Trash day....

[FishMoken]

So since moving to Westminster a few years back a trip to the lake, river, or bay is an average of 30-60mins. So I got a little tired of being in the house the past month and needed some time on the water. As a mostly catch and release fisherman I figured it would just be a "nature day" as I like to call them. So I drove out to Piney Run park but unfortunately the lake was closed. The weather was just to nice to just head back home, so I headed down to Montgomery county to paddle at Seneca creek state park. I have NEVER seen this park as busy as it was on Saturday. While I love fishing this lake, the amount of trash really brings this park down a bit. I started by tossing a few floating water bottles in the tank well and next thing you know the rear cargo area was packed. I started to fill the front hatch as well. A mesh laundry bag will now be a new item I will be bringing on each trip. I encourage all kayakers to keep one just incase you find some trash. I ended up with one large bag full of trash and great day on the water.

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[ronaultmtd]

One great thing about St. Mary’s and Charles Counties where I do 99% of my fishing is the trash barrels and dumpsters for boaters to use to put trash in...at the Counties pubic launches..and almost all of these launches have well maintained porta potties, too.

[J.A. Veil]

Good job on the trash removal. It is a shame that more park users don't take care of their own trash.

My first kayak was a yellow Ocean Kayak Drifter -- just like yours.

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[FishMoken]

Good job on the trash removal. It is a shame that more park users don't take care of their own trash.

My first kayak was a yellow Ocean Kayak Drifter -- just like yours.

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I really love this kayak. When old town took over the mold and made the old town Striper I was quick to buy one. But unfortunately it was discontinued after just one year. I also had to sell it because of moving into a apartment. I've been looking for a deal on one for 6 years now. Glad to finally have another one.


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[Big Mike]

Thank you for picking up the trash. I’ve never understood the mindset of the littering people as you’ll rarely find any that admit to it. My own revenge happened at Abells Wharf. Two guys in a crab boat tossed large boxes that had held their bait over the side (not more than a couple hundred yards from the dumpster the county keeps there) almost right in front of me, clearly not caring. These were stinky when I fished them out. When I got back to the ramp I deposited the boxes in the back of their pickup, after all they were theirs. Now if you’ve ever fished Abells you know there’s a very large turkey vulture population roosting that loves to sit on, crap on, and eat rubber on cars without stinky fish boxes in the back. As I drove away I sensed the Hitchcock Birds scene with the birds massed outside the house waiting to pounce. I never saw the truck again.

[Jman]

Thank you for picking up the trash! The Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA) in Virginia Beach used to hold a couple events a year to pick up trash at Rudee inlet and fish afterwards. It was a fun way to keep the waterway clean and there always a few unique surprises people would find.

[Slobber Bob]

Good on you for picking up the trash. I'm always picking up trash at my local playground and pond when I'm there with my son, but it seems like nobody else ever does. I don't know how people can just walk by it and ignore it sometimes. Even my 4 year old knows better. When he sees liter on the ground, he'll point to it say "uh oh".

[bignose]

This falls under the category of "no good deed is left unpunished."

In the early 1990s, right after I purchased my canoe, I took it over to one of the community lakes near my home in Columbia.
I spent most of a Sunday hauling trash out of the pond: tires, logs, about 500 soggy tennis ball, loads of plastic bottles, frisbees, and loads of paper debris, including a mess of bait containers. I piled these up next to the trash cans near the dock.

As I approached the dock area after my third load, I was greeted by a guy from the Columbia Association. He said that he was responding to a complaint from one of the residents who was calling about a guy dumping trash "all over the place" near the dock.

I explained what I was doing as a community service, and his response was that it "wasn't my job" and they had grounds crews hired to do this.

I got a little smart assed with him, and asked him if he wanted me to put it back in the lake.

That was my first of many interactions with the Open Space management company.

[Mark]

FishMokin -- Thank you. You did a very good deed and raised awareness to an issue we can easily help.

Stu and Mike -- Those are really funny stories.

Bob -- Even your 4 year-old knows it's wrong. Good point and good parenting. I've wondered if the folks who leave their trash behind do the same in their own front yards and living rooms. Maybe they do because their parents never told or showed them otherwise.

But there's really no excuse for anglers. Many launch sites have signs addressing the matter and receptacles for trash and even used fishing line. Some are just too lazy to care.