Going fishing with Joe Clarke MBE and Ryan Westley

London 2012 Olympic gold medal winner and climate change
campaigner Etienne Stott spends time with GB paddlers Joe Clarke
MBE and Ryan Westley.


Joe and Ryan are passionate paddlers but they are also keen
anglers and they give their take on some of the conflicts between
the two sports.

They both love the outdoors but spend summers dashing between
training and the fishing lake.  They tell Etienne about
their love of angling and there are plenty of stories of their
adventures trying to catch fish and the special baits they use.


Joe Clarke won gold in K1 canoe slalom at the Rio Olympics in
2016.  Like Etienne he started canoeing with the Scouts and
developed a love of the sport.   The pair walk around the
Lee Valley Slalom course and talk about their gold medal winning
moments.  And in the centre’s reception they see both their
Olympic winning canoes hanging from the ceiling.


Ryan Westley started as a recreational paddler at the age of
3.  He began on flat water on the River Axe in Somerset and
then in the sea.  When the family moved to Yorkshire he got
into slalom and made his international debut in 2009.  His
career highlights include winning a World Championship bronze
medal at Lee Valley in 2015 and taking gold at the European
Championships C1 in 2018.


Joe Clarke says he feels it’s sad that there is some conflict
between fishing and paddling and calls for respect on both
sides.  Ryan Westley believes it’s about each side conceding
a little to get along better.  Etienne Stott feels the
natural resources should be shared.   The trio talk
candidly about the issues and what can be done.


If you want to find out more about British Canoeing’s Clear
Access, Clear Waters Environmental Charter you can find it on


www.britishcanoeing.org.uk


Etienne Stott is on twitter at


@etiennestott


And you want to follow Joe Clarke and Ryan Westley on social
media





@joeclarkek1 (twitter and instagram)





@ryan_westley (twitter)


@Wrestler (instagram)