Mind The Gap!

Ok, ok, it could be fair to say that I partake in my fair share of wind-ups and that as general rule of thumb I’m extremely thick skinned and laugh at life most of the time. I’ve been fishing some 26 years now and favour all species (especially the tench) and would love to think that in an ideal world, that if the anti-fishing campaigns kick-off, both the carp fishermen and the coarse fishermen will stand side by side.

Unfortunately, there is a gap and that’s certainly not a good thing, there are enough people out there who believe there should be a divide between both sides.(pathetic really) and there’s those out there who disrespect fish of all species and treat them in a harmful manner. But it’s certainly not the majority.

If we are to support our fishing, then we need to stand together. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and everyone is welcome to their views. However, this forum is viewed by many and comments such as ‘Carp should be exterminated’ is certainly not the message we want to be putting across.

I would like to publicly put this banter straight with Mr. Ron Clay!

Dear Ron, you are doing more harm than good with your continuous bad mouthing of carp and carp anglers. Newcomers to the sport are reading your comments and immediately viewing your so called divide as the norm. If you can sleep at night under the pretence of selling more copies of your ‘Sheffield Angling Star’ by ripping open a seriously damming and negative attitude towards newcomers then so be it. But does the trade off of selling more copies against supporting fishing sit comfortable with you?

We need to unite our different styles of fishing for the times to come. Ron, keep your views to yourself and dialogues of this nature will not rise again. If you need a few extra quid to compensate for your loss of publication sales and just so you can sleep well at night, then give me a shout cos I’m loaded!

Be brave Ron, stand out from the crowd and post to this thread, that you won’t damn our support publicly on this forum. Point your threads and posts towards the upkeep and constructive support that our wonderful hobby deserves!

Live and let live Ron and think about the damage you are causing! By far the majority within our sport stand together and look after one another, don’t deliberately try to prize us apart for the sake of your own personal gain.

My carp attitude I suppose is part wind-up and part concern. I am not against carp anglers at all although I do not like the attitude of a few who deride other species and call the anglers who fish for them "Noddies".

This attitiude does still exist amongst a small number of carp anglers and that is a fact.

I am concerned with the enormous growth of stocked commercial waters, especially where natural mixed fisheries have been netted to make way for carp. There are other species that are worthy of pursuit too.

The vast majority of carp anglers are decent people who do fish for many other species with equal enthusiasm. Big Rik is one of them. Some of his rigs have helped me enormously with my barbel fishing and for this I thank him.

If I have caused any damage to this website or to angling as a whole then I will apologise. It never was my intention to do this and although some of my tongue-in-cheek comments may have upset some of you, it was never my intention that they should.

As regards the Angling Star. This is a monthly produced by Sheffield Newspapers. Other than writing a regular piece every month for which I receive a very nominal fee, I have no financial interest in the mag at all.

The ‘noddy’ part was to cause a rise, so it worked! it’s a term I could be labelled with myself when going after tench. Thanks for your comments Ron, very honourable and truly appreciated! I now thoroughly respect your view-point! Although I’d probably still push you in if I saw you!
Seriously though, thanks again
Stuart

Could we add the term nuisance fish to any list of no no's.

everyone should learn to catch other fish before they fish only for carp. fish the streams and lakes for chub, perch etc and learn yor water skills before you rip the mouth out of a large carp

I dont see what is wrong with the term nuisance fish, it can be used by any angler targeting any specific species. If you are pesterd by fish you are not targeting they become a nuisance, hence the term. These could be little chub snaffling your bait on a river, or big carp smashing up anglers fishing light for silver fish, or bream taking carp baits. I think the list of no no's should start and end with intollerence toward others just because they enjoy different aspects of the sport. And that is a sweeping statement intended to cover all who are guilty no matter what type of angling they persue.
Yes it is a fact that this attitude does exist amongst some carp anglers, but you want to try the shoe on the other foot mate. The anti carp angling attitude goes right to the top of many clubs. So as a serious and responsible angler who chooses to fish for carp, please forgive me if I dont shed a tear because you have had to endure a few disparaging remarks. You want to try and fish under conditions where dispareging remarks are part of your every trip, and the controling club do everything within their power to stop you enjoying your branch of the sport. I was once a member of a club where every carp angler was told they could not renew their membership. The reasons given? Non at all, they just did it because they could. Why? Because they wanted to! I have not once been in front of the committee of that club, or any club for that matter for breaking rules e.t.c.
Many waters have a boilie ban or restrictions in place. As to date I am yet to hear a good argument that stands up to scrutiny on this subject. It usually boils down to the same attitude I experienced with that club. We can because we want to, usually acompanied by some half baked unsound excuse come theory. I could go on all night sighting examples of blatant discrimination, but hey why waste my time and your time no one listens. Why should they, at the end of the day were just those pesky carp anglers. I am sorry for going on, but If you havnt noticed I am a little bitter. All I want to do is spend my free time doing what I love. Without it becoming like a mensa test, just to navigate through all the anti carp angling rules. How would some of you guys like it if they banned ledgering on the Severn for example? The reason given, we have because we can, and then some cock and bull excuse for the ban. Or a better example still, your club banned maggots because the amonnia was killing the fish. No proof that this was the case, but hey it will do, if they dont like it they can fish elsewhere. My concience is clear I have the upmost respect for all types of fish and the anglers who fish for them. IS YOURS???????????????
Please dismiss this post as the ramblings of a whinging carp angler, if this helps your concience. That usually does the trick.

Andrew , I fish for Carp amongst most other species.I do not like the term nuisance fish for the simple reason that it adds fuel to the anti Carp feeling that you have obviously suffered.I hope your rant made you feel better.

Not the slightest bit better, I will feel a whole lot better if and when there is no longer an anti carp feeling. Personaly I am at a total loss as to why this feeling exists in the first place. The thing that I cant understand is this, every angler can fish for carp if they so wish. If they choose not to, then fine that is their parogative. So why do some of those who choose not to fish for carp have such a bad attitude towards those that do.
I also fish for other species, and have done virtualy all my life. But why is it in the eyes of some, that as soon as I put my float rod away, and sit behind a pair of carp rods I instantly become the fishing equivelent of public enemy no 1. Yes I am very passionate about this, and why not? I have suffered in silence for years, with no effective means to argue these points. Now we have the means, and the established on line comunities I wont suffer in silence any more. If I can make one angler stop and think as to why this attidude exists, then in a miniscule way I have helped bridge the gulf between fellow anglers, and as such I make no appologies for my "rant".

Andrew I do not tink there will ever be a situation where this anti Carp feeling goes away totally. You sound like just the man to get on a few club committees and fight your corner.

Anti carp, barbel police , noddies, nusiance fish?????
As a relative newcomer to this fine world of angling (only about one year) I still consider myself a novice and beginner.
One thing I have noticed is there does seem to be some divides between the different species anglers. Myself I suppose can be classed as a "Pikey" but I fish for anything, Carp still no luck (but will try again), Barbel trip booked for July, Tench this weekend.
I have been lucky I suppose as, as yet I have not come accross any negativity from any other angler regarding the species I happen to be fishing for that day.
I can only hope that if PETA does get serious about fishing that all differences by all angling fraternities .can be put aside and that we can face them together.
We all want the same thing in the end, bent rod, nice surroundings, clean waters and healthy fish to fight another day.

"We all want the same thing in the end, bent rod, nice surroundings, clean waters and healthy fish to fight another day."

Very nicely put Kenneth.
Peter.

I fish for all species, I am definately not anti Carp angler; I have spent my share of long stays at waters like Darenth after the large carp in the past. There are divisions between Carp, Match and pleasure anglers and you need to understand the things that have created this silly gap. One such thing that creates friction is when Carp anglers think that you 'Graduate to Carp angling' as though Carp fishing is the pinnicle of expertise. Which is not true of course; as given a good bait, bait presentation and a good degree of watercraft any fool can join a good water then spend many hours sleeping waiting for that big fish (I've done it myself lots of times).
You are just as likely to graduate From Carp fishing to Barbel or to specimen Roach fishing. another thing that creates a dislike of Carp Anglers is the annoying habit of the normally less able Carp anglers of being posers and looking down their noses at people who don't have the very latest gear. (Funny how this usually applies only to the less succesful Carp anglers who still have something to prove?).
One last thing which is not only related to Carp anglers; It is a fact that some Pleasure anglers know more about fishing than some so called big fish men or Match anglers; just because an angler is a pleasure angler he is not necessarilly a noddy he may just not want to specialise in a particular species.
I love Carp fishing and Barbel Fishing and Tench fishing and the sooner we get rid of these stupid divisions the better.
There is No type of fishing that is any superior than the others, understanding this fact and respecting each others sport is the key. Tight Lines...