Hang on a minute, Paul. I'm a free agent now, who was first and foremost an angler before I professionally came to the defence of hunting, shooting and fishing. What I've written barely mentions hunting, so the Alliance references refer to my previous life, as it were. To refer to my piece as Alliance 'sh1te' is to say its Stocker 'sh1te', but because we aren't acquainted with each other, I shan't take it personally. Like it or not, the CA's PR skills have won plaudits from the press, and they won a prestigious PR industry award in 2002 for 'overall excellence in public relations'. You seem to base all your criticism on my CA connection.
It might be more helpful, then, if you'd like to comment on my basic assertion viz that if angling is relatively 'invisible' as an activity so far as the general public is concerned, then it is easier for folk with an agenda to start demonising anglers/angling. Also, you may wish to comment on my observations that ideological forces are abroad that are innately hostile to activities that can be construed as abusing or exploiting 'nature'. Don't forget, it was the Greens who admitted in the European election manifesto wanting to see an end to angling. The one thing I wanted this piece to be was non-hysterical, measured, and about taking the long view.
In the Spring of 2003 I 'sold in' a photo-feature piece (ie. I wrote it and gave it away)to three big regional newspapers, on the subject of 'the joys of fly-fishing for trout now that Spring is here'. Lots of what-its-all-about-and-how-to-get-started info., written in a style aimed at the ordinary person who knew nothing of the subject. The papers reproduced it word for word, and picture for picture. If this kind of exercise is wrong, Paul, I'd like to know why. Dave S.