Guests

[Ken L]

I got talking about fishing with the lads from the Martial Arts club the other day when we were having a quick post training half. None of them are anglers and most of them thought fishing was for old duffers who sit on a box all day sipping stewed tea.

I explained the joys of chucking lures on the river and half a dozen of them are well up for a session when I have the time and conditions are right.

Now I can easily borrow someone elses club card and rod licence so that my guests can wave it arround in the unlikely event that a bailif should turn up but in this day and age when we're constantly being told that the sport needs to attract new participants, isn't it about time that standard rod licence or club card contained a couple of pannels that can be filled in ahead of a day's fishing to allow existing anglers the oppertunity to legitimately invite a none fishing mate allong for a day on the water ?

[Guest Ferret1959]

Good idea, put it to the EA.

[chavender]

some clubs allow you to take a guest or at least

pay a fee to take a guest when booked in advanced

or you could ask the club sectary and say they are potential members and offer to pay a small fee to try before they buy kinda thing.

 

you could get your mates to buy a one day rod licience at £3 each and can be brought in advance

and pre-dated for the days angling available from

most post offices

[Leon Roskilly]

This is what I submitted to the EA in response to the recent Angling 2015 consultation.

 

The SAA response contains a similar proposal

 

 

‘Guest’ Licensing

 

By Leon Roskilly

 

Leonrosk@aol.com

 

 

Angling is an activity of immense (albeit largely unrecognised) national social, and economic value, universally accessible to all social groups, including handicapped, unemployed etc.

 

Unfortunately, evidence seems to suggest that the number of people involved in angling is declining.

 

Undoubtedly, in part, this is due to the lack of convenient fishing opportunities for newcomers (with most waters now coming under control of a club, or owner seeking income), and the lack of opportunity to take up fishing on impulse.

 

(Prospective (non-sea) anglers now need to pre-arrange the purchase of a licence, and often a club membership or day ticket etc).

 

In my own experience, I’ve often been approached by relatives, friends and colleagues asking if they could accompany me on a fishing trip, but the idea has usually been dropped, due to the amount of pre-arrangement needed.

 

Contrast this to the requests to join me on a cycling trip. I lend them my spare bike, and we are off.

 

(I’ve a number of cycling companions who I’ve recruited to join in club runs – if only it was so easy to get them fishing!)

 

What follows are a couple of ideas that I have to address these problems of recruitment.

 

1. Guest licensing

 

Currently, a coarse angler can purchase a second licence, allowing the individual to fish with two extra rods.

 

What I propose is that any angler who has two licences may fish with the additional rods, *or* in the company of an otherwise unlicensed angler (or two).

 

This would mean that I could take a succession of individuals on trips with me throughout the season , without worrying about first obtaining a license for them.

 

A proportion of those I take, would ultimately want to fish without me, and need to buy their own personal licence, leading to increased numbers of people fishing, and buying licences.

 

Even if an angler were to only fish with me, and never bought their own licence, there would still be income from two licences.

 

Maybe I would take John one week, and Mary on alternative weeks, but this arrangement would clearly be very unsatisfactory over any period of time, and unlikely.

 

I’m pretty sure that the number of extra people introduced to the sport, to eventually buy their own licences, would easily outweigh any concerns for abuse of the Guest Licence system.

 

 

Another idea would be to leave space on the licence for the licence holder to take an unlicensed angler fishing with them on a number of occasions throughout the season.

 

(Say 10) blank spaces would be available.

 

The licence holder would write in the name of the unlicensed guest, and the date of the session, in ink, before starting to fish.

 

 

2. Guest Membership

 

We should encourage clubs to adopt a similar system.

 

Pay double membership, and you could fish with any other guest angler on club waters. (I get lots of invites to fish with other people, it would nice to be able to easily respond in fashion)

 

In addition, the club membership document would have spaces for guests as above.

 

Before commencing fishing, the club member would fill in the name of the guest, and the date, in Ink.

(There may be an additional day ticket charge to be collected by the bailiff at the bank.)

 

The club might find its membership increasing, as the guests and newcomers I take along, having experienced the fishing without the need to fork out fill membership up front, take out their own membership, and/or tell their friends about the waters and the fishing to be had.

 

------------------

 

Of course, there are all sorts of details which need to be added to the basic principle (e.g. guest’s rods must be fished within 20 metres of the licensed/member’s rods etc )

 

But such schemes would mean that next time I’m asked ‘Can I come fishing with you this weekend?’ I could answer ‘Sure, I’ve got a spare rod, let’s go’.

 

I’d probably spend more time fishing and less time cycling with my family and friends !

 

Angling needs to recruit more people. Let’s find ways to make it as easy to start fishing, or play football etc, and safeguard the future of the sport.

 

 

Tight Lines – Leon Roskilly

[Ken L]

As ever Leon, your dedication and foresight leave me impressed.

Let's hope that the EA and some of the big angling associations take this forward.

Personally, I'd be very happy to have just two guest panels on a licence rather than 10 because for second or subsequent trips (when the guest is well on the way to getting hooked) it's not really that much to expect them to log onto the EA site and buy a licence.

[Leon Roskilly]

Ah! but I've lots of friends you see!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[BoozleBear]

Before I fished a lot, and my friend and ghillie Greg Dix was teaching me the ropes, he used to let me fish with one of his rods. He had 2 licenses so we'd have 3 rods out (2 for him 1 for me) and if anybody came along (which they never did) the plan was he would say I was simply watching his rod. If I was playing a fish at the time he would say he was doing something else at the time and asked me to catch it.

 

I know this isn't a ligit method but it meant I got a taste of fishing for free and fell in love with the sport. Had I had to fork out for a day pass I might not have bothered, being skint at the time.

[DJMCJERICO]

Good idea Leon, i stopped taking guest's fishing a while ago because of having to spend fishing time qued up at the post office for a day licence.

If i could buy 2 licences one for me, and one for a guest, i would gladly fork out.

[waterman1013]

Leon

 

I also included your statement in the FACT response.

 

Mike

[Leon Roskilly]

waterman1013:

Leon

 

I also included your statement in the FACT response.

 

Mike

Now if someone could just get the CA to include it in their response we should be home and dry!

 

(I assume that they are responding, but I haven't yet seen their press release saying that they have!)

 

(Cue PW & TB )

 

TL - leon