AS an angler taking part in the fishing competition on the River Lune on Sunday, June 23, 2002, organised by Lansil Sports and Social Club, which according to your article headed " Dark Side of the Lune" was staged to disrupt the regatta held by John O' Gaunt Rowing Club on the same stretch of water, I would like to state some facts:

Lansil angling had just three small dinghies with two men in each.

John O'Gaunt had 97 crews as you reported.

The Lune aqueduct has four arches spanning over 100m of water.

At no time did we use more than two arches leaving plenty of room to pass, so the river was never blocked.

The rowing club stated that the swell created by our mostly anchored row boats was causing a danger to their junior rowers.

The rowing club were using petrol driven outboard engines on their inflatable boats, so it was in fact they who were causing the danger.

Petrol driven boats are not allowed on Lansil water, nor on the adjacent stretches of water owned by the Environment Agency because of the risk of pollution.

A fact the rowing club regularly ignores.

The way rowers practice their sport by rowing backwards at speed often poses a danger to other river users.

I wonder if in view of the two recent occasions that the rescue services have had to save rowers who have been washed over Skerton weir, that the rowing club are responsible enough to have insurance to cover them and would that cover extend to rowing on private water without permission?

As to the police being called, I spoke to the officers and they pointed out that they could not intervene as it was a civil matter unless a breach of the peace happened, which it did not.

In view of the risks to safety of the anglers from stones being thrown from the aqueduct and a large amount of verbal abuse, the anglers decided to call off their match.

As your article stated, the stretch of water is owned by Lansil Sports and Social Club whose members pay annual fees to fish or use boats on the water.

The rowing club go where they please when they want and with no regard to the safety or inconvenience of the lawful users of the water.

Perhaps they should pay to find their own stretch of water in peaceful surroundings, like Lansil used to have on the Lune, instead of organising events on other people's property and turning out in large numbers to spoil a pleasant day out for a few anglers from a small local club.

Fed Up

Lansil member

Details supplied