trent.barbeler

Dear All, There's a rumour going round that a Kingfisher done it in. Made 250,000 consecutive dives. Regards, Lee.

Now why didn't I think of that? Beats going to work if it took off. I bet FACT are trembling in their long johns. Regards, Lee.

Dear Mike, Keeping well I hope. You said; “The BCU employs numbers to negotiate with government, the RSPB the same. What does angling get? Not a lot to be frank, but then in this life generally you get what you pay for and until more anglers see the need to pay for governence and its function in the modern world, we will all continue to get very little.” And that Mike, is what I banged endlessly on about a couple of years ago. I won’t go into it all again now but you know what I mean. Angling Unity? We actually already have it and have had it all along. You see it in the faces of ordinary anglers fishing in every watery place you can imagine. In this real angling world everyone gets along just fine. Regards, Lee.

Dear All, A few years ago now I was fishing a very flooded river Trent in the type of flood where the river had burst it’s banks in places and was flowing out into the fields. Sat there whilst watching the tips of my rods, I began to hear the bellowing of a cow that appeared to be getting louder and louder when suddenly the cow, a fully grown Friesian came floating past in mid river twirling round and round in the current. Poor thing must have fell into the river somewhere up stream. Then not five minutes later, a whole garden shed, still on its wooden base came floating past complete with bright red curtains in the shed window! But the funniest thing I ever heard came about after a fishing trip when my brother and me, along with a few mates, decided to go for a pint when we got back home. In the pub bar stood a pool table so my brother and a mate decided to have a game. Apart from ourselves the bar was empty but for a couple sat near the pool table. A man and his wife of well healed appearance sat with a glass of wine each, the chap reading a newspaper with his wife reading a book. My brother bent over the table to take his shot and in this bent over posture broke wind very loudly. The chap seated with his wife dropped his newspaper down from his face and exclaimed rather abruptly, “How dare you pass wind in front of my wife!!” My brother, still bent over the pool table without a single blush on his face instantly replied, “Sorry mate, I didn’t know it was her turn”. Regards, Lee.

If you go to; http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming....tent/index.html Which is the US Environmental Protection Agency web site, you’ll find out what the Americans think about this problem and more importantly, what’s being done about it over there. When you’ve read it, will someone please post exactly what our government is doing perhaps via our own environment agency or in legislative moves through Parliament? Regards, Lee.

Dear Gerry, If one is fishing from a boat so generally don't need to lug the lure box around, an old pine wardrobe houses loads of lures. Regards, Lee.

Dear Newt, Don't be going over your "Howdee Doodee" greetings speech for the time when you actually expect to meet a EA enforcement officer in the UK. They have become rarer than a flying turtle. Regards, Lee.

Dear All, Years ago I remember watching an edition of "Question Time" shot in Newcastle when Margaret Beckett was on the panel. There was very high unemployment up there back then and the Tories were in power. Invariably the question was posed about local high unemployment when a bricklayer from the audience asked the panel what they were going to do about the problem. When it was Beckett's turn to give her opinion I expected the usual blurb where she would have tried to score points over her Tory panel members. Instead, she amazingly told the brickie that there were loads of jobs for tradesmen down in the South and he should seriously consider moving there!! Hands up all those anglers that "genuinely" trust one single word any politician tells you? Anglers aren't daft and they will use their vote concerning real issues that affect them and their families. Like a government which just sits back and watches gas/electric companies put up their prices 25% in one fell swoop. Those same companies that are making "billions" of pounds in profits! You wait until our nation’s house holds realise just how much extra they are paying for their essential services as the rest of the blood sucking greedy companies and authorities jump aboard the same money train. The sleazy mobsters are done for and this will be the last time for a very long time that the labour party will hold office. So who the hell cares what labour say about angling? They won't be round long enough for us to care what they say about anything anyway! I have heard a rumour that when the Tories romp home the Essex hunts are going to hold their stirrup cups from No 10 then ride out gloriously down the Mall with ten million supporters cheering them on towards Hyde Park. And anyway, why has Mr Salter come out in defence of Beckett if everyone knows that angling is safe like he says it is? This government seems to be keen on keeping the angling/shooting vote in line? It all appears like a case of labour "high jacking" angling and shooting to me. Poor old Countryside Alliance, this government are nicking all their punters!! I wonder if the government have yet noticed we are not in handcuffs and blind folded like they think we are? Regards, Lee.

Dear All, As an SACN member I received this from Leon today and thought it most worthy of a mention here. " To all SACN Members, I had a phone call from John Leballeur, Chairman of the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (BASS) on Sunday Night. He was phoning to congratulate us on being awarded this year's Conservation Trophy at the Society's AGM. Previous winners of the prestigous BASS Conservation Trophy have been people and organisations that I've greatly admired for their dedication to the cause of Marine Conservation, and it is their record of dedication and achievment that makes the endownment of this award such a special thing. As their record has set the high standard that inspires others, so I hope that SACN can continue to meet the expectation, and to maintain the value of recieving this award as an inspiration for those who will follow. I know that all of you are happy to join SACN, and to add your efforts to bring about change without any thought of personal thanks, happy to be attempting to make some difference to the future direction of our marine environment and the recreational fishery that it supports. But it's very nice when someone does make a gesture to assure us that our efforts are appreciated. Just one thing to add. KEEP IT UP! :-)" Now I'm aware Leon has a great team working with him so I'll leave it up to him to give these people a mention. But in the world of marine conservation efforts Leon is a shinning star. Yes we all do our bit Leon but your own efforts make ours look very tiny in comparison. Congratulations Leon for this prestigious award. Regards, Lee.

What would a 50lb 12oz pike look like? About as big as Nev Fickling in a pantomime pike suit perhaps? Shame the bloke didn't have one of the pike "names" with him, it might be believed then. Regards, Lee.

Dear Peter, (Waller) I have this reoccurring vision of you Peter opening up closets or cupboard doors in the dimly lit half light jumping back shrieking loudly because you see a Countryside Alliance activist sitting inside! When are you going to move on from your seemingly fanatical anti-CA one man and his boat campaign? The CA has only ever claimed to represent their own membership’s interests and whether you like it or not Peter that DOES include its "angling" membership. Admittedly their numbers is not akin to the FACT numbers but none the less they do represent tens of thousands of anglers and have a democratic right to express their opinions on behalf of its own membership on all issues connected to angling. The way you persistently go on about the CA one could easily assume you seek to deny these CA angling members their right to be represented? In this instance, I personally applaud the tremendous efforts being made by “ALL” concerned which seem a world away from the total control or overall auspices of the CA or anyone else for that matter!!?? People involved in this effort are "doers" Peter "not" talkers and I'd bet a gold clock they would be down right insulted by the CA insinuations. The angling church contains many parishioners, not all of them sitting in the FACT pews. But each and everyone one of them does good work for angling mostly outside a political arena in a “practical” way. This is a good thing and whilst angling may not yet be united in the political sense, it’s all pulling together so more people get to experience the fantastic thrill derived from actually going fishing. If these collective efforts contain those coming from the CA membership then that’s one more organisation adding its hands to the rope that everyone else is pulling for our sport. Supporting the well being of angling Peter involves either supporting or congratulating the efforts being made by those as is the case on this particular thread. NOT going into a familiar hissy fit dragging the CA towards the stocks and a basket of rotten fruit when paranoia overrides common sense. Again! Dear All, What else can we come up with? Free fishing for all juniors for one full school summer holiday might be a start if we are truly serious about “investing” not only in our kids, but the future of our sport. Regards, Lee.

Come on now. Wasn't that photo taken 25 years ago when you were 65?? Regards, Lee.

I once knew a bloke who ended up getting a divorce because his wife wouldn't place the tin cans in the cupboards labels facing outwards. I guess a fixation with buckets is a similar thing. Me? I'm obsessed with purchasing second hand cane rods which I whittle down to a point none stop until they are all gone. Unlike some who become obsessed with writing the reading proper. Regards, Lee.

I once knew a bloke who ended up getting a divorse because his wife wouldn't place the tin can's in the cubards labels facing outwards. I guess a fixation with buckets is a similar thing. Me? I'm obsessed with purchasing second hand cane rods which I whittle down to a point none stop until they are all gone. Regards, Lee.

Dear Gozzer, It won't do you any favours mate the next time a spaceship follows you home from the pub!! Regards, Lee.