EA Licence Sales . . . . Down

[thecrow]

Maybe if everyone who fished bought a licence the cost for us all wouldn't be as much.
I don't think i get value from the BBC but i still pay for a licence.
It's the law.
You can't or shouldn't be able to cherry pick which licences you want to buy.
You have only got one now because you were shamed into it.
You wouldn't have gotten away with it in the area i live as we are checked.

Maybe if everyone that fished didn't buy one the EA would start doing what they should be doing as far as raw sewage going into rivers ( I see another load has just been released into the Thames) allowing rivers to be abstracted to the point of some drying up, spending money denuding river banks of trees, being involved in the ill thought out reintroduction of an apex predator, need I go on because I certainly could?

I pay for a licence to receive TV programmes as well as using other techie stuff to receive them its not just about the BBC, I also pay it because I get something from it in return although I would certainly prefer the New Zealand method of there not being a TV licence after the populous refused to pay for one.

Its the law, you of course have never broken any laws? never exceeded the speed limit? (something far more dangerous than not paying the fishing tax) where do you get those chairs with slots in that enable you to sit without damaging your wings :angel:

I don't cherry pick what licences I pay I pay what I should, some are under protest others are not, the fishing tax was one I didn't pay because I knew the EA were not doing their job and the chances of being caught were virtually nil, a small protest but one I could choose to make and did so.

I have one now for two reasons, the first and most important is respect for those members on here that I am fortunate to fish with, I wouldn't want to embarrass them by being found fishing without one......... the second is because of where I now fish the club demands that members have one so in order to fish there I have one.

You have no idea if I would have gotten (is that even a word?) away with it in your area, I have no idea where your area is but would bet money that as I tended to fish more out of the way area's I would have got away with it, I would also bet that when I was younger I could have poached waters in your area and got away with it perhaps I already have, if you let me know what your area is I will let you know if I have and then you can feel even more indignant that I have not only poached waters but done it without paying the fishing tax :lol2:

 

[fishcatcher60]

Oh dear looks like i have touched more than one nerve.
Saucer of milk for the fella in the corner.
You chose not to pay therefore you are being subsidized.
As for the EA i am sure they would do better if we ALL paid.

 

[Philip]

The concern I have with official license numbers dropping is that I suspect its this number that is stuck in front of the government when they ask very basic questions to the EA like "how many angler do we have in the Uk ?"

The risk is that as the number drops we take another small step towards the day the government decide the number is now so low that a tipping point has been reached & they can do away with angling altogether as they will win more votes by banning it.

 

[108831]

Oh dear looks like i have touched more than one nerve.
Saucer of milk for the fella in the corner.
You chose not to pay therefore you are being subsidized.
As for the EA i am sure they would do better if we ALL paid.

I'm at a loss here,now I've always had a licence,because I'm honest and that's that,but you cannot be subsidised,when they are not doing anything for you whether you pay or not,what Graham says is right,in fact the EA do more harm for anglers more often than not,the only time the EA help is when water becomes de-oxygenated,but then they don't do enough to stop it happening either,we all know you should have a rod licence,but if you fish waters that are not commercials you won't see an EA bailiff,simples.

 

[shane99]

I wouldnt feel comfortable fishing without one ...

 

[thecrow]

Oh dear looks like i have touched more than one nerve.
Saucer of milk for the fella in the corner.
You chose not to pay therefore you are being subsidised.
As for the EA i am sure they would do better if we ALL paid.

Touched a nerve? not at all, I took the time to answer each part of your post something I notice you have failed to do with mine.

If you can tell me just how I am being subsidised I would be grateful but I doubt you can because you have no idea of the damage caused to angling by the EA.

Yes I chose not to pay the fishing tax on principle something obviously alien to you, if all anglers were not to pay it the EA would have to sit up and take notice, the chances of being caught would be even less as there would be no money to pay even the pathetically meagre amount of EA bailiffs that there are now, in fact the EA are so good at not doing what they should they have managed to offload most of the bailiffing to the trust and volunteers leaving them free to continue to look after their own little bit of salary security.

I would also be grateful if you could show me the proof that the EA would do better if all anglers paid, I know you wont be able to as there is none, what there is is a history of anglers being second best when it comes to the EA, oh I don't doubt there are those within the EA that try their best for angling but they are a minority with a very small and unheard voice within the EA.

You have no answers no argument as your very silly sarcasm in your post shows now either give me facts and proof that what you say is indeed true or stop with the stupid posts.

PS you still haven't said what your area is.

 

[Another Dave]

gotten (is that even a word?)

That gotten is primarily used in North America has given rise to the mistaken belief that it is American in origin and hence new and inferior. But gotten is in fact an old form, predating the United States and Canada by several centuries.

Got vs. gotten – Grammarist

 

[steve2]

As for the EA i am sure they would do better if we ALL paid.

More income to the EA would not equal better service it would just mean more money to waste on pet projects.
It would not stop the decline in any of rivers I fish or have fished.
So I will have to continue to buy a licence but expect nothing in return.

 

[fishcatcher60]

I'm at a loss here,now I've always had a licence,because I'm honest and that's that,but you cannot be subsidised,when they are not doing anything for you whether you pay or not,what Graham says is right,in fact the EA do more harm for anglers more often than not,the only time the EA help is when water becomes de-oxygenated,but then they don't do enough to stop it happening either,we all know you should have a rod licence,but if you fish waters that are not commercials you won't see an EA bailiff,simples.

It's the same as being a member of a club and not paying your subs.

 

[fishcatcher60]

Touched a nerve? not at all, I took the time to answer each part of your post something I notice you have failed to do with mine.

If you can tell me just how I am being subsidised I would be grateful but I doubt you can because you have no idea of the damage caused to angling by the EA.

Yes I chose not to pay the fishing tax on principle something obviously alien to you, if all anglers were not to pay it the EA would have to sit up and take notice, the chances of being caught would be even less as there would be no money to pay even the pathetically meagre amount of EA bailiffs that there are now, in fact the EA are so good at not doing what they should they have managed to offload most of the bailiffing to the trust and volunteers leaving them free to continue to look after their own little bit of salary security.

I would also be grateful if you could show me the proof that the EA would do better if all anglers paid, I know you wont be able to as there is none, what there is is a history of anglers being second best when it comes to the EA, oh I don't doubt there are those within the EA that try their best for angling but they are a minority with a very small and unheard voice within the EA.

You have no answers no argument as your very silly sarcasm in your post shows now either give me facts and proof that what you say is indeed true or stop with the stupid posts.

PS you still haven't said what your area is.

This was my first post on the subject

If someone goes fishing they should buy a licence.
Why should the rest of us subsidise them.

I never mentioned you by name but you seem to have picked up the baton for who some people would call freeloaders.
Go and sit in a dark room and calm down.
You are the one with the sarcasm and insults and i am very surprised as we are on a fishing forum and you admit to not buying a licence and are not being criticised more.
You keep kidding yourself you are on the moral high ground and not buying a licence.
If you are in a club and don't pay your subs you are being subsidised whether the club is any good or not.
As for stupid posts that is up to the moderators.
This is the second time you have asked for my location ,is that a threat?

 

[thecrow]

This was my first post on the subject

If someone goes fishing they should buy a licence.
Why should the rest of us subsidise them.

I never mentioned you by name but you seem to have picked up the baton for who some people would call freeloaders.
Go and sit in a dark room and calm down.
You are the one with the sarcasm and insults and i am very surprised as we are on a fishing forum and you admit to not buying a licence and are not being criticised more.
You keep kidding yourself you are on the moral high ground and not buying a licence.
If you are in a club and don't pay your subs you are being subsidised whether the club is any good or not.
As for stupid posts that is up to the moderators.
This is the second time you have asked for my location ,is that a threat?

I don't pick any baton up for anyone, I fight my own corner and leave others to do the same if they feel the need.

To freeload one would have to be getting something for nothing, just what was I getting extra by not buying a licence?

Not being criticised more? maybe its because lots that have been here a while already knew that there was a period of several years when I didn't pay the fishing tax

Moral high ground? when have I ever said anything to do with that?

To not pay club subs would result in not being able to fish their waters, an angler has the choice of whether to pay them to fish or not pay and don't fish. where you got that completely erroneous argument from I don't know, could it have been the same place that convinced you that more licence fee would equal better service from the EA?

Stupid posts? I haven't seen any from a moderator on the other hand...............

A threat? you silly billy, I told you why I would like to know "your area" (remember it was you that brought that term into the debate) Do you feel threatened ? As I have poached waters all over the place odds are that I have made a guest appearance "in your area"

Now how about some answers on the EA and what they do for anglers that make it worthwhile paying the fishing tax instead of tying yourself in knots by repeating the same thing with nothing to back it up?

Where did you say "your area" was?

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Here is just one recent example of the work that the EA are doing for anglers.
A new homefor Crucian carp in one of Wimborne’s waters, at a cost of £30,000 . . . . . .

Wimborne Crucians Find New Home - The Angling Trust

It is rather disingenuous to suggest that the EA do nothing for anglers although in some areas that might seem to be the case. It is simply not possible for the EA to do “everything” given the paucity of their annual budget, so those people not buying a license are not helping at all.

As we have seen on this thread there are probably many reasons why we are seeing this shortfall, so I am hoping to keep an eye on this over the coming months to see if there are any improvements.

 

[thecrow]

Seeing as the water they have been moved to is over 160 miles from where I live and the club is £110 for a pensioner to join I would say that is £30,000 that has been spent on a very few anglers, not saying it isn't a good job done but I have to wonder why so much has been spent on so few.

 

[fishcatcher60]

Do you feel threatened

Don't make me laugh.
You are the one that asked if i had any morals suggesting that you did.
The question of subs in a club was a general one eg any type of club not just fishing.
If you have not got a fishing licence you should not be fishing.
As for people who have been here longer maybe they are just sick of your know it all attitude and for never being wrong but hey ho that's their choice.
You do make me laugh though but never in a funny way.
It makes me wonder which other things you refuse to pay for that the rest of us do.
Don't answer that though because i am beyond caring.

 

[thecrow]

Don't make me laugh.
You are the one that asked if i had any morals suggesting that you did.
The question of subs in a club was a general one eg any type of club not just fishing.
If you have not got a fishing licence you should not be fishing.
As for people who have been here longer maybe they are just sick of your know it all attitude and for never being wrong but hey ho that's their choice.
You do make me laugh though but never in a funny way.
It makes me wonder which other things you refuse to pay for that the rest of us do.
Don't answer that though because i am beyond caring.

Time to grow up old chap, you have no answers you have no idea.

Where did you say your area was ? :wh

 

[bullet]

Does anyone know where the licence money goes....officially or unofficially?

Got to say I always buy one, mainly to avoid any embarrassment, but also in the belief, quite possibly erroneously, that the money is used for angling, but never had it checked in 30 years!

 

[103841]

I can tell you that some of the money is spent outsourcing companies to cut down beautiful willow trees along the great Stour near Canterbury, they seem to target the barbel swims none of these trees appear to offer any kind of hazard/danger or a threat to the human population.

The same can be said of the savage removal of ranunculus along the river.

 

[thecrow]

If it was voluntary to purchase a licence to supposedly fund angling same as the Angling Trust is voluntary how many would be buying one?

Personally I would sooner pay the fee to a club.

 

[thecrow]

You are the one that asked if i had any morals suggesting that you did.

Could you just point out where I posted that or even suggested any such thing?

 

[thecrow]

The same can be said of the savage removal of ranunculus along the river.

The Hampshire Avon weed was routinely cut each year using rod licence money to do it (that's what a bailiff told me) destroying the invertebrate life that fish fed on, great rafts of it used to come floating down the river.

It was also the EA that had the great idea of straightening rivers to get rid of water as quickly as possible, god knows how many year classes of fry and juvenile fish were lost with nowhere to hide.