Message in a bottle - ethics

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 wilkie14c 28 Feb 2023

Out lure fishing for pike the other day and I found a genuine message in a bottle! It was a simple but heartwarming message from the author, it’d travelled maybe 10 miles and was in the river for 4 months. I actually captured the moment on my gopro, and the message cheered me up no end on a cold winters day.

Now, there wasn’t a number or email in the message so couldn’t let the person know it’d been found so the only option in that moment was to roll it up, pop it back in the bottle and throw it back for someone else to find. 
I made the world a little bit better for a minute or two but then promptly reversed my good work by chucking a glass bottle back in the river. I’ve felt torn since, perhaps I should have kept the message as a keepsake and disposed of the bottle? What is the correct etiquette concerning messages in bottles? 

The police weren’t involved BTW

 dread-i 28 Feb 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

Map to treasure - Keep.

'Help lost at sea' - Put back for someone more qualified to find.

Feeling guilty- Take 4x other bottles out of river and put into recycling.

(if you need help digging, as per point 1, just PM me.)

 Bottom Clinger 28 Feb 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

Catch anything? Not fished in ages but was really keen at one point (from my small boat, Coniston and Windermere etc).  

 Lankyman 28 Feb 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

Don't ever respond to a note in a bottle - it just encourages littering. As the great environmentalist Sting once noted 'don't believe what I saw, a hundred million bottles washed up on the shore, eehoh oh oh!'

OP wilkie14c 28 Feb 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Blank on that particular day, river is very low and clear, Feb had been unseasonably dry. Had 4 on Friday on a gravel pit. Mate topped it with an 18.8, a really good looker too 🐊

1
 montyjohn 28 Feb 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

Read it and throw it in the bin.

The person that wrote it intended for someone to find it and read it.

You are that person. You don't owe them anything else.

 Tobes 28 Feb 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

fishing related - been out a fair few times this winter for pike, all dead baiting/Loch fishing (NE Scotland) have struggled the last few sessions. Missed a good pick up yesterday in fact (I prefer to strike early to avoid deep hooking) considering going over to circle hooks actually, you tried them? Oh and can’t get smelt anywhere for love or money just now (global shortage!?) lastly know of any good fishing forums that are up to date and easy to navigate? Cheers min 

 Bottom Clinger 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Tobes:

I used to use all the main pike fishing forums and found them very cliquey, didn’t really like them to be honest. 

What size trebles you using ?  I used to find that if pike are up for it, large trebles (with a wide gape) are best. Another thing I leaned from dead baiting from my boat as to use big leads, big enough so that the lead doesn’t move when the pike takes the bait. The theory is they get less resistance than using a light lead that is quite likely to drag around a bit. 

 Dan Arkle 01 Mar 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

Report them to the police for littering, you might not have a name, but there should be some DNA evidence. You could probably do it yourself if one of their relatives has been foolish enough to upload to one of those DNA/ancestry websites.

Film the whole process for twitter and if they don't get charged, whip up some mob outrage to make sure they get sacked.

Post edited at 10:19
 Tobes 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Size 8’s but thinking 6’s might be better (but early season when they’re hungry dropping fish is less of a problem) yeah I use a 3oz lead with a sub float and large bore link so there’s as little resistance as possible. 

fishing fb groups can be a bit of a mare for armchair critics! 

Post edited at 11:04
 Bottom Clinger 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Tobes:

If I ever get my boat/trailer/engine/towbar/light board sorted, you should come with me to the Lakes. Amazing hard fighting pike, usually hitting lures very hard. Once caught ten over ten pounds in four hours on Coniston. 

 Tobes 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

You’re on and if you’re up this way (during winter season) there’s a couple of decent lochs worth a visit, and you might even get a Forfar bridie also ; )

 Bottom Clinger 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Tobes:

I used to fish Awe and Lomond. One Friday evening I arrived nr the castle on L Awe and banged out two dead baits. Two car loads Glasgow anglers arrived, and I let this young lad fish right next to me. So I let him cast where I had been fishing. He caught two mid twenties straight away, I had a 17. Generosity failed that evening  

 Kalna_kaza 01 Mar 2023
In reply to wilkie14c:

One bottle, not worth making a song and dance about it.

A 100 million bottles washed upon the shore.

That's going to Sting.

Post edited at 16:55
 Fat Bumbly2 01 Mar 2023
In reply to Kalna_kaza:

Curses - beat me to it, I was going to suggest going to The Police.


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