''Putting something back on a personal level''

[kenpm]

As a tackle dealer I have for the last 30 years put something back through sponsorship of junior sections of clubs but the sad fact is that Junior licence sales are down around 40% in three years.
All of the local clubs who had junior sections have ceased the junior sides due to lack of numbers of juniors wanting to coarse fish plus in the past when helpers were faced with CRB checks etc. they lost the will to help.
Carp fishing with bite alarms is the new starter kit as most kids are you tube experts and are only concerned with catching the biggest fish in the pond.
This is fine if they have someone to mentor them and take them to a commercial fishery where they stand a good chance of catching something but most kids cant access commercials as they are not on bus routes generally and cant fish unaccompanied.

 

[bracket]

That's a scary and sad scenario you paint there Pete. I never envisaged the thread going this way. Where will it end.

Sorry Derek. I have no intention of taking this thread to a dark place. I was merely stating what I see as the reality of the current situation. I am a happily married man with three daughters and four grandsons, all of whom I am immensely proud. However in today's climate, I keep children, other than my own very, very much at arms length, as I suspect other do also. Call it a cop out if you like but, in my opinion, it is certainly the safest option to adopt. Pete.

 

[Derek Gibson]

Sorry Derek. I have no intention of taking this thread to a dark place. I was merely stating what I see as the reality of the current situation. I am a happily married man with three daughters and four grandsons, all of whom I am immensely proud. However in today's climate, I keep children, other than my own very, very much at arms length, as I suspect other do also. Call it a cop out if you like but, in my opinion, it is certainly the safest option to adopt. Pete.

Understood Pete, no worries.

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Na, I fish for myself, it's a hobby and I enjoy it, I have taken my grandson and a few second cousins fishing when they were young, but I don't think it's a requisite of any sport to pass anything on.

In fact for the most part I think angling is a shadow of it's former self and I would be surprised if angling as we know is around in another 50 years.

I have sat on many committee's in my time, but that was for my sake, not the future generation.

The last one was ATs freshwater committee, most on the committee were like me, trying to improve the lot of angler (in my case Specialist Anglers) and little thanks you get for it !!

If youngster are interested, they will get into fishing without all this " Give Something Back " rhetoric trotted out by people trying to Big themselves up.

Bob

 

[thecrow]

" Give Something Back " rhetoric trotted out by people trying to Big themselves up.

Rather a cutting comment Bob and one that I cant agree with, there are people within angling that give their time freely for the sake of other anglers, some of them are well known others not so.

The last time I experienced well known anglers including a journalist from one of the weeklies giving their time was at an evening at the Lands End public house, all proceeds went to charity. There have been other times when this has happened.

Some clubs have active junior sections which encourage youngsters into the sport, well done to them I say.

There is I would imagine tremendous satisfaction to be gained from encouraging others to take the sport up and to see them start catching fish and enjoying it, I know that I still get more of a kick from my sons catching than I do from catching myself.

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Rather a cutting comment Bob and one that I cant agree with, there are people within angling that give their time freely for the sake of other anglers, some of them are well known others not so.

The last time I experienced well known anglers including a journalist from one of the weeklies giving their time was at an evening at the Lands End public house, all proceeds went to charity. There have been other times when this has happened.

Some clubs have active junior sections which encourage youngsters into the sport, well done to them I say.

There is I would imagine tremendous satisfaction to be gained from encouraging others to take the sport up and to see them start catching fish and enjoying it, I know that I still get more of a kick from my sons catching than I do from catching myself.

But Crow, you do for yourself, none of the rubbish about giving something back.

I went to those meeting at my expense, I never thought about it as giving something back, I was interested.

There is far to much of this self satisfied attitude in todays society, maybe Bigging it Up was a little strong, but I have been to many of these do and you do it because you want to, not because you are giving something back.

Bob

 

[thecrow]

But Crow, you do for yourself, none of the rubbish about giving something back.

I went to those meeting at my expense, I never thought about it as giving something back, I was interested.

There is far to much of this self satisfied attitude in todays society, maybe Bigging it Up was a little strong, but I have been to many of these do and you do it because you want to, not because you are giving something back.

Bob

Absolutely you do it for yourself, because you want to, because others wont, because you think (mistakenly sometimes) that you can achieve something, all reasons and there are probably more that some anglers do what they do (I was one).

Whatever the reasons for doing something it always if successful has a knock on effect that will affect other anglers usually for the better, I see that as putting something back into the sport that others will benefit from, "putting something back"

 

[The bad one]

You do it because you care for the sport you love! Of the 100s of people I've met from club up to national and international level, very few in that time do it to big themselves up. It's truly altruistic reasons that drive them, not Biggin' themselves up!
Frankly suggesting it is, is a slight on those many 100s, even 1000s of people that do it and have done it for many years. FFS how cynical can some people be!

 

[sam vimes]

Before the Bob bashing gets out of hand, I suspect that some are going overboard on what he might mean.

I do bits and bats that might be considered as "putting something back on a personal level". However, I'm distinctly uncomfortable talking about it on a forum. Frankly, it doesn't matter a toss, doesn't make me a better angler or my opinions more valid. In the same terms, I find others talking such things up a little uncomfortable too. It can appear to be little more than one upmanship, even when it's not intended to. Whatever happened to stiff upper lips and British reserve?

I do what I do and I don't much care if I'm addressing the most famous anglers, angling administrators, tackle dealers or Joe Average that goes to a commie twice a year (if the weather is nice).

 

[rubio]

Just returned from a days fishing (at a commercial) with four youngsters. I work in an educational establishment intended for those who are deemed unfit for 'normal' schools. They loved it, and want to go again. Of course. They are also begging to fish the river. Truly. A 10lb carp wasn't as exciting as being somewhere wild and untamed.
This does not anoint me with any more credence than any other but with some insight borne of experience. Teenagers still get a thrill from seeing pike, even small ones, with flared gills and needle teeth. Four ounce dace can focus their attention in gin clear streams as much as any blue-screen device.
Those that I work with are not generally well integrated and lack the social nous to speak to strangers as regular people. It has been very gratifying to observe them talking with other anglers about a shared interest, without pre-formed judgements blocking the conversation.
I think it is a right and proper stance to be cautious working with youngsters. It is not to be taken on lightly, and there are horror stories from both sides. Both as in those abused, and others falsely accused. If you plan to try it yourself, good on ya, but do consider a recognised course to be sure your approach is what is generally seen as appropriate. Get a DBS. These can be used in different settings and scenarios if you apply for a licence online having completed the checks. There is a small cost I believe.
My minor contributions have put something back I guess, but there is little glory in it. Altruism DOESN'T pay. That's in the definition. There was a very pleasing hour for me tho today as I, for once, found an hour to catch a few tiddlers myself whilst listening to the conversation from the next peg. Someone who took up fishing a year ago was helping out a novice with tangles and casting techniques and just chillin out together. Job done I thought smugly. Perhaps now the fishing gods will reward me with that 2lb Redfin.
What's more I did get paid, and, it was a beautiful sunny day. Everyone's a winner.