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  It's a funny one this. I know at times I may seem a little anti-authoritarian when it come to things like this but it does seem sometimes we (as a society) get hung up on things that don't really mean a great deal. I believe this is one such example.
  
  In the same way push bikes and people have managed to get by for a long time until the invention of pedestrianised precincts and 'no cycling' signs, I have to say I feel the same about this. I have the same feeling about tree climbing, an excellent activity that is regarded as a right of passage for young boys in the countryside. The second this is attempted in a town people are disgusted and start shaking their fists ( one of my favourite dying gestures).
  
  Now if this exact same fishing activity had been carried out in a rural setting, the man lazing in the sunshine with a straw hat tipped over his face, people would be happy, perhaps even paint a picture. As a kid I used to fish around this same spot on the Dour, as did my grandad, so why is it so shocking? There are more trout in the river now than then and as my Grandad pointed out this was all helped by the trout farm that lost a great deal of stock to the Dour. He actually talked fondly of grabbing them out of the water IN the paper mill.
  
  I actually had a licence when I used to fish there, I seem to remember sorting it through 'Huckleberries' tackle shop that was on Ladywell. The shop also sold us live bait which was really handy too. Fish that were too small were thrown back alive after removing the hook with a disgorger and others I had for dinner.
  
  I understand that many abuse these simple traditions that I may wrongly regard as liberties but is this really a problem? Does fishing have to one of these activities that is exclusive to those that drive a 4x4 out to some soulless manmade lake where you catch fish fed on pig pellets, have your photograph taken with it and then send it into a magazine?
  
  Just to add, we never used to fish up in River.

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