When someone goes fishing with friends, they expect a good time. However, that was not the case for a man who recently recorded a video showing a couple of Pennsylvania locals confronting him and his friends while they were fishing in a creek. The couple, described as “Karens” by the fisherman, tried to expel the group from “their” creek.
The video, likely uploaded online by the man who recorded it, was later shared on TikTok by Tikramptok, a profile that specializes in compiling boating and fishing stories.
In the footage, the fisherman can be seen with his friends on the creek when he is confronted by two people who claim to own the land. Because their property allegedly extends across the creek, they argue the fishers should not be there.
The cameraman tries to explain that in the state of Pennsylvania, like in many other places in the U.S., “no one owns the water,” and that he was not breaking the law because he was floating on top of it. However, the couple did not seem to agree, pointing out that the group was walking in the creek. In the end, the fishers left while appearing annoyed.
The law in Pennsylvania states that “the public’s right to fish in a particular stream depends in large part on whether the stream is ‘navigable.’ In general, the public has the right to fish in a navigable waterway.” This makes the situation less clear for shallow creeks.
Internet Reacts to Pennsylvania Fisherman’s Video
On TikTok, viewers had mixed reactions regarding who was right in the situation. One social media user was emphatic: “He doesn’t own the water.” Another one agreed with this point of view, saying that “he owns the ground you are standing on. If you can float, you can boat it, sir! These videos really pay off with knowledge.”
Not everybody agreed with this line of thinking, however, as one user wrote that “The creek runs through their land, so it’s their property,” and therefore the couple would have all the rights to expel the intruders.
Stories like this highlight how disagreements can arise over property laws, which is likely part of the reason they are so popular with online viewers. As far as reported, the alleged landowners did not file any charges against the fishermen.
