Angler complains about “cavorting” wild swimmers

Wild swimmers have a lot to deal with: boat traffic, water pollution, having to carry huge amounts of cake with them wherever they swim. But now we are also under attack from anglers.

In a letter to Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine, angler Nigel Bond has complained about “very aged, lily white and scrawny humans cavorting stark naked” in the River Dart (location of the popular Dart 10k open water swim).
“On this and on many another rivers the practice of wild swimming is becoming more popular,” complained Mr Bond.
“I came across a book on wild swimming the other day, giving details of many other good pools which these folk will doubtless be invading,” he added. “The right to roam may be one thing. The right to shatter the peace of the river is quite another.”
“I don’t think that the fish would have been too disturbed – the passage of an otter would have disturbed them more – but to an angler, having paid good money to enjoy a little tranquility by the river, the sight was altogether too much.”
Here at H2Open we would like to extend the hand of friendship to Mr Bond and invite him to join us on a wild swim of his local River Dart (and don’t worry, we will be keeping our trunks on). He argues that wild swimming shatters the tranquility of the river. We say, what could be more tranquil and peaceful than swimming down one of the country’s most beautiful natural bodies of water. Anglers and swimmers all love our rivers and lakes – let’s try and work together so more people can enjoy them in peace and harmony.