Tope/smoothound anglers

[Simon Everett]

I can't help thinking that the Shark Angling Club of GB would be better placed to start a new section of something which already exists.

 

They could be approached to see if they would set up a section within the club auspices. They should be begining to think about how to make ALL sharks commercially protected and for recreational/sporting designation.

 

However, they, like the conger club, eschewed helping us (BASS) with adding their weight to the call for certain species to be classified as recreational fish only - I wonder why when all they had was to gain from it.

 

If they turn the idea down because, like the NFSA, they are too entrenched in their old traditions to modernise their outlook, then think of this:

 

Start a Small Shark Club of GB for people to join who like sport fishing for the species covered ( and I would include Spurdogs, Smoothounds and Bull Huss too). THEN, from the start of that club have a sub-committee (The Shark Conservation Group) for the conservation aspect.

This way you have the weight of numbers of ordinary members to back up any work that the Shark Conservation Group come up with.

One of the dangers is that we end up with too many small groups all trying to do the same thing, none of them with any clout. Whereas, one larger organisation pooling all those resources gets far more recognition - AND gets more done, because certain things don't get duplicated.

[Simon Everett]

I hate to say it, but it is a sad reflection of the NFSA that these groups have to be set up at all.

The NFSA is the body governing Sea Angling, but unfortunately they seem to be too preoccupied with trying to win medals for who has caught the biggest fish to be very deeply involved with conservation and fisheries policies. THAT should be their foremost remit - Killing a fish for the sake of saying "I am a better angler than you" is totally against all my principles.

There are some competitions which are catch and release - very good i am all for them. I will even enter the odd competition - only for fun because I know before I enter that I haven't got a cat in hells chance! One day I'll catch a plaice - but I haven't in the last 40 years of angling, I always get the flounder!!

 

Anyway. Back to the NFSA. The conservatin groups that are springing up should all be under the umbrella of the NFSA - but as virtually nobody is a member they can't cope, so they have retreated into the competition post they hold.

 

There is another arguement for the sea angling license - compulsory membership of the NFSA - or better even, they should be given the job of administering it, setting aside a set amount to cover the cost of administration and the rest should be put into conservation, publicity and policing of our recreational angling.

 

People have been arguing about the "fishing tax" as they see it - this way it would be in our own hands. You watch the commercials come on side when there is money in a pot....!

[Norm B]

Simon Everett:

I hate to say it, but it is a sad reflection of the NFSA that these groups have to be set up at all.

The NFSA is the body governing Sea Angling, but unfortunately they seem to be too preoccupied with trying to win medals for who has caught the biggest fish to be very deeply involved with conservation and fisheries policies. THAT should be their foremost remit - Killing a fish for the sake of saying "I am a better angler than you" is totally against all my principles.

There are some competitions which are catch and release - very good i am all for them. I will even enter the odd competition - only for fun because I know before I enter that I haven't got a cat in hells chance! One day I'll catch a plaice - but I haven't in the last 40 years of angling, I always get the flounder!!

 

Anyway. Back to the NFSA. The conservatin groups that are springing up should all be under the umbrella of the NFSA - but as virtually nobody is a member they can't cope, so they have retreated into the competition post they hold.

 

There is another arguement for the sea angling license - compulsory membership of the NFSA - or better even, they should be given the job of administering it, setting aside a set amount to cover the cost of administration and the rest should be put into conservation, publicity and policing of our recreational angling.

 

People have been arguing about the "fishing tax" as they see it - this way it would be in our own hands. You watch the commercials come on side when there is money in a pot....!

:cool: Go away Simon, you're far, far to sensible to be talking about this. I must protest that you are not quite correct about having to kill a fish for an NFSA medal, they now do a caught at sea and released medal, although it can't be a record, quite rightly too in my opinion. You can catch a fish from the shore, weigh it on certified scales and release it too, so you don't actually have to kill many fish at all to claim a medal these days, that's got to be an improvement on the 'old days'. I think the idea of the NFSA running the sea licence scheme is a good one but I just don't think they could cope with it. They struggle to just to answer the phone at the moment. No reflection on David, they just don't have the staff. It's a chicken and egg situation, they don't have the staff because there's not enough members to pay them, they can't get members because they don't send out the renewals on time and anglers can't get through on the phone, so they give up. Sadly it's a slippery slope, once you start to lose members it's too late to do anything, it just gets worse. :confused:

[Ian Burrett]

Is the Shark angling club of Great Britain active

because i have just put in a search and all i get is travel agents and looe charter boats.

 

If an organisation already exists that will fullfill the criteria then I am all for it.

[Simon Everett]

Ian,

the last I heard was that Mike Millman was Chairman. When Dad was chartering the club was based in a building at the end of the fish quay on East Looe harbour wall.

In the early years the boats would come home flying blue pennants above the club pennant for all sharks caught over qualifying weight (75lbs for a blue) and then under it for the rest. They came home looking like they were flying bunting! The sharks would hang up outside the club and then go for pot bait - thankfully times have changed.

You could try writing a letter to the Shark Angling Club of GB, East Looe, Cornwall. If they are still going that will get there.

 

I know that in addition to Ken's tagging project there is a move afoot to rekindle the old Shark Clubs tagging scheme and there are still Shark Club tags being returned to Ken Collins.

 

If you don't get any joy from them then it might be worth starting a new version - the Sportsman's Shark Angling Club - or something along those lines.

[Leon Roskilly]

The Shark Angling Club of Great Britain's website is at:

 

http://www.sharkanglingclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/

 

 

Unfortunately, I've never had a reply to any email that I've sent them

 

Tight Lines - leon

[SandTiger]

Davy Holt:

Hiya Ian,

 

It's not to difficult to set it all up

Ahem!

[Simon Everett]

SandTiger - is that an offer of help?

[Leon Roskilly]

Simon Everett:

One of the dangers is that we end up with too many small groups all trying to do the same thing, none of them with any clout. Whereas, one larger organisation pooling all those resources gets far more recognition - AND gets more done, because certain things don't get duplicated.

It's usually the small focussed groups, a relatively few people with a passion, that are needed to drive things forward.

 

The larger organisations can get caught in trying to do a little bit about a lot of different things.

 

Just go along and see the size of the meeting agendas!

 

What works really well is co-operation.

 

The NFSA Conservation Group has members of SACN and BASS.

 

The National Mullet Club are putting together proposals for that species, following on from the Bass Management Plan, and are talking to BASS and submitting their paper through the NFSA Conservation Group.

 

BASS and the Salmon & Trout Association are co-operating on a number of issues of mutual concern, especially inshore netting etc.

 

And so on............

 

At the moment there is no one looking out specifically for our small sharks

 

(To qualify for membership of the Shark Angling Club, you needed to have caught a shark of at least 75lbs, now it is measured; blue shark 7ft, Porbeagle, Mako, Thresher 4' 6". I get the feeling that they are only concerned with 'proper' sharks!)

 

A group dedicated to tope and hounds etc is needed to fill the gap.

 

Other organisations (such as the NFSA) have so many issues/species to deal with, it's unlikely that they could achieve for smaller sharks what a band of dedicated small shark enthusiasts could accomplish, albeit their support in carrying through proposals, and talking to ministers etc would be essential.

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 30. August 2005, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Simon Everett]

Hmmm...looks like I shall need a new, fatter wallet to hold all my membership cards then