then pay to fish at the lake. However, most lakes have strict rules which essentially compromise of ‘be considerate of other people using the space.’. The ones dp uses have someone coming round every few hours to make sure everyone is playing by the rules.

I have never seen this sort of thing when going to see him. It’s really poor behaviour and I don’t think you did anything wrong, op.

@5foot5 the tow path I was on is a bridleway and a NCN cycleway. I was tootling along very slowly so not in a rush at all, but the rod was pretty much the same colour as the path and totally camouflaged, was a very thin rod. Like I said the angler wasn't visible as was down the bank hidden by a bush. If I'd seen a fisherperson maybe I'd have been more alert for the possibility of a rod. Maybe the angler should stick a bit of high vis tape on their road if they're going to leave it lying across a path so it's more visible?

So I would suggest that out the two of us the angler was the one who was being the least mindful of others. Blocking the path, causing a danger to others, and coming at me like a mad man screaming about his rod.

I'd have been very happy to stop if it had been visible.

@SirChenjins You're not "instructed by a ding ding of their bell", the bell is to inform you that the cyclist is approaching. I'm sure you'd have a lot to say if a cyclist approached without ringing their bell, wouldn't you?

Saying that you would laugh at an attack on a cyclist just exposes the true nature of your personality.

@5foot5 you are sick!

He shouldn't leave his precious equipment in the way then should he?

I don't often see anglers but was recently on holiday in Kent near the sea (near Folkestone) and walked by a river which had anglers. You weren't in their way and there was room for their tackle, but you did get the odd huff and look from them as you walked past - on the footpath!

So @5foot5 should have allowed her baby to topple into the water rather than the cyclist?

Exactly. He wasn’t being very careful with his expensive equipments. He didn’t even move it when someone approached, or didn’t even tell her to hang on and he’d move it for her. He left her with not much other option than to step over.

You probably had to be there!

It was one of those very slow motion falls where you can see what is going to happen but can do nothing to stop it. There is a reason programmes like You've Been Framed are popular.

And indeed, nothing much we could have done to prevent it without endangering our baby

Presumably this is not a private fishing place he pays for and public land and a public footpath, he has no right to block the path with fishing equipment.

He's lucky to not have it all kicked into the river, frankly.

I lived on a canal boat for twenty years. They're all entitled arseholes. Not a lot more I can add really.