If you buy a seat on a train or a seat at the footy you dont buy the train or the stadium BUT you buy the right to have the sole use of that seat for the duration specified on the ticket.
Nobody owns the fish, on that i agree but I am happy to believe that if you have chosen to fish in a particular spot you would not be happy to have someone come and stand behind you and throw across your line. In my case that is exactly what happened. (Even if you disregard the fact that i actually own the land that has my pontoon as part of the property improvements.)
Its called manners. Something I have often found missing here with visitors from Melbourne.
Sometimes you can buy the water AND the fish. I used to have a rural property and had a large dam which I stocked with cod and perch. Had a problem with fishermen who thought they ahd aright to trespass on my land, fish in my dam, camp overnight and leave me to clean up their rubbish. I note that Chairman Dan is now giving that right to the public.
I erected signs saying "Caution. Steel traps set for foxes". That seemed to work.
I also have trouble here with "thieves" pulling up my crab traps. It has even happened when the trap is tied to my pontoon. I get over that problem by sewing fish hooks upside down anong the rope.
Yes I can be a cranky old bastard when someone earns my wrath. Like the time I had the driver of a ute (with a Victorial number plate) drive under my mango tree and half fill the ute with mangos. I wasn't at home at the time but my neighbour, who is also cranky old bastard, went over and asked for $50 to pay for the mangos. Said it was either that of call the police. I made a $50 mango sale. A good deal because they were almost all fly blown.
The moral of the story. Never tangle with cranky old bastards.
