Barbless hooks and safety

[kleinboet]

OK, knock the idea. It could be modified as these young "anglers" learn to respect the fish and environment! My personal thoughts are that you are knocking for the sake of knocking.

Alright then YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM!!

[wanzelbin]

I agree with poledark that draconian rules and regulations would more likely damage the sport than help it.

 

Perhaps clubs and societies could make more of an effort to offer open days / training days - and if it turns out that some already do this, all I can say is they've not made it very obvious around where I live.

 

I've been fishing on and off (mostly off until recently) for nearly 20 years, and I'd still appreciate the chance to find out more about how to look after fish. I never fish lobworms on my river anymore because I usually end up catching an eel, and as previously mentioned, they're almost impossible to keep still long enough to unhook.

[DavyR]

There's a very popular (and award-winning) scheme in Stoke called SAFE (Stoke Angling for Everyone), which has introduced a lot of kids to the sport and shown them correct techniques (including fish handling).

 

http://www.dreamstoreactive.org/news/dsa-group-award-2005/

[ColinW]

Alright then YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM!!

 

There has to be a problem before it can be solved. Youngsters have ALWAYS caused a nuisance, damaged fish etc and they always will. I shudder to think about some of the stuff we did as kids. Some will go on to be serious anglers, most will get bored and look for something else to do. If their behaviour upsets you, the answer, as it always was, is to fish somewhere else that kids don't go. There is a pond on the golf course less than 100 yards from my house that I wouldn't fish if you paid me, because that is the place the local kids fish. It's safe and it's free and I'd sooner them be there, doing whatever unpalatable things it is that they do, than be roaming the streets.

Maybe that is the answer to "the problem". Get the local council to dig ponds where kids can fish for free and then they'll steer clear of "serious" waters!

[gozzer]

Before we all get carried away with angling tests, provisional licences etc, just think back to your own early days. Every trip was an adventure, you didn't have on line advisers, you made mistakes, you learned from them over time. (If you're honest you are still learning). If you were lucky, you had someone who knew more than you, to learn from. You grabbed every piece of angling literature you could lay your hands on, and read it several times. You probably started with small fish and worked your way up. Learned to 'know' a water or two, because you had limited means of travel. As you served your 'apprenticeship' your experience and knowledge grew, as did your expertise. Sadly today for some, it's, buy a ready made kit, go to a ready made fishery, cast out your ready made rig with your bought, ready made bait and wait. If you don't catch because of your inexperience, then go on line, ask a few questions, and try again without fully understanding the answers, or the reasoning behind them. The learning curve is too short, new comers are bombarded with tackle, rigs, bait, methods all without understanding the basics. Angling IMO, is not an 'instant' thing, it's something that grows with you, and that is part of the enjoyment. It saddens me to hear kids, in particular talking about disappointing catches of 4-5lb fish, because their expectations are set so high. It's no wonder that basic things like unhooking, handling, knot tying etc ,are low down on the priority list, it's all about 'how big and how many' did you catch.

[corydoras]

OK, knock the idea. It could be modified as these young "anglers" learn to respect the fish and environment! My personal thoughts are that you are knocking for the sake of knocking.

Alright then YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM!!

I don't see any problem that needs to be solved. You are beggining to sound like one who dislikes youth just because it exists.

[Steve Walker]

Before we all get carried away with angling tests, provisional licences etc, just think back to your own early days.

 

Well said. I think they lose out on a tremendous amount. The point of the exercise is the journey, not the destination.

 

I blame the magazines, mostly.

[carpstar]

Controversy coming up! I really think that the problem is lack of education in the art (because it IS an art!) of fishing! Too often I have seen mum arrive in an MPV, several kids peel out (complete with cr*p tackle!) and mum starting to drive of before the kids have reached the water and shouting "remember I'll pick you up at 5 o'clock".

If the kids get no bites in the first 15 minutes (not unusual with the cr*p and totally unsuitable tackle) they get bored and have "Boily fights" or generally p*ss every other angler off.

These kids have had no tutelage at all.

Why don't the powers that be BAN anglers under the age of 18 unless accompanied by someone who is 30 or over!

 

Have you never seen the kids striking so hard that they nearly fall over? THAT is when you get hooks left in fish.

 

What is this rubbish about fishing being an art,if there is such an art to fishing then my four year old wouldn't be able to stick a float in the water and catch a fish!!!

 

Kids should be taught the basics and i believe that there is a scheme to bring it into schools but i can't find the article at the mo!

[Anderoo]

Real, genuine angling is an art. Catching a fish isn't. No offence carpstar, but put your 4-year old on a lot of lakes or rivers and he won't catch anything. Same as many adults.

 

Clubs have a responsibility too. The river I'm talking about is a club water. The club could easily add some recommendations in the club book - minimum recommended line, hooks, potential dangers, etc.

 

Magazines have a lot to answer for but they're only in publication because of a market created by the hundreds of overstocked carp waters opening everywhere.

[Steve Walker]

Magazines have a lot to answer for but they're only in publication because of a market created by the hundreds of overstocked carp waters opening everywhere.

 

Chicken/egg, I think.