I can hardly believe some of the dismissive comments that have followed Barrie Rickards article. I won't pursue the rather strange view that Barry Rickards is some kind of angling Worzel Gummidge, save to say he is amongst other things, the president of the Lure Anglers Society, a much respected member of the angling community and one of the finest lure anglers and angling authors that this country has produced.
Lets concentrate on the real issue.
First PETA are not some bunch of 'do- gooders with nothing else to do' They are a highly motivated political group with a multi-million pound budget and a legal team to match. The 'do-gooders' are a minority of new world hangers-on, whose agenda will change next week if something more interesting comes along. But take it from me the hardcore are in for the long term and are well supported financially by the likes of the McCartney family and any number of aging popstars and actors who think their involvement might freshen up their image. Make no mistake they will be back and when they do they will be nibbling away at the edges of angling, bigger and wiser than the last time and in reply UK anglers as a society will be it's usual disorganised, 'couldn't give a toss', 'not my problem', 'what can I do' rabble and that's the reason why PETA came here in the first place. Fishermen in the USA are far more organised, far more aware of each other and far more together, whether it be fly,lure, salt, game or whatever they are far more active in supporting the continuing existence of their sport. Kids are encouraged at a very early age. There's a tag line that a lot of people use on their websites, ads and forum messages-it says 'take a kid or an old person fishing' and they do.
When the EA started down the road of banning live and dead bait in the Lake District, PAC put together pre-printed forms protesting at these draconian measures and all it's members had to do was sign and return them to the EA. The response was pathetic and yet those that didn't bother to respond will be the first to start whining on the predator forums if things turn sour and the ban is upheld. By then it will be too late and the EA will turn their attention to similar restrictive bye-laws somewhere else and then somewhere else. The Countryside Alliance should have a larger representation from a broader spectrum of the angling community,it doesn't. Game anglers are out in force, no doubt due to the great job Charlie Jardine did, but where are the maggot drowners, the boilie brigade, the match circuit, the sea anglers- gone fishing.
If anyone believes this is not their problem, that there's nothing to worry about, then you're in for a rude awaking, and soon, the Lake District baitfishing issue is only the tip of a very large iceberg. You could at least start by reading Barrie's message again and making better sense of it, oh and stop buying Paul MacCartney CDs. But then who does.