Clarissa

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

I strongly suggest that all of you get a copy of The Daily Express today.

On page 10 is an article by Clarissa ****son Wright, one of my favourite ladies who has championed country sports for years.

A number of points come to the fore in this article.

First of all, it does appear that in terms of catching fish with rod and line, "angling" and "fishing" are seperate in the minds of some people.

Angling, according to Clarissa and I quote: "has come to mean the catching of coarse fish - pike, perch carp and so on. Angling is very popular as a competitive sport."

Fishing, however "has come to mean the capture of game fish such as salmon, sea trout, trout and grayling, either with a fly or spinner."

Polarisation of our sport - maybe. As an angler who both fishes and angles, I hope not.

Clarissa goes on the say that game fishermen turned out in droves for the Countryside Alliance marches, but few coarse anglers did.

And the excuse that no one could call coarse fishing cruel because they put the fish back is naivity of the highest order.

What Clarissa is really saying is that all who catch fish on rod and line should have a single national body to represent the sport.

And we need that body NOW!!

Because we are the next target make no mistake.

Not shooters.

 

[Woody (Cheeky Monkey)]

What a feisty gal she is. If ever I was in Court on charges I would like her as my defence barrister, please.

 

[Nick A]

Maybe, game anglers turned out in droves because they associate themselves with hunting and shooting more than your average coarse fisherman RON?...

You are of course correct in stating that it is naieve to think that course fishing is much different to game fishing, but it's all down to perception?...

Iv'e stated before, i'll happily stand aside fellow anglers from any genre... but thats a different request to asking EVERY angler to stand alongside hunting and shooting.
I think the simple reason is that MANY anglers see it more as a general pastime than a "country pursuit"

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

As I see it we are all in it together and we must stand together.

Hunting - shooting - fishing, it's all the same to me. The hunting and capture of a live wild creature.

And I've done lots of shooting in my life.

The big mistake that many coarse only anglers make is standing behind the false excuse of returning alive all they catch.

This is the very aspect of our sport that many of the antis do not like!

Even worse to them is competitive angling.

 

[Neneman Nick]

i was listening to talk sport the other morning in me lorry.ian collins was talking to a chap from the league against cruel sports i think it was who clearly stated that he found angling/fishing a terrible/awful thing and it sounded as if that we could be next on the hit list but we could also be a more trickier bunch to defeat as it were.
i often find ian collins the presenter,a chap with some brains who can debate the issues of the day really well and put arguemenmts forward for both sides.but i found his ignorance on fishing and his encouragement of the chap from the league an absolute discrace!!!
i hope keith arthur picked up on this and gave him a bloody good kick up the arse!!!
did any one here listen to the debate,i think it was friday morning???

 

[Neneman Nick]

sorry,forgot to add this....
i`d be all for a group to represent angling as a whole but i feel it should contain a mix of scientific angling type people and the more prominent celebrity type people in our sport or past time etc...
people like john wilson,matt hayes,des taylor,**** clegg,bob church etc.....
i also think its high time some of the fishing mags/papers stopped bitching and trying to put one over each other---it doesnt help our cause.
if it came to marching through london with fly fishermen,hardened speci carpers or pier fishermen etc then i will stand up and be counted....will you???

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

Yes, because we are all doing the same thing!!

 

[mark williams 4]

Just a point of minor historic interest: angling is actually a part of fishing. Fishing means catching fish, by any means. Angling means catching fish with an angle - the angle you create between you and the line, with your rod.
Yeah, I know everyone hates a smart-arse...

 

[MarT]

As far as the antis are concerned we are fair game(scuse the pun).We are all part of the country sports scene...so don't kid yourselves...go to any game fair..and amongst the gunmakers row and the horses and hounds...gamefishing...whatever..coarse fishing is there.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

Mark,

I believe that the old term "Angle" refers to a baited hook.

I will investigate this further but I think you are wrong.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

Angling, meaning to fish with a baited hook comes from "anglen" or "angel."

Old English for fish hook.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

By the way, the Dutch for Angling is "Hengel"

The origins of Dutch, German and even Afrikaans are much older than English.

 

[GrahamM]

"What Clarissa is really saying is that all who catch fish on rod and line should have a single national body to represent the sport."

We have one, it's called FACT (Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust) and all it needs is for us anglers to give it a fair go before launching into criticism. I reckon this is the best chance we've ever had of a single body representing angling:

FACT

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

Is it possible to become an individual member of FACT and to wear a badge?

In the USA they have the NRA (National Rifle Association) which amongst other things maintains the right of the second amendment to the American Constitution, that is the right to bear arms.

This is a very powerful organisation indeed.

Maybe FACT could also become powerful if we all got our weight behind it.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

It could do with a more snappy name Ron if it was to adopt this role, but yes a united fishing lobby group with individual membership would be a great idea.

Perhpas the future for the ACA could be along those lines?

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

The ACA is not the sort of body to represent the interests of all anglers. They should be left doing waht they do best and that is fighting pollution.

What we want is something like a National Association of Anglers.

In the USA a percentage of the price of many items of fishing equipment goes to their national or state preservation bodies.

Something like that could happen here.

Make no mistake such organisations only become viable when they have lots and lots of money!

 

[Wearyone]

Posted this on another site, but similar thread;

Clarissa ****son Wright; anyone that advises student's to declare themselves bankrupt to get rid of their debt (as she has done twice) cant really be taken seriously. Anyone who thinks otherwise about the fat old trout is as batty as she.

Incitement to commit fraud, isn't it?

Even if it isn't, perhaps this (from a Department for Education and Skills spokesman) will shut the mad old trout up on that subject:

Quote:
Government policy is, and always has been, that student loan debt should not be written off by bankruptcy. We are reviewing the legislation governing the new student loans which were introduced in 1998-99, and will be amending legislation to ensure it meets with our policy.


Me thinks the CA is in a very poor state if they are now recruiting the likes of her to champion their cause.

Apparently C.D.W. has offered her services to the Torie Party, to campaign in Sedgefield against Tony Blair at the next election, one sure way to increase his majority!

As I have said many times in the past, the only real threat to angling IS from the likes of the C.A. They do our cause no good what so ever!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Wearyone,
I suppose that you are entitled to your views no matter how incorrectly you may have stated them.
Firstly, CDW as a Barrister and thrice Rector of Aberdeen University was actually giving quite sound economical advice and totally within the laws as they currently stand. You might not like or agree with those views, but the fact remains that she was quite correct.
I will ignore your fallacious non sequitor argument concerning the sanity, or otherwise, of anyone who accepts CDW's logic together with your ad hominem attack concerning Ms ****son Wright's piscatorial lineage.

The Countryside Alliance is currently the only organisation that I have found after extensive study and research that I believe is sufficiently organised, staffed and funded to counter the arguments of the many and various anti-angling groups who are currently preparing for their assault on our sport. However, I do have high hopes for the new FACT group whilst maintaining some reservations about their incorporation status as a limited company.

You say that you have repeatedly stated that the CA is the only threat to angling, however you offer no substantiation in logical argument to support your allegations. Perhaps you believe (wrongly) that by dint of repetition your argument will assume a false air of authority.
I assure you that it does not!

Whilst I can understand that some people may have reservations in allying anging with the CA (due to the CA's support to Foxhunting) I have great difficulty in accepting your particular line of unsupported argument.

 

[Wearyone]

Peter, I sincereley thank you for accepting I am entitled to hold the views and opinins I do.

Within the law? Ethical, no way!

 

[Wearyone]

Peter, Didn't fully read your brief, for which I apologise.
As a barrister, Ms C.D.W. will be somewhat a stranger to truth, the law, and ethics.

Re the CA, I note it/they were notable by their absence at all recent negotiations with Ministers, and that's a FACT.

However, Mr Jardine can take great credit for 'writing letters' - after the event.

If there IS such a powerful movement to 'do-away' with angling, can someone please advise me as to why all Governments have put the weight of a major Governmental body behind us for so many years? (Just like happened in the past for Fox Hunting?)

Or am I, like the February Hedgehog, confused?

I also apologise for the 'trout' connection, as we all know Clarissa was a Carp; which I note you do with increasing frequency when others disagree with your points of view.