Angling is usually a solo activity, and even when fishing with an aquaintance you will be distanced due to various factors such as fouling lines, decent spots & not spooking the fish.
I love fishing on the rivers and have paid a lot of money Todo so,there is no problems social distancing when fishing as you need the space to cast and not tangle in other people's lines .I great exercise and fresh air ,keeps your mind active .I think more chance catching covid by going to shops and wiring up .
Fishing is the biggest participatory sport in Scotland. In the current climate it would be considered very low risk as most fishermen fish alone. When fishing at a Fishery most have limited capacity of 30-40 people at a time and there should never be an occasion to be closer than 2 metres to another fisher. Only challenge is regulating how far people can travel and not allowing overnight stays. Nearly all fishers travel by car due to access to fishing locations, therefore there is little additional risk re public transport.
Fishing helps with mental health. All social distancing should be adhered to. Whether you are talking about fisheries, lochs or rivers easily policed by council workers but by and large the last thing another angler wants to see is another angler close to where he's fishing. And can easily be discussed at a distance on how the river is fishing, what end did you start from. Either angler will move on if they've been at the spot for a while with no luck, or the other guy will move on if he's told its fishing well at the moment. But it would certainly get some of the older community out to exercise. Extra money coming into the council for permits
I can’t see there being an issue with fishing. My husband uses his float tube to fly fish most of the time so no issues with social distancing there. Yes it’s going to be a problem if going out on the Loch boat fishing with someone however I think if people are sensible, go out and get some fresh air and give your partner a break it’s a win win situation 😉
Agree 100%. One of the best ways to relax and boost mental health (I had a mental breakdown 6 years ago and took up Loch fishing again, which greatly helped my rehab). 2 people in most loch boats will be >3m apart when seated.
I am an angler and under normal circumstances I would very rarely fish with other people. Fishing is an escape from the madness of the day-to-day grind and a time to be alone, reflect, contemplate and I’d even go as far as saying meditate. I think the mental health implications of allowing fishing and other solitary pursuits (golf comes to mind) would be beneficial to many people.
In the Netherlands, fishing was never prohibited and they seem to be doing better than us under more relaxed rules.
Posted by HarryF May 08, 2020 at 16:30
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Posted by Markh781 May 08, 2020 at 22:40
Extra money coming into the council for permits
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Posted by GordieM May 09, 2020 at 15:55
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Posted by kieranh May 09, 2020 at 16:13
In the Netherlands, fishing was never prohibited and they seem to be doing better than us under more relaxed rules.
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