The John Wilson Interview

[Codger]

If you have not read Johns interview in the latest edition of Total Coarse Fishing I suggest you grab a copy to see what the good man is saying about the state of our rivers, the environment and those who have an environmental influence and yet a seemingly uninterested concern about what is going on <u>in</u> the rivers and waters of our countryside.

To me what he says has an absolute conviction and truth based on his hands-on experience and a deep knowledge of rivers, the waters, whats is in them and what lives around them in a total ecological system.

To me the main point he has made is the lack of interest of the environmental institutions, government departments, civil servants and those who own the waters and rivers, on what is going on IN the waters as opposed to just caring about volumes, the habitats and the wildlife sustained in the immediate surrounding areas of rivers etc.

Having been away from fishing for so long, would someone explain what and if, any lobbying and pressure is being brought to this argument by the fishing fraternity.

[Steve Holland]

You'll probably find its the usual thing of no-one (non angling) actually cares about under the water, so long as everything above it looks nice! Even the anti fraternity dont actually care until we put hooks in fish. Other than that, fish and other subsurface aquatic life is largely ignored, apart from by us anglers.

And not too many anglers when you look at the pathetic membership of the ACA.

[Codger]

Maybe Graham thats a problem of the ACA?

[Dave Bassett ACA]

Itocan not believe how small a percentage of anglers are members of the ACA[img]/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif[/img]

You know it's not Codger.

It's the usual majority of anglers approach, of putting their head in the sand,hoping things won't affect them.

Fred, I could go to the pub on the estate where I grew up, I reckon 95% of the lads whoI fished with wouldn't have a clue about the ACA!

Well, it's advertised in every angling paper/mag, even some tackle shops.Angling organisations have knowledge of it.The ACA even visit tackle shows and conferences

They also have a website.

It's up to you and me, to tellthe ignorantabout it.

You can't expectmuch more from the ACA,they haven't got enough paying members to advertise to those, who can't be bothered to look after their own interests.

[Codger]

I think that is the point I was trying to make in my last comment!

They may have blurb about themselves and the rules and regs etc but do they give at a riverbank level what there aims are , do they say what they are doing about such issues as John Wilson raised for instance.

Look, I dont know, I am just trying to raise the issues that were raised in the article not the rights or wrongs of membership of the ACA.

They do,Codger.

Have a look at their website.

http://www.a-c-a.org/