ILLEGAL canoeing on stretches of the River Tavy is ruining the enjoyment of anglers and is a danger to the fish, it has been claimed. Robert Mountjoy, of the Tavy, Walkham and Plym Fishing Club, said canoeing was unknown on the river until a few years ago. Now he claims that small numbers of canoeists are entering the river at a convenient access point and dashing down an illegal stretch to be collected by an enthusiast downstream. He said: 'We now see minibuses arriving in Tavistock full of canoeists with trailers full of their canoes.' There are only two stretches of the river where landowners allow canoeists to take to the water but most of the river is banned for the pursuit. Mr Mountjoy, who has been fishing the river for more than 20 years, is annoyed that he and fellow anglers have to pay £500 for the right to fish yet the canoeists paddle on the river, disturbing fishing and stressing trout and salmon. Trout run into the river in spring and build in numbers until they spawn late in the autumn. 'These fish, having returned to the confines of the river, are extremely nervous, shy and hard to catch. Only when they have become settled after their journey can they be induced to rise to a fly. 'A canoe passing over will panic the migrant into another journey upstream and effectively prevent them from being caught for at least 24 hours. Mr Mountjoy said he recognised canoeists had a right to enjoy their sport as much as he did his, provided they kept to waters where it is legal. 'I am not a killjoy. As a fisherman I could live with sharing the river, but I cannot speak for the riparian owners who may have illegal paddlers going past the gardens of their properties.' Joe Hess, for riparian owner Maristow Estates, said: 'At the moment there is no permission to canoe on the estate's waters, there never has been and that's well known.' He said there had been a considerable increase in the number of canoeists using the estate's rivers and there were concerns at the effect their activities could be having on spawning grounds and on the riverbanks. 'I know some riparian owners have great problems with trespass over their land, as canoeists drag their canoes in and out of the river. He added that Maristow Estates did not have a 'no-go mind-set' regarding canoeing. Ongoing consultation needed to continue to come up with a policy. William Tuckett, chairman of the Tavy, Walkham and Plym Fishing Club, who owns a stretch of the Tavy near Denham Bridge, said canoeing had 'mushroomed' in the last two years and was beginning to cause problems. 'I'm not trying to be a killjoy, but I think the numbers need to be limited, perhaps by some sort of permit. 'The factual position is that the Tavy is not a navigable river and you're not meant to canoe on it. Secondly, they don't have permission from the riparian owners.' One popular illegal access point is Denham Bridge, where there have been verbal confrontations between canoeists and those protecting property rights. Opponents also say the narrow lanes and parking areas are not suitable for canoe trailers. The British Canoe Union says the recreation is the fastest growing watersport in the country, but is being denied the opportunity to realise its potential by dated, unreasonable restrictions on waterways. It says 650,000 people try canoeing each year only to find that they are unable to continue with it as 98% of waterways are off limits. BCU South West chairman Geoff Goulden said his organisation was in negotiation with riparian owners and interested parties for more access to parts of the Tavy and Walkham. He denies that canoeists disturb the fish, but does acknowledge that canoe trailers through narrow lanes can be a nuisance. Mr Goulden said: 'I'm a fisherman myself. Forty years ago you could paddle and row on our rivers without a problem and now to say we cannot is the biggest load of rubbish because the riparian owners want to keep the rivers to themselves. We are the only country in Europe like this.' And he said charges for anglers to fish were 'iniquitous'. Access to rivers was a 'God given right,' he said. 'We have a disease where riparian owners charge huge amounts of money for exclusive access but completely ignore navigational rights. 'This is all about money. We are being forced off waterways because of pure greed.' The Environment Agency, which is responsible for maintaining the health of the river, has no objection to recreational sports on the river as long as they do not damage the environment. Spokesman Mike Dunning said: 'The EA supports the recreational use of the River Tavy such as angling and canoeing so long as it does not effect or harm the wildlife and eco-system.' The agency is keen to protect and build fish stocks and it was implementing initiatives such as creating spawning grounds and unclogging gravel pits to promote this. Mr Dunning added that the agency supported moves of peaceful negotiation between landowners and organisations such as the British Canoe Union to allow more access on rivers for canoeists.
