I also, own land, with water running through it.
On my land, runs a creek. In this creek, Rainbow and Sea Run Cutthroat live and thrive.
Now, DO I, act the "Capitalist Pig" and ban everyone, that fishes, from my land "Because I own it and YOU don't, because I BOUGHT IT with MY hard earned money, so it's MINE, here me, MINE!!
Well..........no. I don't ban fishermen from our creek.
I let anyone, fish our water, that cares to. All I've ever asked, is what's on the signs I made and placed around various access points to our land:
"Please check in, at the house, before fishing. We'd hate to shoot you, thinking you were a bear! If you leave ANY LIITER, I'll find you and shoot you, anyway".
Thank you and good fishing!"
No,I'm no saint or great guy or the like. But, obviously, I FISH so it's easy for me to see the point of "How would I, feel, if I saw this creek and it was posted;
"No Trespassing"!?
I, also, sort of feel, that the creek was here BEFORE I was and it was no doubt free to everyone back then. I don't own the water, in this creek,obviously, because how could I?
I, do, have "rules to follow" when granting permission to fish the creek, but they're just run of the mill, basic, common sense ones to protect our land, as well as the creek.
Anyhoooo...... owning this micro piece of water, (compared to the real landowners), HAS given me a truly different perspective on the whys and why nots of posted waters.
The folks that really get to me, I suppose, are those that post their land strictly from the ego standpoint. It's this; "Because I CAN", attitude, I guess that makes me a just a little resentful of that type.
Bishop and I always ask, if a piece of particular water looks too good to pass up, when in places like Montana and/or, North Idaho.
We've been been refused by so many, we've lost count. We kept sort of a "mental journal record' this past season, while fishing Montana and we found that the fancier the house, the more expensive the cars, the more everything,of a given place.......... 90% of the time resulted in refusal when we'd ask.
England, is a perfect example of "private land ownership and the general public's access"......... there is about 2%-open to the public-trouting water in that country. It's why Carp Fishing and fishing for "rough fish" has become the sport of the commoner.