Satchmo

This topic's made up of the 40% of anglers who are willing to consider anything that might ensure a good future for recreational angling even if it's not a perfect solution and the other 60% who can only pick holes, moan and bury their heads in the sand while their sport gets slowly strangled. If you're going to complain about this proposal and why it won't work, at least suggest something that will!!

I'd suggest it would be impossible to cover every child and mackerel bashing holiday maker. And anyway for most children this is an introduction to fishing which should be encouraged not penalised. However, I would still be in favour of licensing for charter boat anglers and match fisherman who must surely account for 90% of recreational fish taken out of the sea. Also, as has already been noted, I think Leon should bear in mind the importance of the food chain. Fish gotta eat!

I'd add to that a programme for creating artificial reefs around the coast. None of this is rocket science. It could all be done relatively easily if the political will was there!

I'd suggest it would be impossible to cover every child and mackerel bashing holiday maker. And anyway for most children this is an introduction to fishing which should be encouraged not penalised. However, I would still be in favour of licensing for charter boat anglers and match fisherman who must surely account for 90% of recreational fish taken out of the sea. Also, as has already been noted, I think Leon should bear in mind the importance of the food chain. Fish gotta eat!

Makes you want to weep doesn't it! Why can't local council jobsworths recognise the benefit that something like this would bring. I reckon it would be possible to build private piers at a reasonable cost, charge anglers, rent out kiosks for ice-cream and bait etc. and make a good profit. Trouble is, the red-tape, planning disputes and visits from Health & Safety would drive you into the grave before you sank a pylon.

What would it matter how much you spent on bait if there are less and less fish to eat it? Tackle and bait shops would make more money and then pay more tax to the government. So what's the difference, except extinct fish species? I don't believe anything until I see the proposals. If they don't make significant changes then I wouldn't be paying a licence fee since I'd have stopped fishing. So what's the difference. For the hard case anglers out there who fish every week its about 42p a week or 1 extra peeler crab! All I'm saying is don't stick our heads in the sand and refuse to pay no matter what, see what's offered in return!

Yak Would you spend £22 on some good bait to catch a few extra fish? Would you spend £22 on some measures to make sure our children can catch fish? Don't be so negative Paul

I'm with Salar, Don't just rubbish the proposal and presume the worst! Run with it, let the government say what they're going to do with the revenue, let them say how fish protection measures will be enforced. It's all too easy to say that all governments are a bunch of crooks that won't take any action. But that fact is that £1.3 billion is a lot of money and we can't be ignored for ever plus with an extra £3 million revenue coming in they HAVE to say what they're going to do with it. Wait and see.

I didn't really want to have the hassle of taking rods and tackle with me but you've got me thinking now. Maybe I'll invest in a retractable rod and take a wander round in the evenings. Are there any restrictions on where you can fish or licenses required etc. Paul

Norm AnglersNet trip to Florida Keys next year. Sounds good! We're gonna try and fit in some scuba diving on the reefs and kayaking abound the backcountry while we're there so bring your flippers! Paul

Cranfield: Just me and my 12-year-old-boy. My budget's fairly tight, we'll only be over there about 10-12 days and I don't intend spending much time inside hotel rooms. I think we'll stick with Islamorada until I get to know the area a bit better (maybe next time). 12 weeks a year in Florida Keys eh! . . . . . . sigh!!!!! I'll try to hold on to that thought! I looked at 'Bud N Mary's' website and the owner was very nice in responding a couple of times to my emails about accommodation. That's how I found out about Memorial Day weekend which is apparently completely mad and to be avoided. Either that or Caloosa Cove which PaulG recommended and also looks pretty good. April or Mid May seem to be the ideal time combining cheap flights, accommodation and good fishing and I know a friend in the trade who gets rock bottom prices on flights. Paul

Newt I looked at : http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zeroforum?id=9 and it looks real good, slipped my mind before. It's strangely AnglersNet like! Paul

Cranfield, there you are, perfect timing. Thanks for the advice. Could you recommend any skippers though? and is there any good basic accommodation rather than the expensive beachfront condo's? Thanks Paul

Alan, do you have his email address or is it somewhere on this site? not sure how to find it? Paul

Thanks Les and PaulG. April/May sounds like a good time to go. Flights are dirt cheap and it apparently doesn't get to crowded. I'd originally planned to go end of May until I found out about the Memorial Day Weekend on the 30th, the whole place is already booked up now for 2005! and this usually kicks off the summer season. A couple of skippers have told me if you get there 2, 3 or 4 weeks prior to this you can get the pick of the boats, cheap accommodation and great fishing. Looking forward to trying some saltwater fly fishing, never done any flys before. How hard can it be? Paul

Hi Happy Dude, what was the name of the bad boat? I'll make sure I avoid him. I'll be with my 12-year-old boy who'll definitely be miffed if he can't get anything over 20lb into the boat for a pic! Did you book the boats in advance or just turn up in Florida and start looking round. Since it will be my first time in America (never mind Islamorada) did you find the skippers going out of their way to make sure you had a good time, or just happy to take the money since they figure you won't be coming back anyway. A few email replies have told me that May/June is the best time for guaranteed catches.

I'm thinking of going to Islamorada next year. Does anybody know what the best time of year to go is? in terms of variety and availability of species, especially the big ones!

Despite seeing others do so, I've never been able to catch a smoothound off Chesil Beach (been trying for a couple of years from Bexington). I cast about 50-60 yds using peelers and 4/0 hooks on a single hook flapper. Does anybody know what I'm doing wrong? Any tips?

Allowing my child to stand on the edge of a cliff in a blustery wind next to a 60ft drop onto jagged rocks is not my idea of teaching him about risk assessment. I know what you mean though! I'm all for a bit of risk taking, just not that one.

It seems to me that the longer a topic runs on this site the more likely it is that it will eventually disintegrate into a verbal slanging match between two protagonists. It often seems that the actual references to fishing are exhausted after about 10 posts. I'm sure Winter is a lovely guy who has as many valid opinions as anybody else, he just needs to get out more.

I remember fishing off the Pulpit Rock at Portland last year in blustery conditions and catching good wrasse on every drop. My first thought would be that my 12 year old son would have loved this. My second thought about 2 seconds later was that I'd be a nervous wreck watching him clamber about the edges and it would be totally irresponsible to let any child get near enough to a cliff face to be able to fish. Just thinking about the possible consequences is enough to give me nightmares. I don't know the facts of the tragedy at Tintagel of course, but I would say that as a parent you should always ask yourself "what's the worst that could happen".

I'd be happy to catch anything. Although to be fair, I do get a bit hacked off hearing about everybody rushing around the country trying to catch cod as though it's the pinnacle of sea fishing. It's just a fish, no more important or less worthy than any other fish. The fact is that some keen bass fishermen have taken the time and trouble to form a society for their protection and they now get a lot of coverage, and why not! I'm not only concerned about Bass and Salmon. Long live the Conger, Tope, Smoothhound, Rays, Turbot (yeah whatever happened to Turbot!) and good old flounder.

Going up to Cheshire, North Wales for a few days in July. Does anybody know of any good marks for a spot of beach fishing? Thanks

Two ways, both of which won't guarantee any success. Join the NFSA and let them know exactly why you're joining (i.e. not because you want to be a match fisherman, but because you want to be a fisherman 20 years from now). Secondly, write to your local MP and demand he discusses the issue with the minister or shadow minister responsible for fisheries. I've written to Oliver Letwin a couple of times and he's always written courteous replies even though he appears to think there isn't a problem. Persisten will pay off in the end I hope.

I sometimes had problems getting hook release on any rigs which needed to be clipped down, I could never work out the exact tension needed, too much and half an hour later the hook was still clipped, too little and it wouldn't stay on long enough to be able to cast it.. In the end I tried replacing the clip with a large swivel and used some dissolving PVA string to bind the exposed barb end of the hook to the swivel or even to the stem of the lead. It works a treat! The whole lot works its way slowly down to the seabed and then the tide takes the bait out as the string dissolves. Just make sure you use some tissue to dab dry before rebaiting.