The Charlie Bettell Witch Hunt

[Andy Doughty]

Now call me an idiot if you wish ,(IDIOT!) but just what is the Witch Hunt all about? Charlie is a fisherman with a love of pike. That much is clear. Reading postings on the P+P website he also sems to have a short temper, but remember it all too easy to post a reply in the heat of the moment and regret it later, so he may not be the War like angler we imagine.

But why is it when he asks a question, a perfectly sensible one at that, does he get shouted down and s##gged off by all and sundry?

I for one think that the one-eyed-pike thing is laughable. Charlie has seen a problem and has tried to address it with the help of other conservation minded anglers. So what if he was one of the people advocating the use of large lures. Surely it takes a bigger man to question his own methods and to speak up about a potential danger to pike?

Can we not just cut the guy some slack and get off his back? If we aimed at PETA rather than ourselves they wouldnt stand a chance. Lets try and pull in the same direction on this one. Something needs to be done for the sake of pikes welfare, and with the feelings and ideas on this forum surely we could do something constructive rather than alienate one of our own?

 

[Andrew Thomas]

I agree whole-heartedly Andy, lets leave the aggro to other forums.

There's nothing like a good piss-take, mind.

 

[Peter Waller]

Charlie is a very fine angler, a good tutor but he has a manner that not everybody likes. I think this particular subject has little merit in it.

 

[Denis Goulding]

lAD'S WHATEVER IS IN THE PAST IS IN THE PAST,U ARE GETTING VERY PERSONAL GUY'S,I DO NOT KNOW CHARLIE AT ALL BUT I WELCOME HIS THOUGHT'S AS I DO EVRYONE'S EVEN ROB'S..LOL..NO OFFENSE ROB..I HAVE LEARN'T A LOT FROM ALL U GUY'S AND I HOPE TO HELP SOME OF U OUT IN THE FUTURE IF I CAN..THIS IS A VERY GOOD FORUM AND I AM PROUD TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER ON IT.....
Well having got that out can anyone tell me where i can get hold of barbel in Ireland for livebaits..lol..( remember fishing is fun that's why we do it )

 

[Rob Brownfield]

I have read nearly ever article Charlie has written, I have his book, I subscribe to his website, I have even been in agreement with him on several sites, especially regarding fly fishing for pike...but at the end of the day, when you have followed someones advice on methods and lures, fished waters he has told you to fish etc etc...and he then turns round and accuses the very anglers he has influenced of damaging fish...well...it upsets people.

The question went from...has anyone caught one eyed pike? too ... any lure angler fishing with big lures are damaging pike! very quickly. Thats why some people are incensed.

I agree that fish damage can happen, and I have addressed this by replacing hooks on my own lures....

Charlie, please do us all a favour....please write an article for Coarse Fisherman/Anglers Mail etc mentioning your concerns and how we can avoid the problem. Its the only way the "masses" are going to hear you. We dont all have access to the internet. If you do this, please dont point the finger at anyone, please take a neutral stance and help spread the word.

 

[Peter Waller]

Rob, giving sound, and well intended advice, or comment, to Charlie is easy. For Charlie to take it on board, with good grace, appears not to be so. Great shame because, basically, Charlie appears to be a sound bloke.

 

[Carp Angler]

As I'm not a piker, then my exposure to Charlie Bettell, his writings, comments and viewpoints, is non-existent, but the comments he made about the damaged pike I thought were valid and required the measured responses that FM members are renowned for.
The vitriolic attacks on the P&P forum I thought were far removed from what I'm used to seeing on here.
It does seem that some of this hatred/venom/dislike has seeped into this discussion and I was suprised that people commenting on this were letting past disagreements on other issues cloud the otherwise valid contributions that they could offer.

 

[Tony O'dell]

Cant the bloke have a clean slate, he is a bit controversial at times....but arent all the best anglers?...dont see many people knocking some of the top carps anglers, and some of them are far biggers stroke pullers/villians than Charlie.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Peter, like I have said from the very beginning, Charlie has been a huge influence on my lure fishing over the past 8 years or so.

I am just a little dissapointed at the way things have turned out...see other thread.

Rik, I see where you are comming from.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I'm sure we'd rather all the vitriol and nastiness on other forums doesn't spill onto here.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Chris, I agree, and that is why I have publically appologised on the other thread, and i am trying to end the thread.

 

[Charlie Bettell]

Sorry, my fault Chris, I'm like a pot of honey to beezzzzzzzzzzz (!)

 

[Paul Williams]

It's always nice to hear the opinion of any anglers who are "known".....i know for a fact that more would contribute if not "attacked".....i'm not by any means saying we should agree with them but hopefully we can have constructive debate, the likes of P+P are OK for a one off hit but because of the dummy throwing i can't be arsed to go to sites like that anymore.

 

[Rob Shallcroft]

Pike Angling and more so its
"names" would appear a bit stale
over the passed few years.
It is starting to see its most
exiting "Americanism" of recent
years namely Lure fishing being
questioned and Boy it aint very
comfortable with it.
The "names" are second to none
when it comes to plugging their
sponsors and repeating the same old
stuff !!.
Think the Pike world needs a new
face or two and a puff of fresh air