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The CA and Angling.


Peter Waller

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Martin Salter M.P., good man, parliamentary spokesman for angling wrote a great letter in the August issue of Coarse Fisherman. Page 87, its worth reading.

 

To quote a bit of it:-

 

'If anyone now thinks that the Countryside Alliance are the new saviours of angling I suggest that they seek therapy. Anglers respect their quarry, we do not see fish as pests and I know of no fisherman that having caught a prized speciman fish would then tear it to pieces and smear blood on his her forehead in the manner of a new recruit to hunting.'

 

Martin substantiates his opinion in his letter, as I have said, its worth reading.

 

The Editor of Coarse Angling then says:-

 

Martin, we agree entirely with your stand that angling doesn't sit well with the CA'.

 

Well, that makes atleast three of us who are anti CA and PRO, (thanks Miasma!) ANGLING! Wish Bob James of the ACA saw things in the same light.

 

[ 07. August 2002, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

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Erm theres four of us :D

 

Had a fella come in the garage one day with a "cute" little badge on his jacket it was a CA one.

 

I asked him if he was involved with the marches & the likes & he said yes but he wasn't happy that the "fishermen" were invited to join as it made them (the ca) an easier target for the anti hunt brigade.

 

I kept my temper & mouth shut (first time for everything) & let him carry on with his "schpeel", apperently us anglers are responsible for the destruction of miles of river bank, deaths of livestock & destruction of thousands of pounds worth of crops.

 

Oh & according to this fella the ony "real" anglers are the fluff flingers.

 

Then he said "what do anglers do to help the environment"!!

 

Now i was really really trying to be polite & "nice" as i informed him of the SAA (which i'm sure he should have heard of), SACN, RSSG, ACA & other organisations that are around all started by anglers.

 

he called me a "bloody liar" as he'd never heard of any of them, when i asked him if he ever went fishing or knew any anglers his reply was "not bloody likely they're all a bunch of lower class oafs" .........................

 

Temper no longer being held back, foul mouth mode on turbo, total amnesia of where i was & the other customer in the shop i......... well i'll leave you to guess what kind of "schpeel" i gave him.

 

Best part of it!! the customer behind him was going to do the same thing when he heard him describing anglers as he did, he was glad i " flipped my lid" as he put it but couldn't understand how come i hadn't "gone for the throat" & if any complaints were made to let him know as he'd stand by me.

 

Bet you haven't guessd the guy was an angler to have you? :)

 

[ 07. August 2002, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: ALAN FAWCETT ]

TROGG (Alan)

a government is there to serve its people not rule them

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I wondered, when I posted this, if I was not being less than hospitable to those of an alternative opinion. Perhaps I am, but I make no apologies. My own deeply held view is that any angler who goes on, or supports the Country side March is betraying his fellow angler.

 

Forget party politics, read Martin's letter. Read it, and also Alan's posting, and ask yourself, Do Anglers need to be tarred with the same brush? If we are then it will come back and haunt us.

 

Once I was just a Victor Meldrew, now I'm just a lower class oaf! Ummmmmmmmm . . . . Snobs, don't you just love them?

 

[ 07. August 2002, 05:39 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

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Dear Peter, and all,

 

Interesting post Peter. One that prompts some questions from myself.

 

Martin Salter MP has made his opinions on foxhunting well known. Much the same as most on the Labour benches have. Also, those close to central government also back John Prescott MP stance on the CA. Hardly surprising really when one considers that the CA is dominated by Tories.

 

I do wonder however, seeing as the CA is Tory voting influenced and indeed supported, what would be the Labour governments stance towards the CA if say the CA organisation were lets say, "a knitting club"?

 

One could easily imagine Two Jags at the Labour Party conferrence whilst standing at the pulpit shouting to the audience, " See this tank top I'm wearing? It's been knitted by those CA Tory financed knitters and I'm NOT wearing it anymore!

 

Two Jags then proceeds to rip off the offending garment from his large body to the rapturous applause of the audience.

 

Although a rather silly comparison, it does make one think as to exactly what would be the Labour governments stance on foxhunting if say the majority of Labour people went foxhunting?

 

Mrs Thatcher and friends calling for an end to hunting perhaps? Makes you think. Is foxhunting just the old dummy for different parties to fight over?

 

Mr Salter. Given his very strong stance on foxhunting, I wonder what is his stance on live baiting? Anyone know?

 

As for the CA. A question for AN people. And yourself if you like Peter.

 

Say foxhunting got totally banned.

 

What would be the "angling stance" towards the CA then?

 

Would angling still shun the CA because its members went shooting? And is foxhunting the only reason why anglers are anti-CA?

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

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trent.barbeler:

Say foxhunting got totally banned.

 

What would be the "angling stance" towards the CA then?

 

Would angling still shun the CA because its members went shooting? And is foxhunting the only reason why anglers are anti-CA?

 

Regards, Lee.

Dear Lee. Thanks for your views on this :)

 

The above quoted question you pose is not one I am able to answer, however I would like to ask you (or anyone else for that matter) a very similar question:

 

If Foxhunting was totally banned then what would be the CA's stance towards angling? Would the CA still show any support whatsoever towards angling?

 

Personally, I don't think so - in my very humble opinion, I believe the CA want us to swell their ranks and nothing more!

 

I think this is the 'angle' we should be viewing all this from!

 

[ 07. August 2002, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: mpbdsnu ]

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Dear M,

 

I am certain you are correct regarding the CA wanting anglers,,ordinary course anglers that is, onboard the CA to swell their numbers as you suggest. Added to those numbers of course, would also be quite a hefty sum in subs paid into the CA coffers to boot! Lets not forget the lolly involved.

 

In reality M, who could blame them for trying?

 

But I for one, dont envy their task when British course anglers have a steeped history of being unwilling to join anything. Well, unwilling to join something that seeks to protect their sport from anti-outside influences that is.

 

But then again, do we have such an organisation already ourselves? In truth, that is a matter of differing opinion.

 

So would the CA do any better than say the present idea of the NAA? In the short term, I dont know. In the long term, I also dont know.

 

But in their favour, the CA have managed to put up one hell of a battle in defence of protecting foxhunting have they not? It makes no difference whether one agrees with hunting or not because the fact remains, they ARE organised.

 

The Liberty March to be held in London next month is another example. Can anyone seriously imagine angling organising such a dramatic and well organised protest? Can anyone imagine the numbers being generated for a angling protest akin to the CA one? If in doubt, look at the pathetic number of predator anglers that made a stand against the NW decision to ban certain types of baits in the Lake District. And this protest DID have the attention of the SAA and NAA at the time but still even they did not manage to muster their memberships when so desperately needed by their predator angling brothers.

 

Like you M, I have my doubts as to the CA's long term comittments in representing any course anglers that might decide to join them as a viable alternative to say the NAA in protecting their sport. But then again, we are trusting the NAA are we not? And forgive me if I am incorrect, but did we actually have a choice in the NAA being the body to represent angling?

 

At least with the CA, you DO have a choice. You either pays your money and join, or you dont.

 

I happen to believe that angling generally, is pretty well undecided about hunting. Rightly or wrongly, I think most anglers could care less one way or the other. Those that I have spoke to at least whilst out and about along the Trent could care less. These anglers just want to go fishing. Thats all. Angling politics mean very little to them. So given this attitude, I seriously doubt that they would join the CA. But by the same token, these anglers I have spoken to on my chosen river wont join any of the constituent bodies within the NAA either or become members of the ACA for instance.

 

Why is this?

 

In Europe and in the States most anglers join the organisations that protect their fishing rights and practices. So why dont Englishmen follow suit in our country?

 

I dont have the answer to the last question. Or indeed the answers to those above.

 

But knowing that angling as a whole wont rally until our enemies are storming our castle walls does worry me.

 

Because by then, it might just be too late.

 

Ever the optimist. Are'nt I.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

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