NFA

[poledark]

Thanks to the link provided by David I have just had a look at the NFA website. It is unfinished as yet but what intrigued me was the logo, top left on the home page.

 

"National association for freshwater anglers"

 

Correction; should have put "The Governing Body for Freswater Anglers"

 

So why do we need the NAA, SAA, even the RSSG?

 

The NFA claim to be the recognised representatives of freshwater anglers, (and almost all my life they have been) so who decided that they were not?

Who decided that? Was it the combined attacks of the specialist groups?

 

Do the NFA have any legal standing similar to the FA, they can certainly claim to have been the governing body for many years.

 

Why did not the alliance that calls itself the NAA not join the NFA, they do have offices and staff and a national presence, almost all anglers have heard of them and fish to their rules.

 

I am not knocking the NFA, just wondering why the body that I always thought was the national representative of anglers has been sidelined.

 

Den

 

[ 11. September 2002, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: poledark ]

[phil hackett]

poledark:

Thanks to the link provided by David I have just had a look at the NFA website. It is unfinished as yet but what intrigued me was the logo, top left on the home page.

 

"National association for freshwater anglers"

 

So why do we need the NAA, SAA, even the RSSG?

 

The NFA claim to be the recognised representatives of freshwater anglers, (and almost all my life they have been) so who decided that they were not?

Who decided that? Was it the combined attacks of the specialist groups?

 

Do the NFA have any legal standing similar to the FA, they can certainly claim to have been the governing body for many years.

 

Why did not the alliance that calls itself the NAA not join the NFA, they do have offices and staff and a national presence, almost all anglers have heard of them and fish to their rules.

 

I am not knocking the NFA, just wondering why the body that I always thought was the national representative of anglers has been sidelined.

 

Den

NFA stands for National Federation of Anglers not National association for freshwater anglers (NAFA).

The reasons why other groups were formed are historic, i.e., in the late 1960s the NFA weren't representing the new breed of anglers that was emerging... Specimen Anglers (then called). National Association of Specimen Groups(NASG) being formed in (1968 I think) to represent their interests.

 

The NFA has never to my knowledge until the last few years, ever attempt to represent specialist anglers. Looking back through 30 + years of angling mags there was a period in the 1970s when every month someone in the letters page were slagging them off for only running the NFA nationals and doing very little else to represent anglers and angling.

 

Of late they have started to change slowly. However, they have that baggage from yesteryear to offload before specialist anglers of my age would trust them to represent us effectively.

[phil hackett]

P.S.

The chronology of Specialist Anglers is this NASG changing its name to National Association of Specialist Anglers (NASA) then NASA/SACG. Contraire to myth in other current posts the SACG was always part of NASA, in fact it was the political arm/political campaigning arm of that organisation.

 

Yes it had its own committee and aims and objectives and this was done for legal reasons nothing else. But I repeat it was part of NASA. It was collectively agreed to merge the two together to remove the confusion that had grown up. When the merger took place, the new name of the Specialist Anglers Alliance was given to it.

 

[ 11. September 2002, 01:54 AM: Message edited by: phil hackett ]

[poledark]

I have corrected my first post to read "The Governing Body for Freshwater Anglers"

 

You will have to forgive an old fellow who is about to draw his OAP

 

Does not make any difference to my questions though.

 

I also wonder how many of the zealots that formed these groups are still involved. I am not knocking, just curious, why not the NFA?

 

Den

[phil hackett]

poledark:

I have corrected my first post to read "The Governing Body for Freshwater Anglers"

 

You will have to forgive an old fellow who is about to draw his OAP

 

Does not make any difference to my questions though.

 

I also wonder how many of the zealots that formed these groups are still involved. I am not knocking, just curious, why not the NFA?

 

Den

In answer to your first question most!

You know them personally to call them "Zealots" Den?

 

The answer to Q.2. is in my second post!

[Alan Pearce]

Don't forget guys the SACG and NASA (now the SAA) are paid up members of the NFA>

 

Alan.

[Peter Waller]

Phil is quite corrct, the NFA failed to change with the times. The result was that NASA came into being. Rather than join the NFA and push for change from within, a few radicals decided to form NASA. A bad day for angling unity.

 

Den you ask why the need for the RSSG. Fair question. Personally I see it as a group of like minded anglers who wish to protect and promote 'river fishing' in the face of the all pervading 'still water' faction. I don't personally see it as a group that wishes to steam roller other angling interests in persuit of its own aims.

 

I have to say that I have never forgiven the 'still water lobby' for forcing both the four rod rule and the loss of the still water close season onto their fellow anglers.

 

I believe that the RSSG is there as a lobby group to work with other bodies, both the SAA & the NFA, to ensure the well being of river anglers and the rivers that we fish. I do not see it as vying for control as some angling politicians seem intent on doing. Perhaps it is there to ensure that the egotistical control freaks of the angling world don't always have an easy ride!

 

There is a common attitude within angling. So and so club/group doesn't do exactly as I want, so lets form yet another group, one that does do as I want. Its happened before, it will happen again. Perhaps you can accuse the RSSG of this, but I don't think that would be fair. I don't see the RSSG as other than a club of like minded anglers, a cog within a wheel.

 

The term 'Angling BC' has been used recently as being the hay-day of angling. In those far off days we only had the NFA.

 

So SACG was the political arm of NASA? If they were one and the same then why the need to merge?

 

The NFA has offices and paid staff. The NAA has neither. Seems a rather silly situation!

 

Some folk don't trust the NFA, others don't trust the SAA, what can any of us say to that one!?

 

It is a shame that those who started NASA didn't stay within the NFA and help move it with the times.

 

Yes, I shall be renewing my individual membership of the NFA. Its the best option that we have. It just needs us anglers to help it to help us.

 

Nice one Den.

 

[ 11. September 2002, 11:40 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Peter Waller]

Thanks for the reminder Bruno.

Join the NFA. Individual memberships at just £10.00. Cheques to the NFA. Apply to the Membership Secretary, NFA, Halliday House, Egglington Junction, Derbyshire DE65 6GU.

[Bruno Broughton]

You've got it, Peter. Glad to see you're a staunch supporter of your 'governing body' and, thus, the NAA. Me, too - I'm NFA individual member no.4.

 

Cummon, everyone, let's make Peter's 'white elephant' fly!

 

However, the correct address is at 'Egginton Junction'.

 

[ 12. September 2002, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: Bruno Broughton ]

[phil hackett]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter Waller:

 

......So SACG was the political arm of NASA? If they were one and the same then why the need to merge?

Yep! Answer given in the above post.

 

It is a shame that those who started NASA didn't stay within the NFA and help move it with the times.

.....According to the first Secretary of NASG (please not the abbreviation = National Association of Specimen Groups) they were left with no choice. Just wouldn’t countenance the fact that a new breed of angler was on the way. Upstarts, flash in the pan, etc……… He probably still has the letters of correspondence between NASG, as he was a great man of letters.

 

Yes, I shall be renewing my individual membership of the NFA. Its the best option that we have. It just needs us anglers to help it to help us.

 

Strange one this for a pike angler. Was it not reported in recent times that one of the top officials had said that livebaiting would have to be sacrificed to placate the animal welfare groups.

 

Or perhaps you really have become a convert on the road to unity!

 

Nice one Den.[/QB]

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