SWIMMING IN WELSH RESERVOIRS

[zulu fly]

An article in todays Western Mail - Welsh Water indicates that swimming will take place on LLANDEGFEDD Res. post Covid and there are plans afoot to extend this plan to BRENIG and LLYS Y FRAN!!!

Are we the Anglers second class citizens??

Euros Jones

 

[eddleston123]

That brings an entirely new meaning to fishing a 'swim'

It can only add to the numbers of unnecessary deaths, which we read about every year with people taking a dip in reservoirs!

Just who are the idiots that are promoting this?

Encouraging this as a sport/pastime is totally irresponsible!



Douglas

 

[codyarrow]

Don't think so Douglas seems quite organised. Lifeguards and groups.

Open water swimming to be offered at three reservoirs in Wales

There has been a huge demand from those wanting to get outdoors again after the long winter lockdown

www.walesonline.co.uk

Cannot see a problem with sharing the water occasionally.

 

[eddleston123]

Don't think so Douglas seems quite organised. Lifeguards and groups.

Open water swimming to be offered at three reservoirs in Wales

There has been a huge demand from those wanting to get outdoors again after the long winter lockdown

www.walesonline.co.uk

Cannot see a problem with sharing the water occasionally.

Yes, monitored and organised events, with lifeguard trained staff in attendance coupled with a programme of organised and carefully controlled activities, would indeed introduce a large measure of safety for this activity.

Unfortunately, once the concept caught on, then many people (especially in the summer) out with these safety measure, may feel that it was O.K. to follow suit and take the occasional unauthorised dip on the back of this publicity.

I do not see the sharing of these resource's with other activities in itself being a problem.

Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid.



Douglas

 

[shropshire_lad]

Don't think so Douglas seems quite organised. Lifeguards and groups.

Open water swimming to be offered at three reservoirs in Wales

There has been a huge demand from those wanting to get outdoors again after the long winter lockdown

www.walesonline.co.uk

Cannot see a problem with sharing the water occasionally.

I like the idea of open water swimming but have never really done any. I'm a bit of a wimp, I like to see what's beneath me......in pre-Covid times the tiled floor of a swimming pool.

I have done a bit of wild "swimming".

As usual, it's all about doing things responsibly. However, done responsibly it can only improve the lot of anglers. The fact is most rivers in this country are not safe to swim in, mainly because of sewage discharges. The popularity of open water swimming will put more pressure on those responsible to clean things up which will benefit us all

 

[aenoon]

Yes, monitored and organised events, with lifeguard trained staff in attendance coupled with a programme of organised and carefully controlled activities, would indeed introduce a large measure of safety for this activity.

Unfortunately, once the concept caught on, then many people (especially in the summer) out with these safety measure, may feel that it was O.K. to follow suit and take the occasional unauthorised dip on the back of this publicity.

I do not see the sharing of these resource's with other activities in itself being a problem.

Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid.



Douglas

It has been going on in Scotland for yonks!
Was just never labelled as an activity before!
I remember once getting to end of a drift on a famous central belt fishery, and was several "open water swimmers" just in off bank.
Problem was a couple of nude women, and a very protective bloke, (in his shorts!).
Abuse hurled my way big time, as I was in boat, drifting to-wards what seemed to be a naturist colony!
Was a bit weird!
Was funny when he tried to out swim my outboard!

Bert

 

[pentlandflyman]

We can't expect to have all the water for fishing ? Swimming, sailing etc etc etc all have as much right as an angler if allowed. As long as we keep out each others way and treat each other with respect when we do come into contact there isn't and shouldn't be an issue. It's like the sea anglers that moan about seals, surely the seals have more right to be there than the angler ? Just learn to share and get on with it.

 

[eddleston123]

a very protective bloke, (in his shorts!).


Bert

He couldn't have been very proud of his manhood!!



Douglas

 

[original cormorant]

He couldn't have been very proud of his manhood!!



Douglas

Very cold water

 

[taffy1]

As anglers, here in Wales we pay for the privilege to use these waters....

 

[diawl bach]

Sod 'em, they can all go down the beach. I don't want a crowd of people swimming when I fish a reservoir any more than a golfer wants to compete with a football game on their course.

Terrible idea, another dent in the chance to have a day on the water and finding a bit of peace and quiet away from the not so great British public.

 

[taffy1]

Fishing with some "boobies" on barbless hooks for a quick catch & release, what's not to enjoy?

 

[Wee Jimmy]

We've been sharing the water with kayakers and wild swimmers on my local reservoir for years.It might not be ideal from a fisherman’s pov but it’s hard to object until you realise that we fisherfolk are the only daft buggers on the water who get to pay for our enjoyment....?

 

[Rhithrogena]

My children and I were shouted at by an employee at a Dartmoor reservoir recently for paddling in the water. He stated that it was 'drinking water' and we might contaminate it! He also shouted at a dog owner whose dog was swimming, saying the same thing. It's high time we were allowed to swim in reservoirs and rivers. The fact that, historically, we can't is based on 'Toffs v. Oiks' and rules imposed by landowners who leased land to water companies in the first place. To justify this water companies invented 'health' reasons and the 'danger of drowning', and the situation has persisted to this day. I would not object to paying for a permit to swim. Lockdown has highlighted changes in numbers of people wanting to access inland swimming places. This is reasonable; and anglers need to learn to share. I also want to be able to fish from my kayak anywhere I am licensed to fish, unless there are particular ecological or risk reasons why I shouldn't.
Visitors from other countries (Sweden, USA, France) are incredulous when I say you can't swim in a lot of our lakes.
It is crazy, isn't it?
.

 

[shropshire_lad]

This issue has opened up an interesting debate. A couple of points from me:

1. The health objection to swimming in open water is not valid as the amount of dilution is phenomenal and the water is subsequently treated. The safety issue is valid and that's why swimming would probably be restricted to discrete areas, which would have to be relatively small so as to be monitored. Reservoirs are generally big places and I doubt swimmers will have a huge impact.
2. As for peace and quiet and the "not-so-great British public" this is a tricky one. We are all entitled to crave and seek peace and solitude but the fact is we live on a crowded isle. Covid and lockdown have highlighted this with normally quiet places invaded by hordes. We have to learn to share responsibly and think imaginatively. I'm going on holiday to Wolverhampton this year as I imagine it will be quiet, all the locals having cleared off to Wales or Bournemouth. Once "normality" is reinstated and all the hordes clear off to Benidorm again (please note said firmly tongue in cheek ) we can all relax, although I won't as it will only precipitate more carbon emissions

 

[Rhithrogena]

The safety issue is valid and that's why swimming would probably be restricted to discrete areas, which would have to be relatively small so as to be monitored.

I mostly agree, but surely we should restrict angling to such places also in case a fisherman drowns?

 

[shropshire_lad]

I mostly agree, but surely we should restrict angling to such places also in case a fisherman drowns?

From some of the antics I have seen in boats I'd be tempted to agree!

 

[codyarrow]

Sod 'em, they can all go down the beach. I don't want a crowd of people swimming when I fish a reservoir any more than a golfer wants to compete with a football game on their course.

Terrible idea, another dent in the chance to have a day on the water and finding a bit of peace and quiet away from the not so great British public.

I would say you were the Ebeneezer of Welsh waterways, but there are too many vowels and not enough 'L's to make the analogy work.

 

[diawl bach]

My nearest chapel coincidentally

Llys y Fran is my local res, I've fished it for years and I've watched the proceedings there with a deepening sense of dread, I used to love the place, part of its charm is its remote location, there's no traffic noise at all, it's very peaceful.

From my experience of outdoor activities, kayaking, swimming, orienteering whatever, if there's more than one participant they'll shout their fking heads off to each other while they screw up your fishing.
I've got no intention of sharing my fishing so I'll have to drive a bit further to find what I want from a day by the water. Wales is increasingly becoming a tourist playground, the big money's being spent on the kind of people who seek outdoor action and have no inclination to quietly enjoy the countryside, it really pisses me off.

 

[Bongoch]

I can see the argument from both sides. A couple of times I've fished Wimbleball from a boat and there's been some people swimming up near the road bridge, some have even had inflatables! Not ideal but I don't think anglers should have sole use of such resources. Lets face it, in this day and age of endless pollution incidents we need as many voices as possible saying it's unacceptable. If people can't access the rivers, lakes, lochs, ponds etc that we're saying need protecting why on earth should they care whether they're well looked after or not?