Wake up ! There is no possible way to ban angling.

[AThong]

I don't think the anti's would be seen to have achieved anything if our chosen sport is constantly being taken up as thier hobby by more and more people, eh ?

 

The growth of our sport has been tremendous in the last 10 years or so. Thanks to those that have worked so hard on the forefront, esp the angling press, match anglers and legendary gurus, who have been inspirational in their ways in promoting the healthy image of angling.

 

These are the people who leads the way for others to follow on how this sport should be pursued. As long as they keep on with educating every angler about the acceptable ethics of this sport, and show that it is a fun and healthy thing to do, and keeps coming up with new methods, new concepts and equipment, the angling industry will be thriving. And so will our sport. As long as we take care of our fish stock, there will always be people like us longing to fish. And more will take up the sport too, if all us anglers start encouraging young un's to start early. Takes the youngsters off the street and educate them that if they want the best in angling, or in life, they have to complete their education, get a good job to get it.

There's too many of us anglers in all corners of the UK, in all walks of life; that no government would even dream of banning us from picking up a rod. Are they willing to spend the time, or do they have the resources and manpower to carry out and instill the ban? What? A criminal because I like to spend some quality time with my children playing at catching fish?

My way of thinking is to ignore all these threats and stop wasting time spoiling for a fight. That is playing into their game of trying to disrupt our sport. Just be calm and don't waste your time spoiling for a fight.

Instead, concentrate on issues of fish stock, and promoting the good image of what real angling is all about. Maybe pick up a rod and go fishing, if you have forgoten what it feels like. Is a pleasurable experience, and even if we are not fishing, we are still dreaming of it. It helps to keep some of us going from day to day.

[tj]

Andrew I had to outline a few of your comments but please dont take offence.

I don't think the anti's would be seen to have achieved anything if our chosen sport is constantly being taken up as thier hobby by more and more people, eh ?

REALLY?

The growth of our sport has been tremendous in the last 10 years or so.

ARE YOU SURE,I UNDERSTAND IT IS IN DECLINE.

 

Takes the youngsters off the street and educate them that if they want the best in angling, or in life, they have to complete their education, get a good job to get it. REALLY.DO TODAYS KIDS THINK LIKE THAT?

 

There's too many of us anglers in all corners of the UK, in all walks of life; that no government would even dream of banning us from picking up a rod.

REALLY?

even if we are not fishing, we are still dreaming of it.

DREAM ON!

 

[AThong]

tj,

I am not easily offended, lol.

 

But I stand for what i believe.

And to carry out with what I said before,

 

I am

 

completely ignoring what you are trying to start with me.

 

Just hope my action here will be followed by my peers, and concentrate on the important things at hand, such as fish conservation and nets as such. Ignore those that have nothing better to do wth their time and their lives. Enough said.

[Steve Burke]

Andrew, I'm sure your heart's in the right place but I have to disagree with you.

 

Firstly, angling is in decline, some would say serious decline. The number of anglers is falling - just look at the number of licences sold by the EA.

 

Secondly, public opinion is very fickle. A well-organised campaign by a loud minority of anti-anglers could easily change public opinion. And, make no mistake, it's public opinion that matters if the politicians think it'll improve their image and win votes. That's why anglers are getting prepared for a fight.

 

Don't say it can't happen in a country like our's. It already has! In parts of Germany angling is banned except for food. This means no matches, and all fish caught are supposed to be killed.

 

Could you kill all the fish you catch?

 

[ 12. September 2002, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Peter Waller]

Interstingly my local Labour M.P., Bob Blizzard, agrees that angling can never be banned. But I agree with Steve. Whilst it might 'never be banned', it might be altered to a degree that 'angling' as we know it is no longer a worthwhile pursuit.

[poledark]

Peter, your signature will soon be as long (well nearly ) as your posts.

 

But I like it!

 

Den

[Excalibur]

Our sport is in mortal danger as long as so many people, like Andrew, think they're fireproof. An outright ban may be a long way away, but before then, the water on a stone principle will have taken away many of the freedoms and rights we now enjoy. Sad but true I feel.

[Jim Roper]

Excalibur:

Our sport is in mortal danger as long as so many people, like Andrew, think they're fireproof. An outright ban may be a long way away, but before then, the water on a stone principle will have taken away many of the freedoms and rights we now enjoy. Sad but true I feel.

Here's an example of what can happen.

The Dorset coast warden/officer, or whatever his title is, decided that all the anglers and their vehicles on the stretch of beach between Abbotsbury and West Bexington were visual pollution.

He also reckoned that some wild plants like sea kale were being trampled.

He had boulders placed all along the side of the single track road the runs the entire length of this stretch so that nowhere can anyone park.

This has made about 200-300 fishing positions unusable and has virtually closed the road. A road that, although in a terrible state, is one that is maintained at public expence, or is supposed to be.

It's little things like this that are grinding away all the time.

 

Jim Roper

 

http://www.villasinfloridausa.co.uk

[phil hackett]

Andrew Thong:

I don't think the anti's would be seen to have achieved anything if our chosen sport is constantly being taken up as thier hobby by more and more people, eh ?

 

The growth of our sport has been tremendous in the last 10 years or so. Thanks to those that have worked so hard on the forefront, esp the angling press, match anglers and legendary gurus, who have been inspirational in their ways in promoting the healthy image of angling.

 

These are the people who leads the way for others to follow on how this sport should be pursued. As long as they keep on with educating every angler about the acceptable ethics of this sport, and show that it is a fun and healthy thing to do, and keeps coming up with new methods, new concepts and equipment, the angling industry will be thriving. And so will our sport. As long as we take care of our fish stock, there will always be people like us longing to fish. And more will take up the sport too, if all us anglers start encouraging young un's to start early. Takes the youngsters off the street and educate them that if they want the best in angling, or in life, they have to complete their education, get a good job to get it.

There's too many of us anglers in all corners of the UK, in all walks of life; that no government would even dream of banning us from picking up a rod. Are they willing to spend the time, or do they have the resources and manpower to carry out and instill the ban? What? A criminal because I like to spend some quality time with my children playing at catching fish?

My way of thinking is to ignore all these threats and stop wasting time spoiling for a fight. That is playing into their game of trying to disrupt our sport. Just be calm and don't waste your time spoiling for a fight.

Instead, concentrate on issues of fish stock, and promoting the good image of what real angling is all about. Maybe pick up a rod and go fishing, if you have forgoten what it feels like. Is a pleasurable experience, and even if we are not fishing, we are still dreaming of it. It helps to keep some of us going from day to day.

Andrew if only the world and human nature was as simple as you believe it to be.

What you must realise is that people work to their own agendas under the guise of something else when wishing to ban angling.

 

Re. the live/dead coarse fish bait ban in the Lake District. Look up the thread on this issue. Won on the grounds of maintain the biodiversity of the 14 lakes in regards to the rare species. I strongly suspect that at the back of this there was some anti-angling practice at work.

 

I on behalf of the SACG fought and won long battle in the early 90s to get angling back on a lake in Oldham. The argument at the time was that, to grant the request would upset the local conservationists. I know that within that body, there were anti-anglers.

 

Fishing on Clapham Common was nearly lost and at the back of it was anti-anglers.

Cue Dunk F.

The Campaign for the Abolition of Angling triumphed it in their rag as a victory and said how its members had been involved.

 

When I did my degree in Environmental Studies/Ecology in the early 90s, many of the students on the course we anti-angling. Made for some interesting debates in the bar that did. Those same people are now park, country, water park managers, who I have little doubt still hold the same views as they did then. They are now 10 years older and subtler and in positions of power and influence. They can now push their agenda with virtual impunity, as they are looked on as experts by their respective employers. Local, district county councils, Govt Dept, etc.

 

It is the insidious creeping stealth bans by these people that perhaps pose the greatest threat to angling. From their point of view, they don’t care how they get the ban on angling providing they get it. Yes it would for them be nice if they got the Govt. (most likely to be a labour one) to do it for them, but a rolling ban, water by water will suffice.

[Jim Roper]

phil hackett:

When I did my degree in Environmental Studies/Ecology in the early 90s, many of the students on the course we anti-angling. Made for some interesting debates in the bar that did. Those same people are now park, country, water park managers, who I have little doubt still hold the same views as they did then. They are now 10 years older and subtler and in positions of power and influence. They can now push their agenda with virtual impunity, as they are looked on as experts by their respective employers. Local, district county councils, Govt Dept, etc.

 

It is the insidious creeping stealth bans by these people that perhaps pose the greatest threat to angling. From their point of view, they don’t care how they get the ban on angling providing they get it. Yes it would for them be nice if they got the Govt. (most likely to be a labour one) to do it for them, but a rolling ban, water by water will suffice.

This is exactly the sort of thing that I have been trying to get across in various posts on various threads.

 

You can't get a job as a footpath warden without a degree in environmental studies, it would seem.

 

When it comes to anti-dog, then it starts all over again!

 

Jim Roper