Crazy Comments

Is it any wonder that many of the non-angling public think fishing is cruel when a tabloid 'journalist' makes ill-considered comments like this?

If we new Catchpoles email we could all send him our comments direct

Yet another ill-informed dip shit, people like him really do need taking to task over things like this.

And once again, as we have no effective central controlling body, apart from the odd individual complaining our only reponse will be to talk amongst ourselves.......

You asked and you got.

charlie.catchpole@mirror.co.uk

I have just e-mailed him, copies to Des Kelly, sports editor and Piers Morgan, editor as follows;

e-mailed to charlie.catchpole@mirror.co.uk 8th November 2000

I quote "‘No angling though. That’s not at all cruel. Fish love having their mouths ripped open by metal hooks, didn’t you know?’

You may not fish but as a "journalist" on a national newspaper you have a responsibility to your readers for fairness. Anglers do not rip fishes mouths open with metal hooks. We use barbless and microbarbed hooks for small species so that little damage is done. Next you will be claiming that fish feel pain, just like the anti-angling movement have been doing for years. They don't, simply because they do not have the necessary structure to their nervous systems or the necessary pain receptors.

If you want to join the vegan agenda and ban all human interface with animals that is your right, but before you make anti-angling statements in your column you should at least have taken the trouble to find out what you are talking about and who your new freinds are. Your older readers will be pleased to know that they support no pets, i.e. cats or dogs, and that will lead to lots of very lonely old people.

There is no comparison between angling and badger baiting. Just like there is no comparison between a braindead bigot and a journalist.

You should be ashamed of yourself. The Daily Mirror, in its heyday, published the greatest fishing series ever; "Fishing with Mr Crabtree" by Bernard Venables, who still writes on angling and country matters. He is a man of talent and style, something sadly lacking in your pathetic attempts.

We should be grateful that you only cover TV and nothing of any importance. Piers may consider the damage done to the Mirror in the eyes of its angling readers, we number more than a million you know and most of us buy a daily paper. Still you needn't worry it won't be the Mirror in future.

Mike Heylin

Now all we need now is for 100,000 anglers to do the same and the Mirror network will collapse under the e-mail load.

Mike

An excellent response from Mike, and what I suggest is that we all do what he suggests and e-mail the Mirror. If anyone is not sure what to write simply copy and paste Mike's comments into a mail and send that.

I had this reply yesterday from Des Kelly. He also confirmed he wasn't in the pub....
Dear Paul,
Funnily enough, an Angling Column is something I've been looking at using
from January if I can a) get the right person and b) get some extra
space...
I was taught how to Fly Fish (badly) in Ireland this summer and it was
marvellous. As for Catchpole.. well, what do you expect from a Norwich fan?
(He's a good lad, really, even if he doesn't fish).
All the best
Des Kelly
Sports Editor
The Mirror

Paul

Fantastic. I too have sent that idiot an email expressing my disgust and hope that many more Anglers follow suit.

Paul

You must be a good looking bloke. I haven't had the courtesy of an acknowledgement or a reply from any of them - yet.

Mike

I never received a reply either.
Typical poplulist, communist comic...............

No reply to me either, but I'm still wondering if that's good or bad.......

This Catchpoles / dip shit is going to love all your emails of complaints, just publish his home address and then we can all post him some maggots.