Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 7404 Location: In The Loft
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:27 am Post subject:
Black-Don wrote:
"Basic equipment consists of your normal fly fishing tackle, the kind you would find down the market.
A big old dirty inner tube from a Terex earth moving machine.
Stockings and a bra (of at least 120 Newtons capacity), and a pair of thongs, one will do.
A wooden frying pan, and a series of simple 'handcuffs' which are suitable to tie loose ladies on to the tube are desireable.
It is possible to equip yourself with a basic kit of all this for around £220 today ". ...
I see you've been speaking to the BFTA chairman Donald.......
Nige's frying pan has unfortunately seen better days and we both ran out of thongs as we crossed the vortex!
Zimfisherboy wrote:
Cuffs n all for me please
After your recent appearance in the lounge bar of that pub, your request doesn't surprise me in the least? Ice and crisps anyone?
Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 2634 Location: Carrickfergus, County Antrim
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 12:35 pm Post subject:
wylye wrote:
So what are the boat licencing requirements for a tube on the Thames because all craft have to be licenced.
Does that mean these reprobates have been plying the waters of our nations capitol unlawfully? Don't we have a navy any more to deal with that sort of thing? Shootings probably to good for them.
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All I know is that all boats, powered or unpowered, usedon the Thames have to be registered with the Environment Agency, be licenced and display a plate to that effect.
From frequent working trips on the Thames I would say that floating about in an inner tube on a nice sunny day is asking to be run down by some floating gin palace.
Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 7404 Location: In The Loft
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 2:01 pm Post subject:
Wylye, sorry for the delay responding to your post, it's been rather a busy couple of days! I've spoken to the EA today to check that what we were advised at the time still stands, and they confirmed that they do not class a float tube as a register-able craft as they would a canoe or kayak or other boat. I should also point out that where we were fishing was not easily navigable by boats, indeed we saw one beach itself in 2 feet of water (as mentioned in the OP) having failed to heed the signs of warning. We were just debating whether to go and assist when they managed to free themselves by jumping in and rocking it back afloat.
I totally understand your concerns but believe me, you really had to be there to fully understand the layout. Any floating gin palace wouldn't have got anywhere near us, nor would any other boat at speed for that matter, short of us being fast asleep, drifting aimlessly and the boat concerned being incapable of steering. In many respects it's often more hazardous float tubing on trout reservoirs with powered fishing boats zipping around as they can be coming from all angles. On a river like the Thames, slow flowing and sedate at this juncture on a sunny day with excellent visibility, you'd see and/or hear a boat coming from a good way away, upstream or downstream, and have plenty of time to take evasive action in the unlikely event it was needed. The tubes we use allow you to be surprisingly fast and maneuverable whilst finning when required!
Apart from occasionally crossing from side to side we were fishing within a few feet of the banks at all times and as such were well out of any navigable channels for boats. As mentioned in our original posts, we made our own risk assessment of the situation and deemed it safe to proceed. Although we may have reached 5 knots at best in the weir pool, floating like corks, neither of us is stupid enough (stop laughing at the back Mick) to try float tubing on fast flowing or tidal rivers where we'd be in danger of being swept away.
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