Trying to defend your honour!

[lyn]

A letter in AT this week from a women telling how rude and 'unsporting' some men she had encountered had been & it was no surprise that women didn't go fishing when 'male' anglers behaved in such a mannner.

 

I just wanted to you let you guys know that I have written in reply to this letter because I felt she was giving angling a bad name & felt she was talking about the minority and NOT the majority. So I have tried to defend your honour, well, I did say tried

 

I have taken some stick over the years and expect I will for years to come, not only from you guys on here but others I have met & fished with not from AN (yes there are some that don't post on here) As you know I will give as good as I get, at the end of the day I class it as friendly banter;) If I took to heart all you lot have said to me over the years, I would never go fishing again

 

Luckily I have never encountered such male ridicule as she has and hope for their sakes I never do It does the sport no good when you read such things. I know ALL of the men I have met through angling have never been anything but helpfull

 

I trust that those on here I have not met do not take the p*** when they see a woman fishing anymore than they should with a kid.

 

I have agreed (begrudgingly) that, yes fishing is a male dominated sport but that does not mean it is not a place for women.

 

Thankyou's on a postcard please

 

lyn

[argyll]

I don't see woman anglers as being out of the ordinary and i doubt if the vast majority do either. Two of my regular fishing partners bring their other halfs along and they fish, nobody bats an eyelid. Saw you at Timsbury Lyn, didnt think anytihng of it.

[lyn]

Maybe it's just match anglers that see women as a threat, these guys must have been as they invited her to a match. then wouldn't pay up after she won :mad:

 

Maybe I am right as match angling is, in some respects, more competetive. Not that I have anything against match anglers, well I could mention keepnets, no I won't

 

lyn

 

PS If it gets printed and AT 'omit' the last sentance I will let you know why I reckoned they behaved that way

[Newt]

If she won and they refused to pay up, then they are simply cheats regardless of their sex. I hope she was specific and named names.

 

I do agree that with the majority of anglers being male and the membership of angling forums reflecting that fact, there will be some fairly heavy handed joking but hopefully it will not be of the cruel/nasty sort.

 

As for kids either on forums or at the bankside, if they act reasonable I agree we should make large allowances for their age and lack of maturity and go easy on them.

 

OTOH, if they act like obnoxious creatures, I firmly favor stuffing them into a barrel, feeding them through the bung hole until they reach age 18, and then making a decision to either release them or else to drive home the bung.

[lyn]

Newt:

 

OTOH, if they act like obnoxious creatures, I firmly favor stuffing them into a barrel, feeding them through the bung hole until they reach age 18, and then making a decision to either release them or else to drive home the bung.

Maybe I should try this with Liam

 

lyn

[Ian FG]

I LIKE female anglers and welcome them, after all, someone has to make breakfast and wash the dishes afterwards.

[Peter Waller]

I seem to remember a certain female firebrand standing up to, nay, attacking a well known male chauvinist angler by the name of Desmond Taylor! Not that Des is yer average angler!!

 

Where I do feel sorry for lady anglers is the lack of respect shown them by their male counterparts. Regretfully angling is a male dominated world and it seems women are generally welcomed, provided they accept male behaviour at its worst. In other words no concessions for being a woman. If the ladies can accept that then where are the problems? As has been suggested it is in the match angling world where the problems are probably most likely.

 

[ 30. October 2004, 09:01 AM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[lyn]

Peter Waller:

I seem to remember a certain female firebrand standing up to, nay, attacking a well known male chauvinist angler by the name of Desmond Taylor! Not that Des is yer average angler!!

You are never going to let me forget that are you Peter

 

Des & I are cool now, I even gave him a cuddle the last time I saw him :cool:

 

lyn

[Guest allibee]

....provided they accept male behaviour at its worst. In other words no concessions for being a woman....

 

I can promise you that is not male behaviour at it's worst ... and who asked for concessions!

I doubt whether the woman in AT or Lyn did, and I certainly wouldn't!

All that was expected, and asked for, was that people keep their word - nowt to do with sexism - but all to do with some guys egomania, immaturity and need for control, not a good mix methinks! But it takes all sorts to make a world and that is especially true in fishing where we spend hours with often complete strangers.

The best thing to do is say to yourself, well if that is the scum, if that is scraping the bottom of the barrel - Newts or otherwise - then things can only get better.

 

(Lyn, Liam's a very nice boy, too nice for a stoppered barrel (and associated scrapings thereof) - just keep on keeping on, you'll get there )

 

Adios

 

[ 31. October 2004, 11:03 AM: Message edited by: allibee ]

[Peter Waller]

Okay Alibee, concessions is the wrong word in this sadly, politically correct world of ours. So lets just settle on 'respect'.

 

A man holds a door open for a woman. Woman turns on man and says, 'I hope you didn't hold that door open just because I'm a lady'. 'No' says the man, 'I held it open because I'm a gentleman'. It was a better world back then!

 

I'm not suggesting that a woman has a place, either in bed or in the kitchen. Me, I subscribe to the 'respect' school of thought. If a lady wants to go fishing then I respect that decision. And if, whilst she's fishing, I need a pee, I don't openly do so in her view. In other words I concede to, and respect the presence of a lady. Is that so bad?

 

[ 30. October 2004, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]