Arthur Negus

To be precise,both Steve and Dave had permits issued by NWASAC,which MD&HB decided to nullify .They did not have the "new" permit,available from MD&HB,as the red tape involved makes it totally impractical

Nice fish

Here`s the latest from todays court hearing.... ................................................ Todays hearing was a little more eventful,starting with Dave Irvine almost losing his rag,because the courts keep getting his age wrong For the benefit of any press present,he stipulated that he was 47,not 44 or 57 "Get it right" were his final words on the matter On a serious note,the case will be heard by a district judge,at Bootle Magistrates Court on Weds June 1st ANDThurs June 2nd.It came to light that MD&HB will have 5 witnessess for the prosecution,one of whom will be Ray Walker,the Chief Of Port Police The remaining witnessess would appear to be the arresting officers.It appears,that the MD&HB have moved the goal posts again,and will be using the terrosrism act for the purpose of their prosecution The final legal arguments must be put before the court prior to May 3rd,so after that date,we will know exactly what their game plan is. The defence would be extremely grateful for witnessess to make themselves available for the 2 day trial,if for example,you are a pensioner,or disabled,or have introduced youngsters to the sport,via the Alex Wall...anyone who has fished the venue for some considerable time,and has now been unable to enjoy their hobby due to the dock restrictions. If you can help with the above request,i would be most grateful,if you could contact myself,so that i can organise things,and liase with Steve/Dave. Further to the fund raising for the barrister......there is a possibility that Steve/Dave can get legal aid,but they won`t know for sure til the end of next week. If a fund raising match is needed,it will hopefully be arranged for the Alex Wall/Seaforth Rocks,with a probable £5 entry fee.The reason behind using these venues,is to take the MD&HB at face value as regards to their own permit scheme.Their own legal representative stated in court that access has not been denied,and that so long as certain procedures are satisfied,then anglers can fish.We know that their scheme is not viable ,but for our own purposes,it certainly is,and any objection to allowing us access on the day,would be detrimental to the prosecution. There was almost 2000 permit holders/day ticket users,so if 10% could make the match,we would have 200 anglers on the dock estate,as a show of strength,and also raise £1000 for the legal proceedings. Further details regarding the case and fund raising match will be announced as soon as................

For all round work,i`d go for the Abu 6500 Mag Elite.Once you`ve set it up right,you very rarely have a prob`

Having read the posts in this thread,and on other sites,it is clear that the majority have no idea of the facts behind everything.Either they don`t understand,or they can`t be bothered to get the full story.This,however,does`nt stop them from criticising/passing judgement.A little information is a dangerous thing.

Well it looked like it was gunna be a bumper season for codling on Merseyside and Fylde coasts with an early influx of fish,but the past month has been very disappointing,in the main.What`s it been like in your neck of the woods

On a lighter note,here`s 3 bye laws which have not yet been repealed,so i suppose we must adhere to them....Taxi drivers are required to carry a bale of hay for the horse. Rag n bone men are allowed to relieve themselves on the offside wheel of their cart. The best one must be that if you see a drunken Welshman within the boundary walls of Chester,after midnight,you are allowed to shoot him with a crossbow.....very tempting [ 10. November 2004, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Arthur Negus ]

I get the feeling from reading the replies,that it`s the FS reel users who are the one`s touting the "multi users are macho" image.I use multis,purely because i find they are lighter,smoother,nicer to fish with.Distance wise,there`s nothing between the reels.The 525`s,Mag Elite`s,7HT`s of this world,are fantastic reels to fish with.Anyone having problems with constant birdies e.t.c needs to look at how they have put the line on the reel...how they have the brakes/spool tension set....what type of oil they`re using...and last but not least,a serious look at their casting style.If you are failing in one or more of these departments,then you`re in trouble,and need to put the time and effort into correcting it.The reels themselves are perfect fishing machines,so don`t blame them when things go wrong. Kentangler...i take your point about not having to spend fortunes on gear,and that more often than not,you can fish and cast perfectly well with budget gear,but a mini metro and a bmw x5 will both get you to the beach and back,but if i had the money,i know which motor i`d prefer to go in.

If anyone would like to show their support,we would be eternally grateful if you would copy and send the e-mail from this link....thanks. While we all know that Steve Davies and Dave irvine are up in court for fishing the Alex Wall on Thursday 11th November, I hope that we can all show our support in emailing the following the Press Officer All you need to do is Cut and Paste the following in to your emial, and sent it to: eric.leatherbarrow@merseydocks.co.uk or corporateaffairs@merseydocks.co.uk Dear Mr Leatherbarrow, I feel compelled to write to you to show my support for the stance taken by local sea anglers, Steve Davies and Dave Irvine, who were arrested and charged under the new port anti-terrorism laws, which have been imposed on all anglers by MD&HCo These two highly regarded family men, were merely exercising their rights in common law, to access the Liverpool seafront on the dock estate, for recreational purposes, as have many generations of anglers from Merseyside. Their actions have been brought about, solely as a direct result of the totally unfeasible restrictions placed on the anglers by MD&HB, which you must agree, are nigh on impossible to satisfy. As anglers; family men, and responsible law abiding members of society, we are deeply angered that our peaceful pastime has become a political pawn in the fight against terrorism, and that we have so obviously been made scapegoats by MD&Hco This is Liverpool, one of the greatest maritime cities in the world, with some of the best fishing anywhere in the country, yet our own people cannot access the waterfront. This is Liverpool, the next capital of culture.... sea angling is part of our culture; it`s part of our life Almost 2000 anglers held permits to fish the seafront, with many more buying day tickets, providing much needed business for the local tackle/bait trade. Since the introduction of the restrictions, the effects on those local businesses have been devastating. Steve Davies himself has seen his once successful tackle business, fall around him, due to a huge drop in sales. The support for Steve and Dave, and the lifting of restrictions, is not only coming from Merseyside anglers, but is now nation wide. The advent of angling websites has meant that thousands of anglers are in constant contact with each other, throughout the country, every day. Countless messages have been received, offering support from individuals and clubs, who are willing to join us in our fight for our rights. At the moment, 2 anglers have made a stance, which may seem insignificant, yet they made the headlines on national TV and in the press. Imagine the publicity from mass demonstrations, which are already being talked about, after all, we have nothing left to lose. There is a solution to the problem. The need for security and accountability is fully recognised by sea anglers, which is why the permit scheme, run by NWASAC for many years, while outdated it has been so successful. An officially stamped permit, with the anglers photo, address, car registration, and even a “secret” question can be stored on a simple database this would allow the Port Police to check and be aware of exactly who is entering the dock estate...something that is not happening at present!! The permits mean that anglers are instantly accountable, when challenged by Port Police on their security patrols, making the task of monitoring security, so much easier. Car parking could be kept to one allocated area for anglers fishing the Alex Wall, which would also aid the Port Police on their patrols. The Langton end of the Alex has a large area, which has been a virtual wasteland, for the past 30+ years; this for example would be ideal. Summary. There really is no just cause or reason, not to allow anglers to access the seafront via the dock estate, especially as we are prepared to pay for, and carry permits containing full identification details; something which few other port users do. We are security conscious, responsible people who would just like to able to once again enjoy our pastime...is that asking too much. I would be grateful for your comments regarding the above. [ 10. November 2004, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: Arthur Negus ]

Lyn said...I think we all get too complacent about terrorist attacks. The way things are in the world today I would rather we be over cautious than not bother at all.Maybe if the Port Police were over cautious,then the sea anglers might understand the restrictions,but they are as laid back about security as they have ever been.If the barriers are permanently down,and everyone wishing to enter the docks,was challenged by the Port Police,asking for i.d/what their business is/where they are going e.t.c then that would imply a tightening of security...however,it is only the anglers who are being challenged...can you not see the injustice in that?We either have blanket security measures for everyone,or non at all

No-one questions the need for security,particularly after Sept 11,but what people unfamiliar with Liverpool Freeport are unaware of,is that the police manned barriers at the dock entrance are permanently raised,allowing anyone to enter the docks at anytime,and to go anywhere they like within the Freeport.Is that "tightened security" ? The only time the Port Police act,is when anglers get their rods out...they suddenly become a terrorist threat !! never mind the countless number of individuals who have entered the port and gone who knows where. Ray Walker (port police chief) introduced the new measures so he would be aware of exactly who was on the dock estate at all times...absolute farce...he has no idea at all.If things were left as they were with the permit scheme that has been in place for over 20 years,then he would see that the anglers themselves are probably the most security conscious people on the docks. [ 08. November 2004, 09:06 PM: Message edited by: Arthur Negus ]

How is the new international port security system affecting fishing in your area.