guernseybass

Hi chippy -you decided to keep the site going then ? As far i know we still can but they are not fishing there at the moment so as not to antagonise things. I think it was only us redrawing the legislation that led to the problems, which i think were unintended. in regard to the licences - our view is that we should pay a UK one and they should then supplement our fisheries protection vessels. socksy - i think your guys are waiting on us & the UK. If we get this through, and the UK comes in - together with the french bass restrictione recently announced ( and more on the way - le boys are threatening to block their ferry ports ) you can't be the odd one out otherwise your stocks will get murdered. and of course President Blair is in a real strong position to renegotiate the CFP with this EU budget crisis going on ! Mark.

you mean you HAVEN'T signed our petition ? tsk tsk. http://www.saveourbass.com/ I am a founding committee member, campaigning for a bass close season over the spawning season in the CI as well as recreational daily bag limits and new criminal offences. I am also an active letter write for Bass, anglersvoice.com and stop!.ie over such diverse issues as whitsandbay, stour & orwell, atlantic driftnets etc etc. as i said - Get Informed, Get Active. Mark.

just heard what i said from one of your anglers. As you know we are in touch with your SeaFisheries, and we haven't heard anything. curious. As to letting your lot in, i'm for it BUT only if yours agree the bass close season, unlicensed purchases crime etc. any more public meetings due ? cheers mark.

In my opinion, in order for us to formally identified as stakeholders in the sea fishery and have a competing interest with commercial fisherman we MUST have a licence, ideally under the control of the EA or one central body resonsible for all fisheries, such as in Ireland and the US for fishing anywhere - inland or on sea. many people here and elsewhere have derided the EA, but its a fact that prosecutions ARE becoming more regular, fines are on the increase and the EA are listening to Anglers concerns. and as much as the EA are derided, i think the rejuvenation of the Tyne, Taff and Wandle are positive signs. enforcement round our coasts will be a problem, but so it is on our rivers. As anglers, surely we can self-enforce these rules to assist the officials - again as they do on many rivers. The biggest obstacle to political progress is angler apathy and lack of informed information ie not just anecdotal. not having a pop like Stavey, but here's few reasons why coarse,Game and sea anglers are similiar based on yours : 1. they all don't as a rule eat or kill fish thesedays. 2. they all share the fish stock with someone - river anglers share their stock with water extraction companies, cormorants/the RSPB etc 3. they all do it for the sport - i do all three type of fishing, all on the fly and i kill nothing. there are thousands like me and growing daily. I believe English and Welsh salmon rivers are C&R only until June 16th for example. 4. they all have baliffs of some sort - on the sea we have RN fishery protection vessels. 5. They all DO have respected organisations working for them - both BASS and the NFSA get a mention in Labours charter for angling. And legislation is being drafted by DEFRA to protect bass stocks. We are not fighting a lost cause, we have a Fisheries Minister and a governement who recognise we are ' the guardians of the waterside', recognises the social benefits of youngsters angling, recognises the economic importance of angling - particularly in rural and coastal areas, and is prepared to defend our sport through the use of ASBO's against the Antis ( unlike foxhunting. I fully believe that with the likes of Ben Bradshaw, Martin Salter MP, Dr Mike Ladle, Steve Pitts, Leon Roskilly, Steve Coppolo, Macolm Gilbert etc etc we will win this battle. Lets win it sooner rather than later - Get informed, get active. Mark.

yup, mackerel catches are good here too. and some big bass being reported all over the SE from UKSWFFers. Mark.

yup easy on the new guy dudes. but one thing Nick, i would encourage you strongly to join the NFSA and BASS to learn a bit about our current political issues, and what species ARE threatened. aside from that the BASS magazine is superb for new bass fishers, with lots of article to help you catch more bass, And if you are a member you can get all the back issues from the year dot on one CD for about £20. its a bargain mate. Mark. ps - i would have thought its head & guts would make some groundbait. [ 24. June 2005, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: guernseybass ]

mate, whats going on in Jersey ? i hear you have serious problems - is that true ? Mark

just to add to my earlier post : This months Total Sea Fishing has a 'Learn to Saltwater Fly Fish' article which recommended buying all the kit for £300. nowhere was it mentioned that the first thing you should do is a) get casting lessons to see if you like flycasting and can get on with it , and get a proper pair of sunglasses or safetyglasses to prevent a hook in the eye ! The fact that you need £300 is also a big fallacy - i could easily kit someone out with all the necessary, reasonable standard kit for half that. The point of this is, that the article is misleading and again potentially dangerous and i intend to write in and inform them. If you take issue strongly enough, write in and make your feelings known - they may print it or do a follow up article. Mark.

sorry to hear that YY. without taking sides, i hear where you're coming from - UKSWFF is developing commercially too, and theres grumbling afoot also as people try to make a few quid from it. i am resigned that fact and i guess its part of the growing pains of a new sport - particularly one that captures the imaginations of the public pretty quickly. on my part i hope you continue to be an active promoter of your chosen discipline, and that in my eyes your epitaph on AN ( should it come to that) is that when i was looking at a yak earlier this week - the first thing i did was to look at your pages and budget for the necessary safety kit. Mark.

i only had one bass tonight but i did have two mackerel on the fly too - what fighters ! two mackerel to 15 inches and one bass of 17 inches all returned to fight another day. Mark

was hoping to buy a kayak this year but can't really afford it.... However, just seen one of these for £125 in my local paper. its only 9ft - is that too short to fish from ? width looks the same as a P13. i am only intending to fish on fine calm days within 1-1.5 miles of the shore on inshore reefs with the fly. any views chaps ? and can anyone remind me where i can get fly rod (specifically) holders ? thanks Mark

it'll be case of wait and see Al. that said, i can't see the Antis even trying it - they may think it unethical and immoral, but they know they're on a hiding to nothing with this one. i can't see them sabbing shooting either can you ? would you run about in front of a ****** off bunch of blokes with guns as to Mr Blair - he lied about iraq, but he's not the first politician to lie, and he won't be the last one either sadly. Mark

Ken, i don't buy SA on principle or any emap publication now - as a reader i'd suggest you email/ write to him the following facts in regard to the threat of antis : 1. there are 3 million anglers at least in the UK. 2. In a recent EA survey, 75% of people approved of angling, 20% had no view and only 5% disapproved. 3. should they return to power, Labour has committed to promoting the social (ie reducing juvenile crime) and environmental benefits of angling in the next parliament. 4. the police now have been advised by the home sec that they may use ASBO's against any antis disrupting angling events - no such advice was given for fox hunting. so exactly where is the threat to our sport ? i'd say the greatest threat is angler lethargy in defending our interests against polution and commercial over-exploitation, be it trawlers in the sea or the extraction of water from chalkstreams. this is not helped by the views of that so called magazine. Mark ps - i have always been sceptical of the NFSA, but if its good enough for Leon then its good enough for me. i'm just off to sign up now.

In a recent EA survey, 75% of people approved of angling, only 5% disapproved. Given that Labour has committed to promoting the social and environmental benefits of angling in the next parliament, and given that the police now have been advised by the home sec that they may use ASBO's against any antis disrupting angling events, there really is no longer any reason at all for us to align ourselves with these fox hunters. Mark

the Tories have promised to abolish the EA licence - losing the EA £18 million of funding to protect rivers from poachers and pollution. Labours charter for angling is the dogs - they even point out that antis disrupting angling events will be subject to ASBO's as someone said, if it was just on angling i'd be a red. Mark

the Tories have promised to abolish the EA licence - losing the EA £18 million of funding to protect rivers from poachers and pollution. Labours charter for angling is the dogs - they even point out that antis disrupting angling events will be subject to ASBO's as someone said, if it was just on angling i'd be a red. Mark

Socksy, as i have been corresponding with the JSFC on behalf of saveourbass.com, i am very interested to hear this. can you ask a question on the night for me ? " should Jersey consider the introduction of a new criminal offence of Buying Unlicensed Fish as proposed by savourbass.com in Guernsey " this will firmly put the emphasis on hotels and restaurants to record where they bought their fish from i.e. not by the back door. we are proposing bag limits here of 2 per angler per 24 hours, and we've not decided yet but we will probably look at the increase in MLS as suggested by BASS. PM me your address and i'll send you a couple of posters to put up at the hall. Mark.

ah yeah, but will your children be able to say the same..... GB-

quote: PRESS RELEASE - Bass Management Plan, first step for more & bigger bass The Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society (B.A.S.S.) supported by the National Federation of Sea Anglers (N.F.S.A) met with Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw on Tuesday 5 April 2005 prior to the Government being dissolved. The meeting took place at the invitation of the Minister to progress a package of conservation measures contained within the Bass Management Plan to realise 'Best Return' from the sea bass resource, in line with the recommendations contained within the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit Report ‘Net Benefits’ and supported by the EFRA Committee. The Minister supports anglers plans for ‘more and bigger’ bass and instructed DEFRA staff to prepare draft legislation for the incoming administration following the general election. 1. Increased minimum landing size. 2. Near-shore netting restrictions. 3. Increased minimum mesh sizes. 4. Seasonal spawning closures. 5. Bag limits for recreational anglers. John Leballeur, Chairman of B.A.S.S., stated he was delighted with the outcome, which came at the 11th hour of this Government. This is the first step in recognition that over a million recreational sea anglers currently contribute in excess of £500 million to the economy of England & Wales and that ‘more & bigger bass’, a favourite species for anglers, will contribute to the development of the recreational sector. B.A.S.S. believe that their proposals will also benefit commercial hook & line fishermen who target far more valuable larger bass, but the main economic benefits to the UK will come from the development of a world class Sport Fishery. NOTE - A copy of the Bass Management Plan can be downloaded (1 MB) from the B.A.S.S. website. (http://www.ukbass.com/bmpdraft.pdf) well lads, all i can say is i hope Mr Bradshaw is still in his seat come may 6th. This is going to put incredible pressure on Guernsey now to follow suit. Well done to the restoration Committee - you are a constant source of inspiration. Mark.

we will do with your help Leon. 1101 signatures now. A special word should go to the French Anglers from Collectif Bar Europeen (CBE)the french BASS. They have our petition as their main front page and hundreds of them are signing. check out their website - www.sosbar.org I hope we can show teh same support to them when they need it. GB [ 28. March 2005, 08:51 PM: Message edited by: guernseybass ]

850 signatures now from the UK and France. Sign the petition guys - they're your bass too. GB

Greenpeace have signed the Guernsey Petition. No. 724 - Tim Hewkes - Greenpeace UK's Defending Oceans Team. GB

If any of you lads have the emails of contacts at UK tackle shops & charter skippers - email them too, as its their livelihood being affected also. for your information guys - bass tagged in the 2002 winter spawn as part of the BASS & MAFF (now DEFRA) tagging programme, were later caught as far apart as Cumbria & Holland. GB

so was this all a big fuss about an old story. All i can say is that regardless of when that came out, if there are those in the CA who had the idea, or will intentionally target Martin Salter during the Election, specifically because he voted for the Hunting Ban in a free vote ( no whipping), then how can those same people claim to represent angling ? Surely if they claim to represent Angling they should be tackling him on those issues no ?. The sole reason Angling has become political is because the CA has made it so, and now the ordinary decent anglers are fighting back because we're f*cked off with these morons claiming they represent us. They don't - 3 million plus anglers. 300,000 fox-hunters. End of. GB [ 11. March 2005, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: guernseybass ]

ta paul