Opinion Piece ? We?ve never had it so Good

GrahamM

GrahamM

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Whether you agree with Prof Tench or not there is plenty here to get your teeth into. It's a long read of almost 9500 words.

Do you agree with all, or anything, he's written? Do you agree, or disagree, with some of the things he's written?

Let's hear what YOU have to say.
 
M

MarkTheSpark

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Phew. I'm on chapter nine, but I get the message.

I wrote that opinion piece in 15 minutes having, as I do, a life. I bow to Prof. Tench's superior knowledge of the water industry since, clearly, he works for it and I do not.

However, the central message of my piece was that I would endorse any licence levy which paid for the science angling needs to fight its battles - battles that angling traditionally fights with anecdote and emotion.

Regarding abstraction, I was not referring, as he suggests, to the Avon catchment, etc, but to the chalkstreams and other watercourses, like those in Hertfordshire, which once supported fishing syndicates and could now not sustain a pond-dipping club.

Prof. Tench conveniently shelves the subject of phthalate pollution. These oestrogenic chemicals have, it is believed, led to a situation in which on my local River Nene meant that 100% of all fish caught in a netting survey proved infertile; this is serious issue, and one which is not being addressed by legislation against phthalate use.

I will endeavour to read the remaining 18 chapters recounting the slightly dull history of water management, but I remain, as will many FM readers, true to the suggestion that angling was better when we could catch 20lb of roach from the river than it is when we can only catch 10lb. Something is wrong, and no amount of obfuscation no matter how well-wrapped in words, will alter that opinion.

If only, as I said originally, angling had the science to discover why...
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Plenty indeed Graham.

Mostly I would totally agree with the points made in the article, and what a great article it was.

I do wonder though, considering the prolific length, if it might have not prompted more comment had it been split into 2 or even 3 parts.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading it, and learned quite a lot.

Thanks to Prof. Tench.
 
T

Tony Rocca

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A very good round up of where we are today and how we got there I think.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

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I would like to know who Prof. Tench is.

I have no objection to people writing under pseudonyms when it's a lark, a bit of fun, an amusement for the readers, v.v. my bit penned under "Lou Smorrels" or the works penned under "Prof Bumblebee".

It would be nice to know, though, who the author of this is since it deals with serious issues and calls into question the thoughts of another writer who at least was honest enough to put his name to his article. To hide behind a cloak suggests they may have something more sinister, a senior position or other association maybe, to conceal. I cannot take this account, no matter how long, seriosuly unless I know this person credentials.

Time to come out Prof. Tench!
 
G

Gav Barbus

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Straight talking and easy to understand .
Dont agree with all of it though I believe our sport is being eroded gradually and if you cant see that I would suggest you take your blinkers off.Take a look at pike fishing its on the back foot, whos branch of the sport will be next?
I share your concerns for our sea life though after seeing what the trawlers do to the sea bed how this is still allowed is beyond me its criminal. I would like to see all fishing in our waters to be banned for 5 years apart from rod and line of course, tough I know but its the only way to save whats left.
As for rivers I agree to much is made of the chalk streams as much as I like them they do get alot of attention when like you say if they are that bad why do northners like me still travel down there for the fishing.
One more thing that I would like to see happen is more trees on the riverbank and if they fall in leave them in dont keep clearing them as I think they add to character and can only be good for the fish for cover from preadators and flood.
 
J

john conway

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I found this a very refreshing article and most of the arguments I seemed to agree with, but there again I?m optimistic by nature.
At first I was put off by the length of the article but once I?d started it held my interest to the end.
I thought about the anonymity of the author, but that just stopped me thinking about where it was all leading if I had known the author?s politics.
 
B

Bully

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Too long to read I am afraid. I did notice on skimming thru the following -

"the scientific basis for atmospheric pollution causing global warming has been around since at least the 1970's (see Mitchell, J. M. 1977). Global Warming has been presented as scientific fact in academic texts since the 1980's and the recent IPCC report makes no really new observations than those presented in the first one published in 1990."

I studied climatology at Uni (79 -83) and it was only presented as theory then, and now many of the traditional theories are being challenged increasingly by many "proper" scientists as being unsound, especially the use of ice cores which has been the central evidence.

The most recent report that everyone is jumping up and down about actually had peoples names attributed to it who were never even involved and two are threatening court action!! All kept very quiet though....

Sorry, global warming really, really gets on my nerves!!
 
P

Phil Hackett The common Boastful Expert :-)

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Don't keep us in the dark Bully, tell us who these people are?
 
T

Tony Rocca

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Gav, I wouldnt agree that our sport is being eroded due to the lack of resource for as Prof Tench says we have never had it so good in terms of opportunities available.

Its being eroded, as is our society, by the very folks who participate.


.
 
G

Gav Barbus

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I agree theres more places to fish but you cant always fish them the way you like you can fish but only on certain terms.
Are some of our fellow fishermen doing us no favours by allowing and voting for such rules I think so ,boom thats another shot in the foot as we crumble to outside pressure or are they on the inside?
 
B

Bully

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Cant remember Phil, I read it in an article a few weeks ago (Independant).....I'll try and dig it up.
 
W

William Bovington

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I would agree with the majority of what prof.tench has written especially with regards to how many fisheries there are today ,we have been spoilt, and regarding angling has lost direction , well ,I have met many carp anglers who,have only been fishing for six months, and already their only interested in 30's and 40's.Is this angling or trophy hunting
 
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goody

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A long read, but one of the best on FM. Might have to read it several times because much of it, i seem to agree with.
 
P

Phil Hackett The common Boastful Expert :-)

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Woody I've got it down to three academics and my gut instinct is it M E. Clearly he?s of the right age, does work within the water industry, and has in the past written articles on tench.

If it is ME, then like his pieces in journals like Freshwater Forum, I tend to agree with about 60% of it.
 
J

john conway

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One of the lads at work who is into OU courses, posted me a very interesting article regarding climate change and all the hype accredited to it. Bit like Prof Tench's article. However its on my box at work, I'll copy it to Graham and ask him to post it as a discussion piece, I'll also find out it's source so that anyone who wishes to challenge its validity can go to the source. It ends basically saying we've been here before and whatever the reason for the increase or decrease in world temperature, one thing is for sure, its extremely stupid to waste finite carbon energy sources.
 
M

MarkTheSpark

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Having now had the time to read Prof. Tench's response to my article in full, I find myself agreeing with much of its substance. In particular, his assertion that a little organic 'pollution' is a good thing is absolutely spot on; the solubles in a few cow turds being washed into rivers was what made Ireland such a happy hunting ground.

What I do find odd is that this anonymous poster found my opinion so offensive; he has since followed it up with an email containing some pretty offensive personal remarks.

I was tempted to post this email, but it is, frankly, a little long-winded and off the subject in many areas. It does amplify his opinion that fishing's never been better, and that he feels there's nothing much we can do for the freshwater environment.

So can I just ask if FM thinks we have never had it so good? That was the premise for his ensuing 9,500 words.

Speaking from 35 years of river fishing, I cannot agree that the Dorset Stour, for example, is anything like as good as it was when I was a lad.
 
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Peter Bishop

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Over 9500 words of personal opinion is an self indulgence as far I am concerned. I'll give a sympathetic ear to anyone's reasonably held views, but when it rambles on to a sixth of the number of words in my last two books, I dozed off half way through.
Thats not an opinion piece, its a dissertation for a Masters degree.
 
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