? Fishing Test

[Peter Waller]

Thats all very true, Bob, I'm sure that we have both met the ignorant, blustering bar-stewards who, because they think that they know it all, refuse to accept good advice, or even that there is the feintest chance that they might not actually know everything, that they are not god's gift to angling.

[Guest tigger]

Experienced anglers will not go for it Judy, they think they know all they need to know, afterall ignorance is bliss, and there is an abundance of ignorant ,experienced anglers, The difference between a good experienced angler and a bad experienced angler is attitude, a good experienced angler is always willing to admit they can learn something by being taught, a bad experienced angler is only willing to make excuses.

 

Angling is being taught in some of our schools, a fabulous and energetic bloke called Les Webber is the driving force behind it despite the best efforts of the NFA to scupper his plans!

He also runs an angling center for problem kids, they have their own water and have built log cabins , they stay for weeks during the summer, they are taught good angling practice and it is a fact none of the little urchins re-offend, Les does a fantastic job and is one of the un-sung hero's of our sport/pastime.

Of course joining a fishing club is always a good way of learning, usually there are some very competent anglers anyone can learn from if they have the desire, so angling coaches are only a small part of educating prospective anglers, but I feel if an angler has been fishing for a number of years and is not really very competent, a one to one course of lessons with a qualified coach is the best course of action .

 

 

Bob with respect m8 i probably know more about fish and how to handlle them than the qualified coaches so as for seeking advice off them i don't think i'll bother. I have actually kept and bred many diferrent types of fish and i have good animal husbandry.

Tigger.

[Newt]

Isn't it already compulsory in some parts of Europe to pass some sort of basic test before you can get a fishing licence?

Germany requires passing an exam before getting a license although there are a few exceptions for non-German anglers who are just visiting and are already licensed elsewhere.

 

Is monomaniacal a word? I dunno why but that thought popped into my head whilst I was reading this thread.

[Dick Dastardly]

Just a few disjointed thoughts on a subject that is very important to me.

 

Great idea. A good thing for angling and anglers of all levels.....only one problem, who is going to design and administer the training and resulting test?

 

I bet it will be another group of self elected no body’s and in my opinion angling all ready has too many of these. This will straight away alienate the very people who should be doing it!

 

When the PAA first came about they had the brass neck to stir the sh!t for many long established competent instructors/guides/coaches saying that only people who were part of their organisation should be allowed to continue. Many (Les Webber for one) were already far more qualified yet attempts were made to discredit them. Some of these were most unsavoury to boot.

 

I have also found the standard of both practical knowledge and instructional ability (not every one can impart the knowledge they have) very poor in several "official" coaches I’ve met. The owner of the lake in question being a PAA coach with only 3 months angling experience sums it up for me.

 

But that said how do you measure or even quantify experience? Maybe years spent angling alone isn’t always the way. We all know many anglers who have been angling all their lives but haven’t got a clue! don’t we?

 

Angling is a very large and diverse subject so there will always be the need for coaches/guides in specialist areas but for an entry level type test then maybe we should look at how the Germans cover it.

 

The German test (I’m sure Hoppy can give more details and correct me if things have changed) which all anglers must take before receiving a licence to fish (which they must have before buying a club/day ticket type licence)actually covers things that most PAA coaches etc wouldn’t even know! and not a lot to do with actually how you fish/catch fish.

Things such as identifying pollution/disease and knowing how to correctly report it. How to cleanly dispatch a fish. Basic fish biology. These are the type of things rather than specifics on the actual mechanics of angling. As I’ve said maybe this is the sort of thing we should be looking at rather than how to tie a hair rig/shot a float/cast out etc?

 

I (and most others I know who are/have been) involved in this sort of thing) would be quite happy to take any test put forward but I doubt whether any of us would be very impressed by the standard required!

 

Remember the discussion re the APGAI tests? Several of us (all mainly coarse anglers at that) had either taken or seen the papers for these tests and weren’t that troubled in passing! At least for this you do need some practical skills!

 

But this said I would dearly like to see the introduction of a good entry level training/testing/licensing scheme. It could then progress to advanced ones such as a Predator one or Specialist type ones.

 

This will as I said help both angling and novice anglers. As long as the content is right and the quality of instructor good.

 

But will it stop people going fishing in the first place? No, I reckon the legislation should be that anyone can go in the company of a "licensed" angler but to buy tackle/tickets/bait or fish by themselves they would need to be licensed. A bit like when some one first gets in to shooting?

 

Want some one to organise and run all of this? Then I’m your man! Not doing anything at the moment. HOWEVER before giving me the job I would expect to be thoroughly tested on my knowledge and ability both theoretical and practical. I would be expected to be able to produce a CRO, a current first aid certificate, to have attended a Child Protection Course, and have received some form of formal methods of instruction training. But above all be able to do it and command the respect of the angling community................................all things that I sadly doubt the well intentioned people who end up doing it will have!

 

Bitter and twisted? Yeagh you bet! Think I will be proved wrong? Hope so but I doubt it!

[John S]

Germany requires passing an exam before getting a license although there are a few exceptions for non-German anglers who are just visiting and are already licensed elsewhere.

 

Is monomaniacal a word? I dunno why but that thought popped into my head whilst I was reading this thread.

 

I thought Germany was the one, wasn't entirely sure though.

 

I'm not sure if I agree with a test for newcomers (I haven't read the article yet btw, just going on what Judy posted). It would help to guarantee that anyone starting off will have a basic grounding in both catching and handling fish, but it would also deter a lot of people from taking fishing up in the first place (and at the moment we need all the newcomers we can get).

 

As for coaching, how did we all learn? Almost certainly not from a coach. In my case it was an uncle of a couple of friends who showed me how to fish, and I still remember the very first lesson he taught me, how to strike - imagining the float going under I struck and sent line, float and unbaited hook (practicing) straight over our heads and into the bushes. It's still my PB privet....

 

Over the years I've taught a few others to fish, both youngsters and adults, passing on the knowledge I was taught plus things I've learned by myself or picked up of other anglers on the way.

 

Still undecided....

 

BTW Newt, monomaniacal is a proper word

[Ken L]

You have to sit an exam !!!!!!!!

What a sad reflection of the way that people think these days.

In the absence of a culture where fathers take their kids fishing and teach them how to handle fish properly, wouldn't it be better to simply offer free fishing courses on the basis that they might help people to catch a few more or bigger fish ? Nobody likes to be lectured then examined. Personally, that's the sort of crap that I go fishing to avoid.

[Dick Dastardly]

Like I said Ken I wouldnt see it as a "teaching some one how to fish" thing. Just some thing that would ensure that Dad could pass on sound basics like handling,fish welfare,country code (for lack of a better description) type stuff. Teaching people HOW to actually catch fish isnt the main agenda.More teaching them how to best avoid harming them and their enviroment.As said German style as opposed to PAA/APGAI etc.

 

People out there dont know (or seem not to anyway) these basic things.Im sure most would actually enjoy it,as long as it was relevant info given in an apropriate way.

 

The first stirrings of this have all ready started in pike fishing with several clubs requiring members to be taught/have their level of competency checked before allowing them to pike fish.

 

Surely a good thing?

[Paul_D]

The German test (I’m sure Hoppy can give more details and correct me if things have changed) which all anglers must take before receiving a licence to fish (which they must have before buying a club/day ticket type licence)actually covers things that most PAA coaches etc wouldn’t even know! and not a lot to do with actually how you fish/catch fish.

Things such as identifying pollution/disease and knowing how to correctly report it. How to cleanly dispatch a fish. Basic fish biology. These are the type of things rather than specifics on the actual mechanics of angling. As I’ve said maybe this is the sort of thing we should be looking at rather than how to tie a hair rig/shot a float/cast out etc?

 

They actually have a very good course manual (first lent to me by Bruno Broughton but I have since obtained my own copy) and an equally good CD-ROM which the prospective angler can self-study from, which, I think, is a much better idea if we were to ever go down the exam road rather than paying some 3 month wonder....

[Bob Bradford]

Fair enough Tigger and I am sure there are many thousands of equally adept anglers already out there, I like to think I can fish a bit and know how to handle fish properly , but none of us know the lot and to illustrate my point I have cut and pasted a PM sent to Peter Waller on 31/1/06, in it I am asking for a pike fishing lesson or two, it is only part of my message to him, but I believe it illustrates the correct attitude toward angling, remember , I have been a very successful open match angler fishing at times against world class opponents over the past 3 decades, not 2 as I state in my PM.

 

"As I stated on the ill fated fish theft thread, I am an open match angler, and have been immersed in that particular bubble for the best part of 20 years, I have very little knowledge of other aspects of our great sport/pastime and feel that needs to be addressed pronto! would you consider a trip out with me so I can at least get an in depth look at how it should be done properly? I expect to pay for the privilege mate and am not looking for freebies, regards and tight lines,Bob. "

 

What is wrong with opening your mind to the fact that we can all learn something?

Anglers seem entrenched in their ways, It is certainly not a case of teaching us to suck eggs, more a case of raising the overall level of competancy...That must be a good thing for the image of angling , would you not agree?.

Edited February 16, 2006 by Bob Bradford

[poledark]

Would probably see the end of a lot of fisheries I think, and end up with only those who can afford it being left to support the tackle industry.

 

With the continual rise in ticket prices/licence fees/ fuel for travel etc, there are a large number of hard pressed anglers around at this time of year. I speak to them on the bank almost daily.

 

Add the restriction of having to "take a test" and probably pay for it!!! then they will walk away from fishing. Will Mum find the money for the kids to qualify? Not likely, so no kids coming thro (already a serious problem)

 

And who will benefit?? Coaches, the EA or whoever charges for the Coaches to get their qualifications? And can you imagine being told that "sory sir, you have failed and won't be able to go fishing. However I can book you another test for 6 months time"

 

Who would you appeal to if you think the tester incompetent? a whole army of testers, testers of testers, appeal/arbitration experts (just think driving license)

 

Compulsory eye tests (can you see a float at 25 mtrs? )

 

Den, Am I bothered?? no mate, I would pass with no problem