The CA March, are you going?

Before you do, read the letter from Martin Salter M.P., in August's Coarse Fisherman. That, and the editorial post script, make interesting reading.

Then ask yourself whether you might be stabbing your fellow anglers in the back by going.

For those who don't get the mag,Graham,how about opening a thread with it.
Having read the letter,always the first page(s)I go to,it appears we have a Spokesman for Angling,who should be supported.
I for one was being led along the path to support the march by 'friends',with their stories of angling being next in line,but,when you get deeply into the arguments and find,like pointed out in the letter, most of these guys and gals,have no interest in angling or indeed knowledge of our methods,they are certainly not aware of our efforts on environmental matters.
I for one shall not be supporting the Countryside Alliance on it's march.

We should be at the forefront of the environmental movement, in my view - not sucking up to the foxhunters.

I would like to think that most anglers are disgusted by the sight of a bunch of stuck up toffs trying to rip a fox to bits.We care about our quarry and will go to great lengths to ensure that our fish are treated with as much respect as possible and then released.Angling must never support these people or we get tarred with the same brush,its up to angling to fight its own corner by showing we are not like them.

Hear, hear !

I will not be going to the CA march.
The letter in Coarse Fisherman made a lot of sense.
I can fully appreciate that others have an opposing view on this, but, as with every arguement there are always going to be two sides.
My view is that the further we can distance ourselves from the hunting/shooting lobby, the better.

[GrahamM]

This is the letter from Martin Salter MP in the August issue of Coarse Fisherman magazine:

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Dear Sir,

Two letters in your July issue referred to the thorny subjects of angling politics and the relationship between anglers and foxhunters.

Stewart Allum was quite right to point out the supporters of fox-hunting in the House of Commons have publicly attacked coarse fishing as being cruel and unnecessary. Apparently we 'rip hooks' out of the mouths of the fish we catch and 'hurl them back into the water' to die a slow and painful death. If anyone now thinks that the foxhunters and the Countryside Alliance are the new saviours of angling I suggest they seek therapy. Anglers respect their quarry, we do not see fish as pests and I know of no fisherman that having caught a prized specimen fish would then tear it to pieces and smear blood on his or her forehead in the manner of a new recruit to hunting.

Sadly, the letter from Keith Edmunds was confused and misleading. He seems to have fallen for the tired old Countryside Alliance arguments that fox-hunting with hounds is an effective way to control the fox population. Try telling that one to any gamekeeper! If fox hunting is about pest control rather than ritual cruelty why have a number of prominent hunts been found guilty of breeding foxes to release into the wild so they can then be hunted?

I have always maintained that anglers and angling belong in the environmental rather than the blood sports lobby. To pin our faith on the lies and distortions peddled by the Countryside Alliance is stupid, unnecessary and dangerous. It tars us all with the same brush and makes anglers seem as if they incapable of speaking up for themselves. I am a keen angler and a Labour Member of Parliament. I will vote to ban the barbaric sport of hunting wild animals with hounds with enthusiasm and will work tirelessly to promote the sport of angling. In a democracy it is Parliament that decides where to draw the line between cruelty and pleasure - not the lunatic fringes of either the animal rights movement or the Countryside Alliance.

Martin Salter MP
Parliamentary Spokesman for Angling

Editorial comment: Martin, we agree entirely with your stand that angling doesn't sit well with the Countryside Alliance - have a word in Tony's ear for us all!

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Note from Graham: Could I suggest that it would be a good idea to also write to CF with your views so that those who have no access to this forum can read them (or at least those that CF chooses to publish). Please use this email address with the subject line ‘Letters’ and mention that you read the letter in FISHINGmagic:

<a href=mailto:colleen@conceptdesign.uk.com>Coarse Fisherman</A>

I fear this issue may cause a deep division in anglers. There are many famous and well respected anglers who support the CA and who I am sure will be marching.

I respect Martin Salter's views and what he is doing for our sport, even though I might not support his party.

As a guy who was brought up in the English countryside, half of me say support the CA, the other half....? I'm not so sure.

These are powerful arguments put forward my Martin.

I really want to support the CA as I believe that we have a right to hunt with dogs (personally I occasionally go ratting with my air rifle and two highly trained cats but I accept that dogs would do just as well). However just lately I have heard the tired old "Coarse fishing if far more cruel" angle trotted out by CA representatives left right and centre. These people want us on side for our numbers but they appear to use us as a scapegoat at every opportunity, I started out pro-CA but now I am fervently anti.

The game fishermen siding with the CA are deluding themselves, the CAs tactics put ALL angling in a bad light, legislation will not distinguish between Coarse and Game.

Problem is though that the public don't see us as conservationists......they see people like PETA as that! why? because of high profile celebrities who push the cause forward.....we have noone in the publics eye whom they can trust and believe.....and i'm as sure as hell a labour politian aint gonna convince them no matter how genuine he is!!
I have a Bro in law who works bloody hard to run a shoot....it's very similar to put and take trouting, how long untill "they" try to ban that?
Personally i'm not apposed to the hunt and i still believe that the "banning" process will accelerate with every victory the do gooders manage.......they wont rest untill our world is "sterile".......and we can't even manage to agree on a body to effectivlly defend our corner.