Swan Poisoned by Angler's Lead Weight

[Anderoo]

Lets not forget that we are VISITORS at fisheries. The Swans, Ducks etc LIVE there. it is thier home.

 

We, as responsible anglers, should be doing our utmost to protect this environment and its wildlife.

 

It makes me so angry when I see "anglers" being aggressive towards the local wildlife because they cannot seem to cope with them, perhaps they should find a new hobby, like binge drinking or playing with the traffic.

 

We as anglers have a duty to protect our wondeful countryside and that definately includes the residents (wildlife) if not, then we deserve all the flack that we get IMO. As it is not just about catching fish. It is so much more than that.

 

Glad to hear that the swan is recovering

 

Well said

[jerry weijers]

Well said

 

 

 

whatyou said is very good

[corydoras]

Lets not forget that we are VISITORS at fisheries. The Swans, Ducks etc LIVE there. it is thier home.

Amen.

[gozzer]

Lets not forget that we are VISITORS at fisheries. The Swans, Ducks etc LIVE there. it is thier home.

 

We, as responsible anglers, should be doing our utmost to protect this environment and its wildlife.

 

It makes me so angry when I see "anglers" being aggressive towards the local wildlife because they cannot seem to cope with them, perhaps they should find a new hobby, like binge drinking or playing with the traffic.

 

We as anglers have a duty to protect our wondeful countryside and that definately includes the residents (wildlife) if not, then we deserve all the flack that we get IMO. As it is not just about catching fish. It is so much more than that.

 

Glad to hear that the swan is recovering

 

Nice to hear that the swan is recovering, but the Tarn is man made, so does that make the birds visitors?

[Zaphod]

Nice to hear that the swan is recovering, but the Tarn is man made, so does that make the birds visitors?

 

 

Smarty pants...

[Dick Dastardly]

Spot on Brian.

 

Ken well done for sending your Email.

 

Anderoo,in a proper world I would agree that by volunterely stopping the use of livebaits/keepnets etc etc we would be showing what a caring bunch us anglers are.

 

Forget the live bait issue of fish feeling pain or not,forget the keepnet does/ doesnt damage arguments.

I ask one thing,If 15 years after we gave up lead (and remember it was a voluntery thing at first untill the new rules were put in place) we are STILL getting the blaim for swans dying!

 

And mark my words if we banned livebaits pikers would still be getting blamed for the spread of species! and the same if we banned keepnets!

 

Anti anglers dont want us to fish full stop no matter how "eco/fish friendly" we make it.We need to seriously stop letting these control freaks slowly but surely nibble away at our sport.They wont stop untill its gone so why are we making it easy for them? Let us (anglers/fisheries scientists/fisheries managers etc etc) decide on the rules which TO US make our sport acceptable and fair TO US.Not interfering control freaks who both know little of the facts or indeed care for them.

[Leon Roskilly]

Anti anglers dont want us to fish full stop.

 

I don't think so.

 

I think that what they really want is for us to be punished for fishing.

 

They enjoy too much the plotting, the sabbing, the feeling that they are somebody, because they are listened to.

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes indeed they do Leon! Maybe if we just let them get on with it they will eventually ban everything so the only target left will be themselves! If they are sucsessfull on that last crusade then the problem will have been solved as they will literally have dissapeared up their own back passages!

[Anderoo]

Spot on Brian.

 

Ken well done for sending your Email.

 

Anderoo,in a proper world I would agree that by volunterely stopping the use of livebaits/keepnets etc etc we would be showing what a caring bunch us anglers are.

 

Forget the live bait issue of fish feeling pain or not,forget the keepnet does/ doesnt damage arguments.

I ask one thing,If 15 years after we gave up lead (and remember it was a voluntery thing at first untill the new rules were put in place) we are STILL getting the blaim for swans dying!

 

And mark my words if we banned livebaits pikers would still be getting blamed for the spread of species! and the same if we banned keepnets!

 

Anti anglers dont want us to fish full stop no matter how "eco/fish friendly" we make it.We need to seriously stop letting these control freaks slowly but surely nibble away at our sport.They wont stop untill its gone so why are we making it easy for them? Let us (anglers/fisheries scientists/fisheries managers etc etc) decide on the rules which TO US make our sport acceptable and fair TO US.Not interfering control freaks who both know little of the facts or indeed care for them.

 

I agree. It's a tricky one. The reality here is that the swan MAY have become ill because of anglers' lead. To be honest I wasn't really thinking about anti-anglers; I'm not at all bothered what they think of angling. It's the general public that's important to have on-side. I still occasionally use livebaits as and when I deem it necessary but I don't think I'd really miss it. I'd still be fishing. The problem - as always - is that if you sit two anglers down and ask them what colour a piece of paper is, one will say black and the other white. If everyone (i.e. anglers themselves) agreed banning all lead, keepnets and livebait would help angling long-term, that would be great. That wouldn't be helping 'them', that would be us deciding on the rules which to us make our sport acceptable. However, as that won't happen, I'll stick with the majority as fishing itself always comes first. Plus I'll catch more pike this way...

[ColinW]

I regard any article which talks about "discarded" lead weights as a complete crock. I have a box of number 8 lead shot and, even though they are legal, have no idea how I'm going to replace them should they run out. No tackle shop I've been in recently sells them. Why should they, when they can sell you a box with about twenty useless lead free shot for three quid instead? As a result, these lead shot are treated like gold dust, they get taken off and put back in their box at the end of the session. I've had this box for at least ten years, so I reckon I'm putting far less than a tenth of an ounce of lead a year into the environment by losing the odd one. I think I probably do more harm to the planet by changing the batteries in my camera and throwing the old ones in the bin.

 

As for all the stuff about livebaiting, keepnets etc and animal activists, I will not change what I do to appease people who are so far from reality that they would dig up someone's dead granny to punish them for breeding guinea pigs.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm