PAC & Blithfield - U Turn

GrahamM

GrahamM

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And about bloody time!

From the first knee-jerk reaction it was the worst thing to happen to pike fishing in a long time.

The whole saga ably demonstrates how important it is to take a deep breath and think a little, at least, before issuing statements that anyone could see would have far-reaching consequences no matter where your sympathies lay.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
I honestly believe that the whole thing turned into a war of words with little or no real thought to the issue, at the end of the day i think individuals have come out of it with little credit but personally i think this is the right thing to do, the sad thing is it all need not have happened, i don't for one minute think any big pike would have been killed, fish come off or accidently fall back in don't they? at the end of the day it pays to ask yourself what you would do if you were offered a session on an exclussive big pike water with similar rules, the methods surrounding such waters ain't for me but if they let me on with a free hand i don't think i could keep away!!!
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
Not seeing the statement, only the brief report, it's difficult to make too much comment. But from what it seems, there are some very gracious people around. Good work, whoever engineered what went on behind the scenes. I'm sure issues have been tackled and dealt with and it is right and proper of course that that takes place, but also correct that things of this nature are dealt with out of the public domain. This news can only be for the general good of angling.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Been a long debate on this one on Anglers Net.Like it or not things must move on and if angling unity is to be achieved then it is a good starting point for one of the biggest single species groups to unite first.I agree with Stew a very good bit of back ground diplomacy here.
 
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Andrew Calvert

Guest
Myself and my regular fishing partner were placed in a very similar situation this winter. We have access to a trout lake between November and the end of February. We fished it last year and had some wonderful fish (Average 14lb, best 35.5lb)although this year we were told that if we fished it all pike must be killed (and as it's a small water and syndicate members would more than likely be checking on us we couldn't have just dropped them back), which is against the law in Northern Ireland (and now thankfully the South as well)to kill any pike over 4kgs. As we couldn't fish it and allow ourselves to kill any pike we have spent the last two months organising the relocation of all pike we catch to another lake with the full backup and support of the Department of Agriculture. We've lost two months fishing this venue but our licence to transport will come into effect on the 6th January and we will hopefully make up for it.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
The recent resignation of the life memberships of Ralston and Frank have made me see sense on this subject. Whilst unity in angling as a whole is extremely important I now realise that unless this "unity" starts at the bottom it will be short lived. We appear to have regained one important member but lost two other equally important members! Regardless of my status/lack of status in the Pike angling world I will not yet be reviewing my membership position. I will merely carry on trying to put something back into Piking from outside. My dream of being able to join a united PAC and therefore, ultimately have a united Angling must for the time being remain just that, a dream.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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It is very sad that one issue (Blithfield) has brought such division to an organisation that has done such sterling work for pike and pike fishing.

The problem is that I can see how everyone concerned must feel, including Frank Gibbons, Ralston McPherson, Neville Fickling and co, and the present PAC Committee.

Hence my comment at the head of this thread.

But I have to add that hindsight is a wonderful thing.
 
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Paul Williams

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Personally speaking i'm still convinced that the Blithfield part of all this is now forgotten and the real issue is the aftermath of it all, i don't personally know the guy's who have resigned but my own opinion is that resigning has done nothing other than caused more bad blood surely if would have been better to stay and voice opinion from within? it doesn't matter which point of view we agree with on this issue it has imo all become over dramatic now and the only thing that is really suffering is the credibility of the PAC as a whole.
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
Does anyone actually care?

A very small group of people had a falling out.
How big is the PAC anyway? 300 or 400 people?
Some self proclaimed heads of a small gang fell out with some other self proclaimed heads of another section of the same small gang.

Who cares?
I don't that's for sure.

It sure showed pike anglers up for being argumentative, non-thinking Neanderthals.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Yes Rik,a lot of anglers both pike and none pike care.The whole issue as seen by most is not the actual Blithfield fish in,the expulsion of some of the members or their subsequent reinstatement but the way the PAC handled the whole affair.As I have allready said I feel that in order to unite angling in general then the single species groups must find harmony first.An unusual post from you as you are normally very constructive.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Budgie, i know piking is very close to your heart as it is mine and you are of course right plenty do care but the worrying thing is the harm this episode is doing to piking as a whole, i've got to be honest and say that there are a gonna be a lot of anglers looking in who are getting sick of the whole thing and view piking in a very negative light and in a way who can blame them......i think it's gonna get worse before it gets better......mind you no one can say you don't do anything to promote piking, sounded like a very profesional teach in the other day, nice one, perhaps the wrong guy's are fronting PAC ?????
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
Thanks Paul.
This episode has dragged on for so long that apart from those actually involved most people are pretty tired of it.
It doesn't show angling in a very good light when people who fish and think alike can't even get on.

Matchmen arguing with carp anglers is understandable.
Pikers arguing amongst themselves.......
this, I don't understand.

My previous post was very negative and was meant to elicit some reasonable reply.
 
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Alan Pearce

Guest
Very very sad that two senior members should resign, and in public too. Just when we thought the wound may be healing another gash appears. It must be very hard for the new committee right now and I think they deserve as much support as possible. Not forgetting those that felt they could not stay on board for whatever reasons. I have not been a PAC member for some years but feel very tempted to rejoin as a sign of support for the organisation as a whole, not to endorse right or wrong, this way or that, but in the interests of pike fishing overall. I guess I also feel a bit guilty having helped organise the peace process with PAC and NF. Both sides wanted peace and to prevent any further damage being done to PAC, they needed a mechanism to bring this about. As the rest of angling has or is in the process of moving forward towards unity this seemed the ideal vehicle.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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Alan Pearce wrote: "Both sides wanted peace and to prevent any further damage being done to PAC, they needed a mechanism to bring this about. As the rest of angling has or is in the process of moving forward towards unity this seemed the ideal vehicle."

Best thing I've read about the whole issue since it began.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Yes the mess seems to have become worse.No it does not show Pike anglers in a good light,more the reason I wish it would be resolved.But resolved it must be otherwise many will leave and even more will not rejoin.Also I can apreciate how many of you are by now fed up with it all.As each newly elected commitee is brought in my hopes are raised but for many years now I have always felt dissapointed at the least.Any way no more from me on this subject.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
I think there are a couple of points here.

- Those of us who are not PAC members should join. Now that the new committee have finally managed to sort this out, those of us who have spent the last few months saying this should have happened should put our money where our mouths are (so to speak...).

- Our behaviour on the bank does far more to cultivate or destroy the image of pike and pikers than any organisational row which means very little to anyone outside pike fishing circles. Last weekend, we picked up discarded line, traces, plastic bags, beer cans, bottles etc from a 20-yd stretch of drain where people walk their dogs etc. One picture of a dog with a trace in its foot in the local rag would probably do us more harm out there than any number of resignations or expulsions from an organisation 99.9 per cent of the general public have never even heard of.
 
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