Angling - What do you put back into it?

[Scott]

A simple question, we all get great enjoyment out of angling, but what do we put back.

We all help the sport in a way, buying tackle being the most common, a lot of us are members of various clubs & societys.

 

Elton does his bit, Anglers Net bringing us all here together and his recent help with the RSSG.

 

So what i'm looking for/hoping to hear, are tales how anglers here put something back into the sport we all love.

 

And hopefully get some ideas for myself and perhaps others who would do something but are not sure where/when/how.

 

So please tell, what do you do for angling.

 

I realise some people might be a bit to modest to blow their own trumpet, but please try, let us see how some people go about it, you could be a great inspiration to us all.

 

Scott.

www.thefishingdirectory.co.uk

[Peter Waller]

It reality I do more than some and a lot less than others. I support, financially and in principal, both the ACA and a body that I have great hopes for, the RSSG.

 

I might come over as a bit heavy at times but, whilst I might stand up for something that I feel passionately about, I do try not to inflict myself on the one angling committee that I do belong to, the Anglers Consultative Association for Norfolk & Suffolk. So far we have managed to work as a team, to support the common good and to do that without prima donnas coming to the surface.

 

Instead of blowing our own trumpets it might be easier if we were to nominate others for an AN award for services to angling, now, there's an idea.

 

[ 03 March 2002, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[jonboy walton]

I have been a PAC member for over 6 years, of which until recently, 3 were spent as a regional member. While I was in a region, I helped to run a number of junior fish-ins for 10-14 year olds. I also send £10 every year to the ACA, and have done for the last 3 years.

I have now become Secretary of a match orientated club where the viewpoint is bigoted to say the very least! I also pick up all the litter around my swim and take it home.

The only other thing I can think of is sending reponses to issues such as the livebait/coarse fish deadbait ban in the Lake District.

 

Jon

[davidP]

I spent several years as the Treasurer of a largish West Midlands angling association and also helped organise and run junior matches and the squad for the NFA Junior championships. During this time I also represented the association at the NFA conference. Eventually however the pressure of working almost fulltime 'darn sarf' (300 mile round trip to attend Monday evening monthly meetings) plus the sheer petty-minded politics of Associations at local level meant I resigned. I don't regret giving up the Treasurers job, but I did enjoy coaching juniors and may try and find something local to me where I live now.

 

So at the moment I'm doing nothing except support various bodies (ACA, SAA, RASG etc) and write protest letters when requested. Will I get back into club management or organisation? Well not in the near future but who can tell how I may feel in 5 years time.

[Elton]

Gonna stick my neck out here....

 

I have every respect for anyone doing anything that they think is for the benefit of angling. I mean that with my hand on my heart.

 

However, I think it is perfectly legitimate that some anglers want to come in from work, pick up a rod and go fishing. Fullstop. No politics, no putting anything back. Nothing but fishing.

 

As long as they don't abuse their quarry or the countryside, I think that's their prerogative.

 

It happens in any other hobby and the people 'fighting' to protect it should be those with a vested interest. i.e. tackle manufacturers and other commercial enterprises.

 

Angling is escapism epitomised and long should that remain.

 

Just my personal view.

 

Elton

 

[ 03 March 2002, 11:12 PM: Message edited by: Elton ]

[Chris Burt]

Scott

Re your point "And hopefully get some ideas for myself and perhaps others who would do something but are not sure where/when/how."

 

If anyone really wants to put some time back in to the sport then SAA would dearly love to hear from you. You could volunteer a skill that could be applied to fishing, or want to help with an area (like litter for instance) that particularly concerns you. Then again it could be as simple as offering an hours word processing a week! Let us know if you can help, have a look at the SAA site for further details.

Regards

Chris

[davidP]

Well said Elton, couldn't agree more.

As with every sport/hobby/pastime however there will always be people who want to take it further and give something back. These are the people who should be encouraged but regretably all they often get is criticism and pettyminded interferance from those who should know better. Sadly we also have our share of people who are in it only for the power/ego/influence or whatever you want to call it, and these are often the first to criticise and dump on those who do what they do for no personal gain other than the pleasure they get from what they're doing. It's a sad situation but human nature I suppose.

[STEVE POPE]

Hi Elton,

 

You are not wrong. Ninety percent of anglers just want to go fishing, nothing wrong with that.

The other ten percent like to get involved to some degree or another and that's fine, they do that because they WANT to and they ENJOY what they do.

No one is going to change the world, you do your bit because that is what you like to do.

Everyone is blessed with different skills, the secret is knowing how to apply them in a way that fulfills you as an individual, helps and perhaps educates others and perhaps leads the way for others to follow and then move on.

 

Too many get lost in their own importance once they embark on a mission, big fish in little puddles etc, but and this is the point there will always be those who wish to do something else and even if the impact is minimal it is right that they do so.

[Leon Roskilly]

Anglers needed to help raise the profile of Recreational Angling

 

http://www.nfsa.org.uk/conservation/cfp_ca...explanation.htm

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

ps I've heard that they don't know how they are going to reply to all the letters coming in!!

 

They are starting to get the message that anglers are no longer prepared to just sit on the banks and beaches muttering to each other.

[RONAN]

I guess what I put back into it, is passing the knowledge of what I know about fishing and conservation to the many kids that I take with me every time I go...

 

RONAN