fishing on tv

[Alan Fawcett]

How many of you would like to see fishing back on terrestrial tv?

 

This is a serious question so please give serious answers, there is a reason behind my asking but i ask you bear with me for a while untill i have enough answers etc.

 

Thanks in advance

[p eye]

Without a doubt, it is a scandal that between 5 chanels they cant spare half an hour a week on a good quality angling programme. I think a Tight lines type programme would get an amazing response. Afterall we are involved in a britains largest participating sport. Absoloutley no screeming reels! I would prefer to go without! I have sky but I am sick to death of the same old repeats and a new show would be a breath of fresh air, even if the missus didnt think so!

[Nugg]

Yep I'm fed up with repeats on home and leisure, some new stuff would be like a breath of fresh air, but not John Wilson if he's going to chukle all the time, that gets my goat.

 

[ 23. January 2003, 02:06 AM: Message edited by: Nugg ]

[Slyder]

With the participation numbers angling has it is a disgrace, as p eye says, that there is not more done to cater for us on tv. I think that we need a programme that not only gives us some info on technique and bait etc, but also lets the non-anglers see what we are about in total. By this I mean don't just show them a bloke pulling fish out of a bit of water but have a spot each show to highlight what we do to look after the environment and protect the things we 'hunt' as the layman sees it.

 

Show them how ECHO are campaigning about the threat of fish imports. Let them have info on the work of the ACA. Show them lakes that have been cleared of rubbish and stocked by anglers. Show them how anglers work parties are not just there to make us comfy but maintain habitats for all wildlife not just fish. God, just let them see what a lake looks like in a summer dawn with mist drifting across it and the wildlife waking up. Most people haven't witnessed the beauty of such a simple thing.

 

Make it right and its a win/win for us. We get some decent telly to watch, maybe gain some new anglers to make us stronger and hopefully persuade the 'don't knows' that the antis really are trying to pull the wool over their eyes with their condemnation of us.

[Tim Kelly]

I would love to see programmes on the telly, but I don't think they need, or should have an obvious political message in them. A reasonable, human presenter enjoying the sport should be enough to demonstrate that it's a perfectly "normal" unsavage pastime. It would also avoid those of us who participate squirming in our seats as well meaning people try to say and do worthy things - see "Clarrisa and the Countryman" for how not to do it!

A nicely photographed, well presented, varied series would be very welcome and watchable. I loved Screaming Reels, and think Nick Fisher is very watchable, but that format has been done now, I think a John Wilson type series with less purple loostrife (sp?) and less giggling would be perfect. BTW no game show style hosts please!

[Wag]

Apart from John Wilson, warts and all, I think most TV angling progs have been a bit of a let down. Screaming reels was a complete joke (maybe that was the intention?), and I can't remember a decent alternative since Jack Hargreaves disappeared from our screens (I'm starting to sound old now). I did enjoy Coast To Coast, with the Irish guy, Darryl Grimason, on Home and Leisure, very enthusiastic and managed to convey a great sense of fun, even catching small fish, but we really need a UK version.

As Slyder says, an overall picture of what angling involves in all it's aspects would be a great political statement, without even trying to say anything political. The subtle stuff always reaches more people.

 

[ 23. January 2003, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: Wag ]

[M Godliman]

I would like to see more as well,I favour the more understated type of presenter more than arm waving baffoon sort, I suppose the extra pushy kind get to the job through persistence and persuasion.I sometimes think the blustering enthusiast can be good too, these things are a matter of personal preference of course.

One thing had always puzzled me though one reaction amongst some presenters to catching a good fish on screen is to laugh ??? I've seen a few people catch big fish....had one or two myself and excitment has never resulted in guffawing, snickering, tittering of any kind,talking like a fool yes! talking too much yes(me I'm affraid)and variuos other kinds of strange behaviuor.Maybe they believe it makes angling look good to the possible non angler viewers?? hard to believe.

Any way more fishing on the telly bring it on!!

Martin.

[Peter Gowman]

Congratulations Slyder, some excellent suggestions. Additionally, we could do with some programmes that not only explore the big day ticket waters or the 'out of the normal anglers reach' stretches that our TV presenter colleagues often film at, but the local (different regions) club and day ticket waters where the novice angler and children gain their love for our wonderful pastime. My love of angling and some of my most endearing memories stem from a local council stretch of the River Itchen and a flooded pit at a disused brickworks. Yet so often we see Wilson and his like fishing exclusive weir stretches of the Kennet or Thames and 'inaccessible syndicate waters waters. Since moving to West Wales I have discovered tiny farm ponds with a wealth of wonderful fishing, and often with the owners not knowing the stock in them intimately, and so to me the added pleasure of exploring the potential of the water, with a touch of mystery.

[craig mason]

i really miss seeing fishing programmes on terrestrial tv there was one on bbc1 last year did anyone see it ? it was not very good if you live in norfolk you can still see john wilsons go fishing but thats not much use to the rest of us so why don't we start a pettion so that fishing is shown on terrestrial tv

[wotnobivvy]

There was one a few years back called Secret Lake, which was very good, but unfortunately was only a one-off. I think a cross between Chris Yates and Matt Hayes would go down well. A Jack Hargreaves/Mr Crabtree type program following the progress of some young/inexperienced anglers as they learn (in modern parlance it's called a fly-on-the-wall documentary) might attract a good audience, especially if there was an attainable target to aim for, such as a target weight of fish in a fixed time, or a specimen weight. Perhaps one of the commercial match fisheries could be the venue :cool: :cool: :cool: