I went out for a lightwind kite yesterday at a coastal town where a lake runs in the ocean. There are often fishermen using the channel where the ocean meets the lake. It's also a great lightwind spot when the tide runs against the wind.

As i am kiting along i nearly run over a seagull. Damn thing just didn't get out of the way. I stop and have a look at the bird and it does try to fly off but it is tangled in fishing line.... so i take pity on the chip stealing bastard and down the kite, sand it down and start trying to catch the bird so i can help it. This goes on for 20mins until the bird can fly off with only about 30cm of line hanging off. I managed to get rid of the big tangle it had attached to it.

So i launch again and kite downwind to the channel. I am barely there for 2mins when a lifegaurd paddles over on a rescue board. He yells something at me so I stop and get reasonably close to him. He tells me that i shouldn't kite the channel because it annoys the fishermen and they complain to the council and life saving club. I'd like to tell him to get stuffed, what gives fishermen the right to kill fish and pollute the environment more than we have a right to kite? Instead i smile and say "sure dude" and move into the lake (not wanting to see any kite bans).

But seriously...... what a F'ed up situation. I am not going to attempt to get fishing banned (because someting rings true about hell and snowball) and because i hate spoiling the fun of others but yesterday really got to me on a moral level.

mike

sunseeker said...

They can only really complain if kiters are getting close to them and being potentially dangerous. You'd have to be a bit dumb anyway to kite near fishing lines in the water.

Goes both ways. I have kited there when it is empty and then fishermen turn up and cast out towards you anyway. In this case who is the potential danger?

mike

Did you say life guard?

If you smelled of fish guts all the time you wouldn't get much action, so you'd be lookin to spoil everyone elses fun also.

You'd probably think a mullet looked sexy too...

yeah that sucks neil

i would have done the same,give respect where respecet is due,thats just plain rude

thats what harness hook knives are for.

INfiniDIE said...

okin said...

thats what harness hook knives are for.

You do know what a hook knife is dont you?

I spose you could get their pin dicks in it and give them some nasty paper cuts...

to cut the fishermans line i imagine .......