Wow yet another touchy subject on this board. I won't get into the heavy legal quotes, but it just doesnt seem right that private property owners should "fess up" access rights simply because their property borders a river, beach, etc. I never have and probably never will be fortunate enough to own such a piece of land, and have experienced the frustration of finding a nice spot to get a line wet only to be confronted with no tresspassing signs. Yeah it sucks but not much you can do about it. I totally sympathize with the landowners, as there is no way I would want my backyard to resemble many of the public access sites, and you know its just a matter of time before it does if every Joe is allowed access.
Most of the property in question here doesnt exactly come dirt cheap, and if the owner pays the price to own it, then its their right to deny the access. However I dont see how they can legally run off a boat that is anchored in the river off there property (did that really happen?).
On the other hand, I also believe if you do the leg work, there are still plenty of spots on many rivers that are off the beaten path and dont interfer with others rights of ownership
Just my opinion
Chris