GENERAL FISHING
With some larger swells and strong easterly breezes this last week, it hasn?t been too good for boat anglers. It has also made beach fishing a little difficult as it tends to flatten out any inshore wave action and prevents the build up of white water associated with sea breezes. As a result it becomes a little more difficult to find tailor, but they are there and if anglers persist they will score.

One of the problems encountered along the central metropolitan beaches has been the number of wind surfers running along the inshore breaks at very high speed. At the speeds they are travelling they cannot see anglers? fishing lines and there is going to be a nasty accident in the near future. Should there be a swimmer in the water the wind surfer will not have time to take evasive action and someone, wind surfer or swimmer will be seriously injured or killed.

Anglers more often than not use a braided line which will cut flesh to the bone in seconds flat and will cut through wet suit materials similarly. Common sense has to prevail and if wind surfers moved off shore a couple of hundred metres, anglers and swimmers can co-exist on the beaches and inshore waters.

Local government isn?t interested in looking at the problem as they don?t want to get involved.

Mark _australia said...
Surely talking about kiters doing downwinders.

In a recent report I wrote "One of the problems encountered along the central metropolitan beaches has been the number of wind surfers running along the inshore breaks at very high speed. At the speeds they are travelling they cannot see anglers? fishing lines and there is going to be a nasty accident in the near future. Should there be a swimmer in the water the wind surfer will not have time to take evasive action and someone, wind surfer or swimmer will be seriously injured or killed.

Anglers more often than not use a braided line which will cut flesh to the bone in seconds flat and will cut through wet suit materials similarly. Common sense has to prevail and if wind surfers moved off shore a couple of hundred metres, anglers and swimmers can co-exist on the beaches and inshore waters. Local government isn?t interested in looking at the problem as they don?t want to get involved".

I received the following reply from a wind surfer who said ?I would bet my bottom dollar he is actually referring to KITEsurfers not WINDsurfers?. The former do downwind runs in the wave breaks whereas windsurfers are much less likely to be doing anything like that. There is a big difference?. I truly hope he has not complained to local government about windsurfers in error - as windsurfers are sick of being tarred with the same brush as kiters who are causing problems of all sorts.

I?m sorry that I caused any confusion and yes the reader is right it is KITESURFERS who are causing the problems.