The Dangers of Magnet Fishing and Thames Policing

magnet fishing sounds quite idyllic compared to fishing in the solent----in 7 years i caught----one 4 inch shell unused---ours------one 500 lb bomb----theirs-----one 16 foot torpedo---ours ---3 nasty looking incendiary? bombs---theirs-----one 24 lb cannonball ---ours-----plus lots of interesting/unusual but definitely unwanted crap
 
Sounds impressive but highly dangerous!And a better place to 'fish'than a river.
What did you do re the 500 pounder?
Iron Canons and cannon balls could be worth a bob or two if polished up.
But one has to be careful against shipwreck laws war graves and suchlike.
Mines sea or otherwise might also be a bit of a hazard one imagines?
Perhaps an investigation with an underwater drone first might avail?
 
picked up what looked like a large cruddy rock---went to move it and it split revealing the bomb in remarkably good condition ----did the same as with all rubbish---- dumped at the nearest buoy but this time going past at full speed----two of us managed to roll over the side------the cannonball was caught up porchester creek----in time past the gunnery school at whale island used to set up targets in portsmouth harbour------the torpedo was strapped to the side of the boat and given to HMS vernon----now gun wharf---after a lot of form filling and and six months i got a reward from the navy--------the cannonball resides at the side of my fire annoying my wife as she has to dust round it
 
Harry Hogwash said:
So presumably you give your 'SatNav'Position so they can find you?
Like pitch black 3 and half miles from any driveable track
hidden under a 3 mile long canopy of dense vegetation
with impassable barbed wire one side and yards of bank the other,
um like its sorta green and muddy.
The roots blcoking the hell hole path dont help as they
block bicycles though BIKE would be the best way in.
Click to expand...

If you find it frightening don’t go there. Retreat to the safety of Costa......
 
Costa in Abingdon made me chuckle with their sign that boasts the coffee is roasted in London. It felt like a quaint time warp boast along the lines of American jeans or the latest fashion from Paris.
Harry is very fortunate to live there. The only boats I saw this weekend were Clippers and Belfast.
 
Harry Hogwash said:
PS I first became aware of the precarious situation of Emergency Services or lack therefof
along The Thames Footpath when walking the Thames Path.
At one point I found myself in thick jungle with trees 300'tall
about 3 and a half miles from any other human being.
I was bound in by an uncrossable barbed wire fence on one side and the river on the other.
A narrow path about half a mile long.
The surrounding vegetation made approach by Vehicle or Helicopter across fields and jungle out of the question.
I carried no mobile phone.
The summer vegetation was so tall I could not be seen more than a few yards ahead.
Now I think a Thames Police launch patrol ends at Twickenham and there is none further downriver.
I would have been reassured spotting an inflatable Police dinghy cruising up and down at least.
But no.
No posters.No numbers for like Coastguard,nothing.
If it was at night that an emergency occurred multiply all this difficulty times 100.
It was at this point that the thought occurred to me in the still silence,"Crikey this is dangerous!"
Click to expand...

I know there is a Bee nest two miles away, but i still walk there just to raise the point))))
 
Harry Hogwash said:
Good question.Magnet fishing is relatively new and so is probably not yet named as such in any law.It is also relatively rare as its such a waste of time.
However there may be many laws around it that could be contravened.Its not quite like metal detecting but it is finding property-albeit on a public waterway-very likely with the intent to sell it without knowing who it belongs to.However Im sure the local nick wouldnt want it there!
Dredging up a loaded firearm puts you in line for armed tresspass for however long you have it.
Possession of knife ditto.
The Law doesnt always see it the magnet fishers way.
Stolen Bank Chests ditto.
If you dredge up a Heinkel Bomb and its blows half a bridge away
I hope your insurance is good.
So there are all these sorts of considerations.
So its kinda legal as long as nothing happens!
Bet theres not even a pound left in that rusty old supermarket trolley!
An old saying lift up a rock and find a toad.
Click to expand...

Dont be silly, I have found weapons before while working and the police and bomb squad merely asked me to stay on site till they arrived to take custody of the items - I was nearly late for tea. Certainly it was never suggested that I had done any wrong, indeed I was thanked.

Similarly it is difficult to see what offence could be done while magnet fishing. There can be no law against searching for lost property except in a wargrave or when committing trespass, and trespass itself is more than simple intrusion where you should not be.
 
Nice way to live up to your moniker Mr Hogwash.

I have just spent £25 on a magnet from Ebay. I haven't tried it out yet but I'm looking forward to. It seems an innocent enough hobby to me.

What I'm interested in is the 300kg a side magnet going to mess with the compass? We'll see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top