When you fish a busy harbour it pays to check your charts and heed the signage. Will, host of the Local Marks Fishing YouTube channel, learned this lesson the hard way. While livestreaming a night fishing session at Portsmouth Harbour in Hampshire, England, he causes a security breach at a British naval installation. The online audience watches as Will is detained by a police boat. “Might get a knock on the door because of that one,” he quips after finally being set free.
Kayak Fishing in Forbidden Waters
The livestream starts as Will launches his boat and considers where to spend the night fishing. One structure in the harbour draws his attention, but he suspects it is military in origin. “Is that the ammunition cranes in front of us? … Am I likely to get shot?” he asks. After hemming and hawing he decides to go for it. “You only live once. Let’s go and check out it,” Will tells the viewers.
At 31:30, Will drops bait under the structure. There are signs that warn, “MOD Property – Keep Off!” but he thinks it might be allowed to fish underneath. “Technically we’re not on MOD land, we’re going to be sort of under it and about it,” he reasons. Will hides out among the concrete pilings as the sun sets, playing harmonica and chatting to the audience while waiting for a bite. Unfortunately, the location only yields a few near misses and a single European eel, but that’s not all the excitement in store.
At 2:18:30, Will exits the structure and the police boat is immediately on him. “They was waiting for me to come out,” he narrates. “I didn’t realize apparently there’s a 100-meter exclusion zone around any MOD property. I’m lucky they didn’t shoot me.” The stream stops briefly while he is questioned, but the officers allow him to turn it back on for most of the encounter.
It’s Better to Avoid Breaching Security
Will sums up his experience in the video description: “I feel a little bit stupid and I’m glad I didn’t get shot. If anything this session has opened my eyes to the laws within a military harbour.”
Exclusion zones are marked on marine navigation charts, so make sure you check before entering somewhere questionable. Also, consult local authorities like the Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth for safety and security information before your trip. Pirate hat or not, you could be considered a threat if you breach security in search of good fishing.
