Reading the angling times last week i was shocked to read that due to eu legeslation,the use of lead in splitshot and ledgers could soon be banned.Due to the cost and difficulty in making small shot in lead substitutes,micro shot could soon be a thing of the past.I was thinking,what could we use instead of micro shot.I would assume that styles are under that micro shot catagory so we might be seing the good old number 4 back down the bottom.
Maybee we could use pre weighted floats and some type of line sinker,i spose it would work ina still water,but it wouldnt be much use in 7ft river where u want to get past the fry.
What do you think?

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I spent three days almost a month ago going through the EU research report, line by line, and preparing a detailed critique. This was submitted to (and acknoweldged by) the EU Commission in the names of the European Anglers' Alliance and the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association.

I am not entitled to reproduce the critique here, but it was thorough, detailed and robust. I hope it comes as no surprise that one of its main thrusts was the way the report totally ignored micro-shot.

There is no certainty that the research report will be accepted, in part or as a whole, nor that its findings will be acted upon by the EU. Even then, the microshot issue will be the subject of further and vigorous lobbying at EU level and, if necessary, in the UK.

I really do apologise that I cannot say more here.

[ 14. September 2004, 11:36 PM: Message edited by: Bruno Broughton ]

I have enough trouble with dust shot let alone micro shot! Since I can hardly even see it I probably won't miss it!

Why ban micro shot?
Surely it is small enough to pass through anything that would swallow it.

Just purchase loads now


Mark

Unlike the UK ban on anglers lead used in certain sizes, this proposed ban is not a wildlife issue.

Most of this is coming from the position that lead in the environment is generally bad.

We might be able to make a case that the lead we use is not a problem in itself, but then there is the mining, manufacture and transportation of lead etc.

Environmentalists want to see as much lead as possible removed from the environment, especially because lead diffused into the environment has been shown to affect the brain development of Children.

They are also going after lead in candlewicks!

Yet another reason why anglers should be supporting their representative organisations who are working on this and many other such issues, to get the best possible outcome for anglin.

Tight Lines - leon

[ 15. September 2004, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

Surely the best outcome for Angling and anglers is if our children don't grow up with a risk of brain damage, in an environment that is as safe as we can make it.
As with most things which cause furore when initially banned, we look back after a few years and wonder what all the fuss was about, and why we bothered using the banned item in the first place.
The phasing out of known poisonous substances (mercury, lead, asbestos etc.) must surely be encouraged. We are trying to promote ourselves as caring for and protecting our water courses in defence of attacks from anti-cruelty groups. I don't see how the continued introduction of lead into the environment is defensible.

ARE THEY GOING TO BAN JET AIRCRAFT THEN????????

Aviation fuel has loads of lead in it and I mean loads.
Then these planes are flying all over the place.

How much lead drops back to the ground in their exhuast fumes???????????????????

They can also start on Churches and other structures with leading on the roofs.

Pick your rattle back up Rudd.

As an angler there's not much I can do about lead in aircraft fuel/church roof/plumbers solder or whatever, but I can stop chucking it in the river by using something else.
The anti's aren't going to put put pressure on Angling because of aviation fuel and church roofs, but a few dead swan carcasses on the front page of the local press or Countryfile or whatever and we're villains all over again. Let's not give more ammunition (whether it's lead shot or copper jacketed) to them.
'Adversity is the mother of invention' - if we can't use lead we'll come up with something else, safer and in the long run probably better.

Plenty of lead split-shot off all sizes still available in France. I saw it there when on holiday this year.

sorry lads,i wasnt trying to justify the rule i was just trying to think of an alternative to micro shot.
The be all and end all is that tony blair licks euro ass,so if they say it goes,we cant say boo to it.So we may as well start using alternatives now if u ask me.