I have to admit to being a bankside recluse when it comes to my piking. It suits me to fish that way. But I do meet other pikers, as well as other anglers.

I have met a number of pikers, one or two with well known names too, who suffer acutely from the dreaded red mist syndrome. The slightest hint of a different opinion to their own and the jeckel and hyde side of their personality steps in, big time.

Maybe I meet the wrong pikers! But I have yet to meet a carper with the dreaded red mist! Perhaps I have yet to meet the wrong carper!

What is it about dedicated pikers? Is it something about pike that attracts would be Jeckel and Hydes?

Believe me when I say I have nothing against strong opinions. But when that red mist rises, time to duck and weave!

I have just been trawling pike forums! Oh dear! Some of the postings reminded me of this unpleasent trait! Perhaps I should trawl the carp sites. But then, maybe, its an angling thing!

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i dont agree with you at all peter....

oh hold on yes i do!

does seem to be a piking thing but for why i really dont know. maybe we are used to being a persecuted minority so that we arry a permanent chip on my shoulder, however i dont think that i do, well not all the time anyway.


oh and asan aside peter what exactly have you done to upset mr bettell?

Oh dear! So you have read between the lines Mark!! Was a time when I would have regarded him as a friend. Met his wife, delightful pair, back then!

Then we both had a battle royal with a committee member of the PAC. Heaven knows what was said but all of a sudden I was not a friend. And Charlie was no longer a member of the PAC! Well, nor was I as I resigned, basically in support of Charlie! But that is water long since under the bridge. The rhymes and reasons no longer matter and I have rejoined the PAC.

From that day to this he appears to react very badly to me! I get the impression that if it were a lovely, sunny, warm day and I said 'Hi Charlie, lovely day' I would still be on the receiving end of his delightful manner.

Basically I gave up trying to be nice to the bloke, if he took a swipe at me I would take a swipe right back. Red rag to a bull!

But since then, along with others, I have critisized him for his actions re the livebaiting issue on Hickling Broad. It didn't go down to well, when in exasperation, I accused him of stabbing his fellow anglers in the back. That certainly didn't help an already fragile situation! I have also criticized him for his actions re trolling on the Broads. Charlie, bless him, does not appear to much like criticism, or opposing opinion!

I have tried pouring oil onto troubled water, waste of time. Charlie, in my opinion, has an unfortunate manner. A shame because we could both have helped each other I'm sure.

There are people who like and admire Charlie, I'm afraid I can't share that opinion.

You'll have to judge him for yourself Mark, but yes, he did give rise to this posting!! Bless him!!

i canonly judge from the couple of times that i have met him in person. both of them were in brundall angling centre and on one of them he had me and a friend in tears laughing because his actions were "a bit strange". not knowing either of us from adam he sidled up to us whilst we wee getting some lures and gave us a big speech about bulldawgs, which finished with the legend "pike just inhale the bulldawg" which we then carried on as a catchphrase whenever we put one on!

hes done me no harm so i dont as yet have a problem with him but he does seem to have a spectacular capacit for scoring own goals.

if i may ask what was the livebaiting on hickling issue, i am presuming there was an intended ban?

It was when the then Norfolk Wildlife Trust decided to impose a livbait ban on Hickling Broad, amongst other things. Turned out that Charlie decided, for whatever reason to become involved as a one man army and side with and support the Trust. It took much pressure from, publically, the PAC, and not so publically, the Broadland piking mafia, to get things back onto a more equitable footing.

Trolling under power on the Broads is subject to the navigation laws, and those are counter to the fisheries bylaws. Once again PAC, amongst others, have been pushing to bring the navigation laws into line with the rest of the country. Charlie, in his book The Art of Lure Fishing, was very keen on trolling. But, for whatever reason, Charlie goes along and puts his oar into it with the Broads Authority.

He does seem to enjoy drawing attention to himself! As for the own goals thing! Spot on! And there is more!

Have just gone back to P & P. I used a pen name in the futile hope that by leaving personalities out of any issue we could talk on a level plane. Just trawl through the pike in breckish water thread. Thats Charlie being Charlie, total *osser!

[ 05. March 2004, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

The B.M.A. (Broadland Piking Mafia)...??
I was going to join another piking group but I hadn't decied which to go for. This 'club' sounds ideal. So how do I become a Capo?
I'll whack anyone.

I thought Scotland already had a piking mafia!!

Oh gawd I'm a hypocrit!! Ask my wife, she'll tell you, I rarely loose my rag! But I've just given into the red mist myself! If anyone wants to know what I think of Charlie Bettell, the guide and author, visit the Pike & Predators Pike forum. I could scream, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Blessed bloke! Didn't swear though!!!

Peter. Could you direct the PAAS jokes at someone else? Honestly...I'm really f**ing sick of it mate. If you want to crack snide remarks...go and phone the people concerned but don't include me. I don't crack PAC jokes every day so I don't see why I and others should be the brunt of every PAC members back-dated sense of humour.

Hey Andy, you have misread my posting entirely. It was not intended to be an anti PAAS joke, fare from it. Turning the clock back I was very much on the side of the Scottish contingeant in their stances and principals. I can't rembember his name now but I thoroughly admired the then PAC secretary and did support, as records should show, his point of view. He, and others, did the right & proper thing. I did make that clear at the time. My opinion of Ficking and his clones has been pretty low since that point. I'm sorry that you took offence at my comment! Offence couldn't have been further from my mind. I think that you are being very touchy.

I wouldn't bother to apologise if I were you. He is more than very touchy, he is totally intolerant of other people's views, opinions and anything else they might offer. Pretty much like the people you were talking about. This used to be a great site, but McFarlane's diatribes are so annoying I rarely bother to come here these days. I thought I'd have a look this evening, and straight away I see another one.

Andy, don't bother with another dose of vitriol directed at me because I won't see it. All you will do is annoy even more people! But I guess that wouldn't bother you!