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Baz

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Are you happy with the E.A. concerning course fishing? do you think we get a good deal,or is it too much centred on game fish.
I allways thought the E.A. were a good thing, which they are. But do they do enough for the course angler? After reading other peoples points of view, I am not so sure if the E.A. are short changeing us and the course fishing side of things are the last thing on their agenda.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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If you are its your own fault. Our EA teams are constantly asking us to put forward projects, asking us for reports to see what more can be done.

I put it on another thread that anglers, especially club officials are stupid because they won't give information to the EA in case it shows them up. A crazy jealousy that gets them nowhere.

Then there's another case when I was Secretary and put in a project to dig an old drain out and widen it. It was connected to the Thames and would have provided a new fishing area with 15 pegs, a breeding ground for the fish, a refuge in times of flood, and a safe place for kids to fish. The only thing that was asked was that we build a couple of swim for disabled and the main path, probably about ?500. I was castigated for putting it forward because the club (500+ of us) couldn't afford it.

I approached another club recently with a view to joining our association and apart from present waters we could get the new Jubilee River. This is a water where the EA are paying for putting in proper swims, they'll also put in fish refuges and anything to make that river work. All this stupid putzy club could say was "It's full of cormorants." WHAT VISION!!!

If you feel you're not getting a good deal then get off your backside and get stuck in and talk to the EA.
 
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John Hepworth

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The E/a is proposing to put ?5000 into two matches up here to promote coarse fishing in the Northumbria area of the North East this year, with the promise of more in future years. One on the Tyne and the other on the Wear.
Put a posting on the Match section if any one is interested.
The Wear in particular has received more in the way of stocking over the last two years than was ever spent in the previous 30.
Doing a good job from where I am standing
 
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Joskin

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Cheeky Monkey You say that...

"If you are its your own fault. Our EA teams are constantly asking us to put forward projects, asking us for reports to see what more can be done"

We (the club) are never asked for information or for ideas on what could be done by the EA. and the general feeling of the comittee members is that they dont bother with us as we are a club and not a comercial.
Perhaps this is the case because of our area. We have four lakes a very long stretch of the river Windrush and a couple of streches of the Thames all in West Oxfordshire.

You also say "If you feel you're not getting a good deal then get off your backside and get stuck in and talk to the EA"

Should we have to constantly keep hounding the EA?
It is their job to talk to the anglers and clubs and please correct me if I am wrong but isnt that why we pay our licence fees?

I feel that the EA should pay the club a visit at least a couple of times a year. especialy as we have over 1000 members each buying licences year in year out for what appears to be nothing in return.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Joskin, you don't say precisely where you are. Sounds very much like you come under the Thames Region, but not necessarily so.

Are you members of a Thames Fisheries Consultative of any sort? There are plenty.

I'll give you an idea of the Middle Thames Consultative. It covers a vast area and probably more than 70 clubs in that area. It has 3 members. Where are the other clubs?

They hold their meetings directly after ours (Thames Valley Angling Association) and our members are allowed to stay otherwise there'd be no-one there other than the chairman and an EA man. In fact, so that the EA man can go early he gets his bit in before the TVAA meeting now and we give him the feedback he requires.

Let me have your normal address and I'll happily send you a report that they do for us.

If you can get together a collection of clubs or even if one club can put together a good sized meeting, I'm sure an EA man will come and spend time with you. You have to hold out the hand of friendship, invite them along. You'd be pretty narked if they invited themselves so make the effort, you have to get to know an individual and work on them.
 
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Joskin

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Thanks Cheeky Monkey

I dont understand why they do not invite the clubs to the meetings. you say thar 3 out of the 70 clubs in your area go to the meeting but are the other clubs being invited and do they even know that the meetings exist?
 
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Baz

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We have had an E.A. person come to our club by invitation. He told everyone a few things then had a question and answer spot at the end. One question he was asked was do their bailiffs ever pick litter up, and if not, why not.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Baz - it's not the EA Bailiff's responsibility to pick up litter just as it isn't a policeman's job to pick up litter in the streets or move illegally parked cars. What was his answer though?

Joskin, at TVAA meetings we have 9 or ten clubs present and the Middle Thames Consultative meeting is held afterwards with all those clubs present, but only one club is a member. Yes, my friend Alan, who is MTC's Chairman (no elections because no-one turns up to outvote him), has been trying to recruit member clubs for years. It seems no-one wants to be the delegate that has to attend a meeting.

Hand on! I'm refering to committeemen again - see different thread ! ! ! !
 
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Baz

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Monkey,
It wasn't a question that I would have asked, I was only pointing out what other people think the E.A. should be doing.
The Q&A sesion quickly moved on.
 
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tom riordan

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clubs, clubs, bloody, clubs is that all that the EA are interested in? what does the EA do for joe public who wants to do a bit of fishing not a lot from what I can see. I thought the EA were a government agency not a charity for giving handouts to clubs. The EA should concentrate in the control of pollution and the maintenance of the waterways of the UK. I think it is about time the rivers were freed from the clutches of these greedy clubs and given back to the people, then let the EA do their job and use baillifs to control the waterways. I am sorry but I am very dissillusioned with all this club scene in coarse fishing, what with all these commitees, groups and steering parties all battling to get their greedy little fists into the EA honeypot is only weakening
the sport. From what I can see from the 2 clubs I am in and from other peoples observations on here and other sources it seems most clubs take your money and then it disappears into a black hole never to be seen again.
 
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John Hepworth

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Problem is Jeff, most of the people who moan about committees etc, don’t want to miss an episode of Eastenders / Coronation St or whatever. Are perfectly content to let others do the work, then complain like hell when things don’t go the way they think they should.
Perhaps they should get their kids to set the VCR timer then they can put the World to right.

Compared to how things were under the old Northumbria Water regime, most coarse anglers in this area think they have died and gone to heaven. We still have a hell of a lot of catching up to do with most other regions, but the E/A is doing a first class job in this area. No doubt, there will still be some who complain, but they would moan if they won ?2m on the lottery saying it should have been more.

Tom, what does Joe public do for angling? Most who do not belong to a club probably don’t even buy a licence, know or respect the close seasons, or even respect the environment in which they think they have an absolute right to fish.
Without regulation, we would have anarchy. Go to any free stretch of river throughout the country and you will see for yourself what would happen if these people had no regulation – municipal rubbish tips.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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A quick response before I get me head down.

I can understand to some extent what you mean about clubs Tom, since I have just been saying on here how disorganised they are. But I would maintain that they are the main contact between the angler and the EA because otherwise it would be anarchy.

John is right in his comments too that free stretches, as we call them, are uncontrolled and very often untidy messes. I know the EA people I speak to detest free stretches because it tends to give anglers and angling a bad name.

Yes, it would seem that any TV programme is a good excuse not to go to meetings. That's the anglers downfall, unfortunately.
 
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EC

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Yes I am happy! The EA were very quick to support a local lake project to the tune of ?15K and I got my license online within 3 working days at 25p over and above the P.O price (although I got my reg number which enabled me to fish within 1 minute).

Happy days!
 
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Phil Hackett 2

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As one of the EA's biggest critics on here, I have to say that on balance they are Just still worthy of my support.

Tom I hear what you are saying but I don't agree with you about clubs, and others have pointed out to you why.
As to communicating with the masses of anglers who for whatever reason are not in a club, the EA do try to reach then. The jargonistic term for them is the disengaged. You will have received in the last month a copy of REEL from the EA, which every lisenceholder gets. Likewise they also produce a regional CATCH mag that can be got from many tackleshops or direct from the regional office, and if you ask them they'll send it to you. Both are free & both carry contact names, No. and the like. Also, on many occasions they ask for feedback from anglers to proposals they are putting forward. They also have a very big website that carry's up to date information on a daily basis on all aspects of their work.

So Tom what else are you proposing they do to engage with their funders (US)?

Horses and water come to mind here????????

".........then let the EA do their job and use bailiffs to control the waterways." And how many do you think they have Tom?"

And how many including the technical support, admi, ancillary staff, Employer NI contributions, Mags, Fisheries work, including two fish farms, River restoration work, fleet hire vans and so, do you think you get for the ?30 m. revenue they receive?
 
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Nick Austin 2

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On the subject of "clubs" when i got back into angling i fished day ticket waters. I was scared to join a club, i didn't want to match fish, i didn't want to go out on jollies with a bunch of old cretins, i just wanted to go fishing. The lady who runs our local tackle shop asked why i didn't join the local club, as i seemed to go fishing so much, and persuaded me to join. I did, and it took me a further year to even VISIT our club lake, which turned out to be the most fantastic, well kept, beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Next i was talked into joining as ASSOCIATION, same thing, i wasn't even sure what that meant, it was expained to me, and noe for about ?40 a year i have the choice of the best waters around!....

I still class myself as a "pleasure" amgler!!!!!

MOST CLUB MEMBERS ARE PLEASURE ANGLERS!!

AS for the EA... i think they do a grand job!... they have a lot to contend with.
I just feel guilty that i live a stones throw from "cheeky Jeff" and i didn't know that this stuff was going on?... who's fault is that i wonder?.
 
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Dave Slater

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Jeff,
If I lived in your area I would join your club if there were vacant places as you have a pretty balanced view of things. I agree with your postings on this thread. The main criticism of the EA I have, as mentioned by others on various threads, is their strong bias towards trout and salmon. Although licences for these cost more I am sure they get most of theit revenue from coarse anglers. The other reservation I have is that they seem to be moving in a very commercial way. I am concerned that groups which attract a lot of people, such as match fishing and carp fishing, will oust out the interests of those of us who like peace and quiet. Other than these two points I think the EA seem to do a good job.
 
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Baz

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From the above postings, there only seems to be one little hiccup.
And that is who moves the litter from the free stretches of river which monkey says are free and uncontrolled.
 
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John Hepworth

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Baz, when I did fish the free bits of river in my area I would take away whatever litter was lying around where I fished. In the end I would spend almost as much time collecting other peoples rubbish as I did fishing - so I just don’t go there any more, preffering to fish in more pleasant surroundings. Probably less and smaller fish, but at least I am not sat amongst other peoples rubbish. Some people really are disgusting, I just wonder if they treat their homes and gardens in the same manner.
 
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John Hepworth

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Dave, I don' believe that the salmon projects are funded from licence income They, the E/A, tell us that there is no cross subsidy. However, I do think there is an unhealthy rush to get salmon running the Nations Rivers, whether or not it is wanted.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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I agree with Dave that far too much money has been wasted on Salmon, but I must back up John's statement that we coarse anglers don't fund any of it. It's governement money (actually taxpayers' money so I suppose we do) and on the Thames it's been a failure. I haven't had any recent fugures, but in 2002 I heard that by November only 17 salmon had been counted going through the fish ladder at Teddington and 5 salmon at Maidenhead and one lost its way and went up the Welland to Market Deeping. If only that money had been spent on research and restoration of coarse fish habitats!!!

For all my defending of the EA, I have been largely speaking of the boys in fisheries. I have to say that overall the EA is the largest DIS-organisation in the UK. One arm doesn't know at times what the other arm is doing. Other departments that affect us as anglers are Pollutions, Navigation, Levels, Recreation, Estates, Planning to name a few and do they talk to each other?

I have just received a letter from the Recreation Dept. of the Thames Region and it first informs me that it is 2 YEARS since the JUBILEE RIVER was opened. I knew and so did all my colleagues, have Recreations just found out? It goes on to say that they are now beginning TALKS on "How might the public use it for leisure". WHY WEREN'T THESE DISCUSSIONS STARTED 5 YEARS AGO????

It's not as if the Jubilee is a surprise, it been in planning since 1985! Why now are they thinking "What are we going to use it for?" It beggars belief at times that these people are on the Government payroll.
 
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