John Bailey

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Davy North

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After the flack Mr Bailey took for his article in last months Coarse Fisherman, by some of the biggest names in the sport, I'm suprised to see him at it again this month.

I'm not against people speaking their minds, and for a long time gave John the bebefit of the doubt, after all he must have put as many hours in watching fish as anyone. However having seen him quoted more than once on anti's web sites I can't help thinking he sould maybe keep his opinions to himself, because after all that is just what they are opinions.

I'm not going into the arguments they've been covered here before, but I do wonder if John thinks so much harm, and even psycological harm can be done to fish, how does he justify his own fishing? Or maybe he thinks he's the only person clever enough not to harm fish.

As I said, I'm not against people speaking their minds, but at the moment John's comments could do a lot more harm than good.

What do other people think?
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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I've said just about everything I can say on this topic. I just wish he would see that he is doing fishing more harm than good.

John is a very talented writer and it's a shame he can't manage to get off his high horse and use that talent to further the good in angling.

The problem is that he already thinks he is.
 
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DAVE COOPER

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He's a professional writer. Would I be considered cynical if I thought he was being this controversial to keep his name in the fishing public eye? He seems to be dropping these articles with monotonous regularity to keep people talking about him. Perhaps if we just ignore him he'll go away.......
 
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Paul Williams

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I am now finding Johns articles tedious to be honest and thats a shame, has he really run out of anything constructive to add to our sport? if so perhaps it is time to make way for someone else?
 
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Peter Morton

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Whilst i hate to see censorship,for the good of all involved i feel that the time has come for the editorial team of Coarse Fisherman to take a long hard look at the content of Mr Bailey's articals prior to any others being published.
Having been an avid reader of his in the past,i have to say that i'm a little disillusioned with the way that he appears to just be courting controversy and at the same time providing the ANTIS with ammo to use against us.
Peter.
 
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Stuart Bullard

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Peter, and all, we had this same debate about him following an article in IYCF. Many of us wrote to IYCF stating our disbelief at his writing, however it was ignored by them (does he still contribute to IYCF).

I must admit that when I read the articke last month I was gobsmacked. I had intended to put a post about it then, but never got round to it.

Graham, you know what he is like, and you obviously know the editorial team at CF, didn't you warn them??!! At the end of the day we can slag off JB as much as we want, however the final responsibility lies with CF for deciding to publish it. Why dont we pen a response for CF to publish as an article?? I'm happy to have a go....
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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I don't know what your chances are of getting it published as an article, but maybe as a letter in the letter's page. And a good starting point is to submit it to the letter's page through the CF logo at the top right of this page where it will definitely appear on this website and will definitely reach the CF offices.
 
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Stuart Bullard

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I think enough "big names" have responded already to make much of a difference. I wonder what that MP, who has just set up some form of parliamentary committee for fishing, thinks?
 
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Gary Knowles

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I don't agree with a lot of what JB has to say, but at least, in my opinion he has the bravery to speak out on what he feels is right, and to me that says a lot for a person. A lot of writers these days write the same monotonous guff month after month, nice safe stuff, never anything too controversial. If these are genuine beliefs of his then as long as he has a platform then in my opinion he is right to speak out. Wheter he is correct in his theories and assumptions is another matter.

Personally I think he writes some of the best atmospheric and thought provoking pieces around ......unfortunately he also writes some utter rubbish...........

Lets face it though, his is one of the first articles I read when CF drops through my letterbox each month !
 
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Stuart Bullard

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Barney, I agree, but do you not think he has a responsibility to angling to make his points in such a way that could not be construed as potentially damaging ? It is sometimes a fine line but I really do think he steps way over that line. I just wish he would concentrate on his "atmospheric" writing, which I agree is often brilliant, and stay out of the "politcal" debate.

That is not to say that we should stick our heads in the sand, Angling does have a responsibility and I think as a sport it should feel proud of the way it has driven through change which benefits fish. Perhaps high profile mags like CF are not the correct forum......
 
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Gary Knowles

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Stuart,

A good point and I wouldn't argue with what you say except that as long as high profile mags are happy to give JB the platform then he is perfectly entitled to speak out for what he genuinely believes in. Censorship can only be a bad thing.

Bear in mind though that I also agree with what Graham said earlier, in that he his now doing more harm than good but at the end of the day I admire him having the balls to stick his neck above the parapet.............
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Jesus Bailey has too large a platform to air his opinions and semi facts upon other anglers' tactics, tackle, methods & fish care, He may be a brilliant writer but his privileged position is constantly being abused by his disregard for facts. He uses his own definition of a situation and gives fish human responses, thought processes and emotions.
I feel the only time his name is brought up is when he has angered people with his opinions and they respond angrily. I can't think of a time a letter was submitted to CF complimenting him on any of his recent batch of articles. His talent is being wasted, his comments repetitive and his anti everything I used to do but don't any more and neither should you attitude is getting boring.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

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Sorry I always get John & Jesus mixed up........must be the king of fisherman thing < Grin >. ;-}~
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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I still see the real problem lying with the fact that John thinks he's right and nothing, but nothing, is going to change his mind. He's on a crusade.

Look at the state of the whole world right now and you'll find a crusader at the bottom of every pile, and every one thinking he's the only one who's got it right.

If the protestants would leave the catholics alone, and vice-versa, and just follow and enjoy the faith they believe in, and apply the same principle to jews, muslims, etc, etc - you get my drift - the world would be a happier place.

And that's all I ask in angling, whether it's to do with the protestations of the barbel police, the crusades of John Bailey - whatever. Do your own thing, enjoy it, and be more tolerant of the way in which the other guy wishes to fish.

If he's not harming himself, not harming you, and not harming the fish, can't we just leave him alone to enjoy whatever it is we may not like ourselves? Do we have to make a song and dance about it because it doesn't fit in with the way we like to fish?

I've said it before and I make no apology for saying it again. If I felt the same way that John Bailey does about fish I would do the honourable thing and pack it in.
 
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Davy North

Guest
Too right Graham,

Which begs the question, does he believe it?
 
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David Will

Guest
The problem is he has a place to air his eccentric egotistical views. CF should pull the plug it's not as if anyone reads him anymore.
 
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Paul Williams

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Got to disagree with you on this one Barney, i can't be arsed to read Johns articles half the time anymore, i really do find them a total turn off.
One minute he's spouting off that introducing guys to waters is a bad thing then he's taking their ???'s and introducing them to stretches of the Wye that he now sees as his!!
IMHO it aint sensorship it's getting rid of someone who has now lost his way with regard to our sport.
Would PETA be allowed a column in a top angling mag? of course not, .....neither should John at the moment.......censorship or self preservation?
 
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Gary Knowles

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Paul,

We aint far of agreeing here actualy. I don't think what he's writing is good for angling. I don't agree with any of his recent ramblings, I personally don't think the team at CF should let him be publishing what he is at the moment, it IS ammunition for PETA and not a great advertisment for any of us. To agree with David (above) he seems egotistical and eccentric (I say seems as I have never met him) - I think we agree on all that.

All I'm saying is this, if, and it is an if, he beleives what he writes, and he knows that he will take a load of grief for writing it, then I admire his courage for standing up for his convictions - regardless of whether he is right or wrong.
 
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Andrew Thomas

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I was entertained in Mr Bailey's last article by the photograph captioned "Pin paradise". In it a winsome blonde trots with a.....you guessed it: fixed spool reel.

As the article claimed the high ground for the centrepin, [ "to get to the heart of what river fishing's at" ], perhaps this was an instance of sub-editors revenge. Any ideas Graham ?

Mr Bailey seems to reckon himself to have sole access to the intellectual and moral high ground of fishing and as such is predictably tedious.
 
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