The Fish Rots from the Head

A very deep but very meaningful piece from angling philosopher Alex Schwab. Read and digest and agree or not it certainly makes you think.

cor blimy, it does take a bit of reading doesnt it.

Ive read it a couple of times and still dont understand all of it.

I did pick up on the fact that Swiss fish are now different that any others and am wondering when some idiot will try and get UK fish the same.

Fish with dignity! Fish with intrinsic value! Oh! my gawd, whatever next, compulsory schooling (pardon the pun) for fish? I'm afraid I don't begin to understand most of the reasoning other than the fact that the Swizz are completely bonkers, could it be something in their water do you think?

I always found the Swiss the most difficult people to do business with.

And walk into a Swiss board room with other than a Swiss watch, and you will not get the order!

Thanks for posting this, it's pushed me to go and find some ofthe books he's written. Unlesswe have people able to argue back using the same level of thoughtthat the antis employ, we will always lose, or appear to lose in the public eye, arguments about the ethics of what we do.

Those AR people who are frequently in contact with the media put a lot of time and effort intorehearsingwhat they say, for them it is their livelihoodabove everything else.Small but vociferous pressure groups caneffect policychanges in the absence of any effective resistance.

Anyone not yet joined the Angling Trust?

It worries me! In the future,could I be sued by the fish I've caught? (or intend to catch and release)

How do you catch a fish with dignity? Is this some kind of new bait? Or will saying'jolly good scrap you put up there Mr Fish' suffice?

Edit after reading above post... You better not get me to be spokesman then..

I have one of his books.I have not quite yet found a dark enough room to lie down in after attempting to read a chapter!

I am going to print that in case i have trouble dropping off to sleep one night./forum/smilies/sleepy_smiley.gif

They passed this as a law?!? is this why you can't practice catch and release in Germany as well. The anti's are a lot more advanced than I thought, fingers the Angling trust can do a good job!

An absolutely amazing article, so much so I have just ordered all his books, so simple to understand and digest/forum/smilies/nerd_smiley.gif

Catch and release banned because the fish's ego is affected? I'm fairly sure I'm right when I say animal rights campaigners have less mental capacity combined than the animals for which they fight.

Why do some people make animals, fish in this case, into thinking humans or at least give them human characteristics?

Perhaps we could picture the fishlike todays Yobs. Instead of, "Look here I have a ASBO", the fish might just be swimming around like mad indicating to its fellow fish, "Look at me, I've been hooked, yipeee".

A rough guide to fish behaviour

daily Swim eat sh#t

yearly spawn

end.

Some people must have so much spare time to pen the thoughts that flash by!!

Pen?

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Fin the Fish wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>Catch and release banned because the fish's ego is affected? I'm fairly sure I'm right when I say animal rights campaigners have less mental capacity combined than the animals for which they fight.</blockquote>


So what does that say about the people who end up with their activities, interests and freedoms restricted because of the campaigners?

Many of the AR organisations in the UK arecompanies with "charitable arms", they are actually pretty slick PR organisations, quick to pick on any scientific literature and selectively quote from it to support their primary aims of maintaining the flow of donations and other funding streams. They say the right things to target those people looking for a cause (there are many, many emotionally damaged people out there looking to right some wrongs by proxy), and their websites are careful to say nothing about their accounts or how much the directors remove as "expenses". Nor do they mention some of their less salubrious links, or some of their real crackpot aims. All very nicey nicey "stop animal abuse", easy for people to sympathise with as long as they don't read exactly what definition of "animal abuse" is being used. In a recent "celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", presented by Chris Tarrant (an angler),contestant Nick Hancock (an angler) named as his"charity" just such an organisation, which really left me baffled. If anyone actually knows either of them, feel free to ask what the hell they were up to.

Tooffset theinsidious creepof negative PR from groups like this, various Swan Rescue groups etc. etc., anglingresponds withKeith Arthur talking the sort of stuff that sounds like it was made up on the way home from a heavy session at the pub, the AT printing headlines like "Otters On The Rampage!", and a news story from last yearabout three pillocks on "long term sick" who had signs printed for the public saying "bugger off and leave me alone", and so on.

If there's a big push from the umbrella organisations for these groups to target angling we really could be in trouble. Typically they would start by targeting local authorities which they feel are weak, looking to fragment any resistance.

Coelacanth, by quoting and entering into debate with these groups you are being sucked into their insidious plans. Just quoting & debating such obviously anal piffle gives credence and recognition to a viewpoint that is neither rational, scientifically proven, universally accepted, or has any vote catching possibilities for politicians.

OK for a thesis for a philosophy degree, but no place in the real world, anyway for the next 10 years politicians will have their hands full trying to sort out the financial mess they have allowed to happen.

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Gary Dolman wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

Just quoting & debating such obviously anal piffle gives credence and recognition to a viewpoint that is neither rational, scientifically proven, universally accepted, or has any vote catching possibilities for politicians.</blockquote>
It appears that German and Swiss politicians disagree with you. I think that some people in Bewdley might also.

must say i am a tad disapointed

if you google "miss switzerland 2005 in cabbage bikini" all you can find is this article on FM

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Coelacanth wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote><blockquote class=quoteheader>Gary Dolman wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

Just quoting & debating such obviously anal piffle gives credence and recognition to a viewpoint that is neither rational, scientifically proven, universally accepted, or has any vote catching possibilities for politicians.</blockquote>
It appears that German and Swiss politicians disagree with you. I think that some people in Bewdley might also.</blockquote>
lots of anal piffle in Bewdley! /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif