Competition Anglers Given Drug Tests

[Leon Roskilly]

See:

 

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_obje...-name_page.html

[dogfish]

Good job it wasn't Carp anglers

[Squiffy]

Thats a hoot!

 

Of course I can see how Illegal Steroids would be a positive boon to anglers........not

[Ken L]

I could see beta blockers offering some advantages in a high pressure match where stress reactions might cause you to bump off a big fish or fiddle arround when speed fishing for tidlers but amphetamines ?

Just weired....

[Andy Macfarlane]

Good job I'm not in the competition circuit then eh.

[Waveney One]

Is that all they think was worth reporting? Once again, the media see angling as a pastime usually participated in by sad peple who can't think of anything better to do with their lives. We ought to be writing to the Sunday Mirror in complaint about the article. The only way to get the media on our side is to show them how many people care about the sport and how passionate about it we are.

 

Phew, that feels better! I will now compose letter.

[Waveney One]

My letter to the Sunday Mirror

'Dear Sir,

 

I find the whole premise of your artricle as offensive. It is also inaccurate.

 

Whilst it is true that there were drug tests after the World Championships in Portugal, that is hardly the important news. All World Championships of any note have drug testing on the medal winners and others randomly selected. How is that news?

 

The important news was that England were crowned as World Champions for the 2nd time in a row.

 

In the last ten years we have had 4 team golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze. Individually, we have had 4 golds (Also we won it in 1996, Alan Scotthorne had Gold in 1995,1996, 1997 and 2003, he was dropped from the team this year on day one, but fished day 2), 1 silver and 4 bronze medals. Bob Nudd has also managed to win Gold in four years, starting in 1990 and also '91, '94 and '99

 

 

Our ladies and juniors have also won a lot of medals over the last few years. Your article at least admits 'Angling is by far the most popular sport in Britain, with more than 10 million people regularly taking part. ' So why treat the sport as a joke!

 

If you were to treat the sport with the respect that it deserves then perhaps other organisations like the BBC who refused to make Bob Nudd Sports Personality of the year despite the fact that he poled 5 times more votes than his nearest rival would also treat it with respect. How many people play golf? How interesting is watching golf, yet alone listening to it on the radio? Yet the BBC had full coverage for three days of the Ryder Cup on Five Live. That is a joke and worthy of a witty article on its own! How many reporters were there and for how long? How much of our money was wasted!

 

Your inaccuracy is that the article says 'Many top anglers are professional, earning a living by entering competitions with prizes of up to £500.' As a percentage of the numbers taking part, those full time anglers are negligable, probably less than 20. Prize money is up to £25,000 and not £500, that is fairly common these days.

 

 

Well that made me feel better. Unless you lot pull your fingers out and do something you will always be regarded as characters to have fun poked at you! It is a form of bullying.

[Marginmaster]

Good effort mate.

[gozzer]

I'm old fashioned in a lot of my angling ways and beliefs, and I am quite happy to be regarded as the quirky, harmless and slightly 'odd' bloke that spends time by the water trying to catch fish. Angling, as with many other pursuits, ie, darts, snooker, sync' swimming etc, are IMO not Olympic sports. I don't consider angling a sport anyway, more a way of life.

[corydoras]

Angling, as with many other pursuits, ie, darts, snooker, sync' swimming etc, are IMO not Olympic sports. I don't consider angling a sport anyway, more a way of life.

IMO as well. To me angling is a pastime, not a sport.