Livebaiting for pike

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Tony

 

I've filled in the petition, I've written to my MP and my MSP. Let me know if I can do anything else to help up here in Scotland.

 

Nick

[Guest tony jolley]

Nick!

You have done all you can do i think!

all that you and everyone else can do is watch over our sport, and be sure to get the message over, to protect and uphold our present rights,

thats all we can do.

 

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Tony B.T Jolley

[Guest Newt]

Originally posted by Adrian:

.... Whilst I appreciate the 'stick up for the livebaiters, what practice is next on the list' argument, is it not possible that rather than saving livebaiting, livebaiting could drag the sport down. ...

 

Interesting. Substitute "Hunting" for "Livebaiting" and I've read this argument several times before.

 

Nightwing's estimate of 60 years until there is no more angling permitted in the UK may have been way too optimistic.

[Guest TheDacer]

Tony,

 

You don't offend. But I think you overreact.

 

The anti-angling mob will not get their day in our lifetimes so long as we all look after our fish and their environment properly.

 

My motive for wanting to see Livebaiting banned is simple - I do not think it is treating the fish with respect.

 

More than the Scottish issue has been covered, because more than the Scottish issue is involved in Livebaiting.

 

If it's not patronising to say it, stay calm.

[Guest Alan Pearce]

From this most interesting thread it would appear that a few anglers, regardless of their own personal thoughts, are not prepared to support those wishes of their fellow anglers. I.e. they are quite happy to catch fish on rod and line and use worms and maggots as bait, but when it comes to using a live fish to catch another, they appear to have a moral problem. Hmmm! If I felt that strongly I wouldn't fish at all.

 

Alan.

[Guest fisherman]

Due to the place I live most of my fishing is in the sea. In the past I have used live bait in the sea and if I think there is a good chance of catching a good fish will do so again.

IMHO most preds are scavengers and will pick up dead fish off the bottom but I think you will catch better fish on lives, only from the view that this is thier naturall instinct to attack a moving or injured fish. If this is not the case why do we use lures, might as just chuck them out and let them lay on the bottom in the hope a fish will see it and swallaw it.

Just my four penneth worth, for what it is worth.

Dave

 

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ANMC Founder Member

 

[This message has been edited by fisherman (edited 16 August 2001).]

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

Originally posted by TheDacer:

My motive for wanting to see Livebaiting banned is simple - I do not think it is treating the fish with respect.

 

With respect Dacer, sticking a hook in a fish and dragging it out of it's natural environment is treating fish with respect?

 

I'll take you to places where, with a pair of polaroids, you can watch fish, learn their habits, feed them and photograph them. Why do you need offer them a delightful morsel with a cruel and sharp piece of steel embedded therein, and drag it fighting for its life from the water?

 

Respect??

 

'Anglers admit that it's possible to be cruel to a fish, look at the way they supported a live bait ban. It's time to stop the barbarity of man toward fish..... '

 

OOOooops! I'm getting ahead of events!!!

 

Personally, I'm happy to defend live-baiting because I believe that it is not possible to be cruel to a fish. If I ever thought that it is possible to be cruel to a fish, I'd lay down my rods and join the antis!

 

Each of us must decide for ourselves what is acceptable in the context of our own beliefs.

 

If you don't like livebaiting, don't do it.

 

If you don't like sticking hooks into fish, don't do it.

 

If you don't like impaling worms, don't do it.

 

That's a long way from;

 

If you don't like what others consider reasonable, ban it - take away their choice.

 

Meat eating, pet keeping, drinking milk, live-baiting, fishing.

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Guest Nightwing]

Newt, my estimate was actualy 15 years.....But your statement stands, I think I might have been a bit optimistic! I am fairly astounded by what I am seeing here! I can only hope none of you take this the wrong way, but, I am so very glad I live in America. Once live baiting is banned, is there any real justification for fishing at all, using the same arguments?

[Guest tony jolley]

True Night wing!

I think I`d better start saving for a down payment, to move over there.

 

 

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Tony B.T Jolley

[Guest Spiderfan]

Simplistically, if the club or riparian owner allows the use of live-bait, then it’s down to the choice of the individual angler who, in turn, deals with any moral issues at a personal level.

 

The real issue here as far as I can see, is the rights, roles, and responsibilities shown by the people who illegally transport fish? That these people allegedly practise live-baiting is largely irrelevant.

 

Most ‘rules’ are common sense, and are necessary to protect the conscientious and sensible from the inconsiderate or just plain ignorant. The problem is to police the ‘rules’, which is often the stumbling block ‘rule-makers’ encounter. Sometimes it is easier (or financially cheaper more like) to adopt a blanket ban with a knee-jerk reaction than to try to catch the ‘rule-breakers’ or control the ‘rule-benders’.

 

I personally don’t subscribe to the ‘it’s legal, so it must be OK’ line of thought as I think we should continually examine and develop our practises with a scientific and logical mind. After all, bent-hooks were great for the catch returns . . .