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What Angling Times wrote...


Bob Bradford

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I am at the point on this forum where I believe it is totally futile to even suggest to most of you that perhaps anglers are our own worst enemy's, but here goes anyway.

 

Question; Do you think that paying £23.50 for a licence is all the justification you need to vandalise the Countryside?

 

Question; Is it really necessary to remove prime breeding stock for food , are you starving?

 

Question; Do you believe you are a conservationist? and if so, How ?

 

As many of you may answer my three simple straight forward questions as you like, but ,maybe ,when you actually have to put it down in print, you will come to realise how short sighted and selfish your actions are, probably not though!

 

I now know from participating on this forum over the last few weeks that my views are a million miles removed from some of yours, I am genuinely shocked to read some of the comments made on here and realise now, why angling will never be a unified sport /pastime, I have been a past critic of the Angling journalist and publications in this Country for not being more pro-active and political, I have also slated our Governing body the NFA over the years for not representing anglers in a better light and promote our sport/pastime, I wished the NFA would develop some backbone and teeth to fight our cause more vigorously in Parliament, I have written to the EA begging them to safeguard our natural fish stocks and uphold the law of this land, but! all of this is only possible with the full backing and support of anglers, and the sad truth is... most of you really don't give a damn! you really don't! now the penny has dropped for me! now I see why none of the above is remotely possible.

 

I believe in Democracy, and if the vast majority do not want to embrace change, then so be it! I believe it would be change for the long term benefit of our natural fish stocks, if you believe differently then only time will tell..Regards Bob. :bangin:

I am a match angler .....not an anti-Christ!!!]

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I'm very uneasy about the direction the collective angling mentality is going in England. You can't deny there are undertones of racism and ignorance in many areas of the sport, and it worries me. Blokes in vans with St Georges flags in the windows banging on about immigrants/'tree huggers'/RSPCA/RSPB/etc. 'English' carp and ECHO ('I refuse to fish for a carp that isn't English'). It makes us look thick.

 

Question: how many black or Asian anglers do you know? Why do you think that is?

 

Why does every issue have to be polarised into this 'us or them' simplicity? Think a bit. Your average fisherman is unlikely to be a cultural role model. If someone - a human being, no less - has moved to this country to escape persucution and eats a few fish, blimey, so what? Try to imagine for a second what they may have experienced in their lives, and compare that to your inflated sense of outrage.

 

Gozzer's spot on, there are much more serious issues to concentrate on.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Bob, I will try to answer your questions, Though I do find them strange.

 

1: I do not vandalise the countryside when I go fishing, I fish mainly alone, and treat each swim with respect, picking up any litter I find there. I do not damage trees or bushes to make a swim easier to fish. I close all gates, stick to edges of fields or footpaths when approaching a fishery. I try to leave the river as I would like to find it.

 

2: No it's not necessary to take fish to eat, and I am not starving. I do know however, that the 3 or 4 jacks, perch or grayling that I might take in a season, are not going to damage the stock levels in the waters I fish. 20 years ago the numbers of perch in our waters dropped, during this time I did not take any, now they have recovered, I will allow myself the odd one.

 

3: I try to be a conservationist, in that I recyle as much as I can and don't drive unless it's necessary.

I have worked on several projects to create wildlife friendly habitats in my area, and try to spread the

'message' to anyone I can.

 

I have read my replies and I don't think of myself as 'short sighted'.

 

Now that I have answered your questions, would you please answer some of mine?

 

 

Q1: Do you think it is in the interest of fish welfare to stock waters above a natural self sustaining level, so that bigger catches are almost guaranteed?

 

Q2:Do you believe that it is possible to take all fish out of a fishery legally, with rod and line.

 

Q3:Do you think it is necessary for up to 200 anglers to decend on the same fishery, at the same time, to try and out fish each other for a prize? Would they get lonely fishing in smaller numbers?

 

Q4:Do you believe that your view on this matter, is the view of the majority of anglers in the UK.

 

 

Regards John

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

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I think that you do not see many Asian fishermen or women because it is not in their culture to fish they have not been taken fishing by their parents or grandparents,that will change in the future.

The question as asked is flawed in its conception,its a bit like saying way are there so many Asians running corner shops, who cares.

If people wish to fish they fish,if people wish to run corner shops thats what they do.

To comment on the remark regarding our national flag i would say this.

The st george cross is the emblem of this great country England and let no one be mistaken for what it represents,that is the integraty,vision and forward thinking of this great nation.We the people will never lose this and no one or nobody can ever take that away from us no matter how hard they try.

Edited by medwaygreen

Fishing seems to be my favorite form of loafing.

 

"Even a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work."

 

I know the joy of fishes in the river through my own joy, as I go walking along the same river.

 

What do you think if the float does not dip, try again I think.

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Bob

 

“jobs for the boys”.

 

That implies payment, I wish it were the case. All the work we do is unpaid. Oh, and we are elected by our memberships, within the individual member groups of FACT.

 

Steve

 

“We may need the existing laws to be better enforced if there actually is a real problem to be addressed.”

 

Absolutely, enforcement is the problem, or rather lack of it, not law.

 

Slodger

 

“In my opinion it is of absolutely paramount importance that we retain the right to 'fish for the pot'. In fact I think it is key to the whole sustainability of angling, particularly with regard to the vast majority of the non fishing public's perception of us.”

 

Again, absolutely.

 

Mike

Join the SAA today for only £10.00 and help defend angling.

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The st george cross is the emblem of this great country England and let no one be mistaken for what it represents,that is the integraty,vision and forward thinking of this great nation.We the people will never lose this and no one or nobody can ever take that away from us no matter how hard they try.

 

It doesn't represent that anymore, and I think you know it! The English flag now may as well be Burberry.

 

My point was really that fishing is mainly a white working class pastime and is all the poorer because of it. Would I enter a pub that gave off bad vibes of superiority, aggression and ignorance to me as an individual that didn't fit in? No. Would I expect anyone to participate in a sport that did the same thing? No.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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It doesn't represent that anymore, and I think you know it! The English flag now may as well be Burberry.

 

Yes it does represent what i said, what you say, that is only the people that allow some other faction to highjack the true meaniing.

The flag of our country can NEVER be kidnapped by anyone,you must always stand true to your convictions.

Edited by medwaygreen

Fishing seems to be my favorite form of loafing.

 

"Even a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work."

 

I know the joy of fishes in the river through my own joy, as I go walking along the same river.

 

What do you think if the float does not dip, try again I think.

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It doesn't represent that anymore, and I think you know it! The English flag now may as well be Burberry.

 

Yes it does represent what i said, what you say, that is only the people that allow some other faction to highjack the true meaniing.

The flag of our country can NEVER be kidnapped by anyone,you must always stand true to your convictions.

 

I agree to a point, and I am playing devil's advocate somewhat, but is this what you actually feel when you see a St George's flag hanging out of someone's window, or stuck on a car windscreen? I don't!

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Thanks for your reply waterman, but you did not answer the most important question I asked;

 

"How do Fact "encourage anglers to report these events? in what way do FACT communicate with the ordinary non affiliated angler?"

 

You elected yourselves into yet another unnecessary committee, I say unnecessary, because if the NFA did what they were elected to do, and that is champion the cause of anglers, then FACT would have no need to exist, I will concede though that having been a participant on this forum for a number of weeks, that you are having to represent a deeply entrenched and retarded clientèle, so for that you have my sympathy, regards Bob.

I am a match angler .....not an anti-Christ!!!]

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