Did anyone see

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Ron Clay

Guest
In this programme it showed how the RSPCA netted and cleared a small urban pond of fish to prevent anglers fishing there so that they wouldn't damage swans!!

The pond contained rudd, bream, tench, roach etc.

I do not understand the mentality of why this was done. Surely fish have a right to exist in any water?

Over to you all for comments
 
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Tony Wainwright (Twainy)

Guest
wI didnt see the programme but what I would like to know is whether there will be any consequences. If you remove all of the fish you are interfering with the food chain. Will the pond now become weeded over and eventually silt up?
 
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vince battams

Guest
Ron yes i saw the programme and this is not the first time anglers have been slated on one of rolf harris's animal programmes.
i would like to know what this bloke or the bbc have against anglers, have they a hidden agenda in brainwashing joe public.
Doesn't rolf harris live on a houseboat on ther thames, maybe we should pump his boat with enough lead shot in the shape of a torpedo it will get this Aus been of the box haha
 
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Stuart Bullard

Guest
Well, not knowing all the facts, I would still say "what bollocks".

Why not get FM to write to the beeb about their views on fishing and refer to this instance??

Mind you, there is about as much chance getting a proper answer from President Blair....on any topic!
 
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Mark Williams

Guest
Also, I think it's illegal to net without proper licensing. Did the RSPCA have it? Maybe someone should ask the question. Save the swans? Christ alive, the Welland's white with the things right now - a lot more common than the fish they removed. If the royal family could do us a big favour, it would be reinstating roast swan on the royal menu. A mate of mine cooked one once and I ate some. Bit tough and gamey, but not bad at all
 
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Gerry Castles

Guest
Fact is, the actions of a minority continually give us bad press and having seen Animal Hospital on a number of occasions where line, hooks and weights discarded by thoughtless anglers is retrieved from birds stomachs, mouths, beaks and feet, it's no wonder that the average vet might have something uncomplementary to say about us. No doubt you might have guessed that I have recently found braided line, hook and shot discarded on the bankside with one end in the river. About 30 yds of the stuff, obviously from an overrun reel. last trip up to Welney I found discarded cans of sweetcorn jagged edge upwards, left there for some time by the state of decay. Last but one trip to the Broads saw two dead and one dying swan. Don't know how they died, shudder to think. That is why we face this kind of hostility on a daily basis. There's little point in having a swipe at the RSPCA, Rolf Harris, Animal Hospital or anyone else that can actively demonstrate that they ALL care about wildlife and the environment, because sadly we cant.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
The thing is Gerry, every waterbird which goes into the vets which rolf is in is automatically described as, suffering from what looks like lead poisoning probably from anglers discarded tackle. The bird could have tyre tracks and flakes of metalic paint accross it's feathers and anglers would be the first to be pointed at.
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
There is absolutely no doubt that there is a side of our sport that is unwholesome to say the least.

From the banks of the Trent to the gravel pits and from the commercial waters to the trout reservoirs, you constantly see it. Litter, sometimes of the worst type.

Many years ago I watched an angler dump an empty fag packet in the grass. I picked up the packet and returned it to him, with the rematk that he had dropped something. This bloke got exeedlingly agressive ond for a time I felt in fear of my life.

What do you do? How can we stop this blight on our sport?
 
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Stuart Bullard

Guest
I take Gerry's points entirely, however angling must be seen to be in tune with these issues. And proactively working with other organisations is key.

For example, someone senior from Angling bodies agreeing entirely that these instances are unacceptable. Offering to be part of programs like Animal Hospital to ensure anglers are getting the message and explain what we are doing to combat these things.

Mind you, there is only so much that can be done without proper policing. After all would you expect crime to reduce in an area if all policing was removed??

I fish a great variety of waters. Never had my license checked once, never had a local baliff question me about all the litter in my swim (not mine, previous anglers, and I always remove it).

Simple fact is, clubs and commercial waters need people through the turnstyles and are loathe to ban. RMC and Ian Welch seem pretty strict, thankfully, but I bet they are scratching the surface.
 
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Gerry Castles

Guest
Sorry Rodney that just isn't the case, if a water bird comes into a vets surgery showing the symptoms of lead poisoning or injury from hook or line then sadly it's a fair bet that's the problem. I have noticed that on Animal Hospital where the cause of the problem is known then we usually get to hear about it at the end. Where the problem is not known it's usually reported by RH as a 'mystery', not a 'mystery probably anglers' We have a culture of yobbish behaviour and stupidity that infects this sport just as much as football. Complain and you risk getting clobbered. In the first instance it's in the hands of clubs, water authorities and bailiffs to deal with the miscreants. The only places I've seen where some kind of law and order is enforced and where I always get the impression that I won't get away with much, is on the trout reservoirs run by Anglian Water where the wardens are always on the ball and also where I moor my boat on the Thames, a place where fishing is not just tolerated but encouraged and where boat owners are required (not just requested)to refrain from feeding the waterfowl.That way they are kept in check. So it can be done and an equilibrium between fishing and waterfowl (and boats) can be achieved.
The presence of the sweetcorn tins was painfully obvious, not exactly hidden. The bailiff was quick enough on his feet to grab our day ticket money, apparently his brief didn't cover litter.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
There is no excuse for the litter left behind on the bank but it's all over the country and not just at the waterside, tins should be emptied at home and disposed of in the correct way, it takes no effort and very little time, as I said no excuse.

I used to watch the show mentioned but stopped because of the reason I gave in the last post, every week it seemed to be anglers being blamed and when it turned out otherwise it was grudgingly brought up later, I have seen and heard the comments I posted and the comments 'probably anglers' was very common. I'm not naive enough to think none of the injuries on the show occur due to inconsiderate anglers as I'm sure a few are, but more are injured by flying into powerlines or being hit by cars and it 'aint them that run the risk of being made illegal are they?
 
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Gerry Castles

Guest
Well Rodney, the next time the 'probably anglers' comment comes up without any justification I'll let everone know on the forum and I'll personally lead the charge against Fortress BBC. Can't say fairer than that. In the meantime the core problem remains.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Couldn't ask for a better leader Gerry..... :eek:)

does anyone know what happened to these fish once they were netted? were they killed?, put into another water? (with the required permits)
 
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stu black

Guest
I have just now seen Animal Hospital with a sick swan on it. Happy coincidence!!

Only caught a few minutes but they were X-raying its neck and body. With the neck shot, the vet said "theres no anglers hooks or lead in this one"

Then the body shot, "theres no anglers hooks, lead or any other bits of anglers tackle in this one either."

Turned out the swan was mal-nutritioned,nothing else, yet they mentioned anglers and LEAD twice in just a few seconds!
 
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Phil Hatton

Guest
Does anybody seriously think that the 'Guardianistas' at the BBC are ever going to soften their attitude to Angling.We as a sport are pariahs of the highest order,right up there with hunters,Tories and George W Bush.Witness the repeated campaigns to gain recognition for the English match squad,all failures despite their recent achievements.You can't underestimate how much contempt the 'touchie-feelie', lefty, Disneyfied,holier than thou,self appointed guardians of public morality,feel for us.At a recent house party I had a glass of wine thrown in my face for daring to defend us.The comment 'murderous bastard' was used and people who were formerly friends are now blanking me(Some friends eh!)
That battle is unwinnable I'm afraid.
There's more we can do to put our house in order .I am hoping to be a bailiff for my club and I can assure you that our rules are tough.Under certain circumstancesI will be able to confiscate a membership card on the spot.For most of the common transgressions,littering,fires ,drinking,being in posession of tins or bottles we operate an endorsement policy which in effect means 'two strikes and you're out'.It may seem harsh but it works and we have no recruitment problems. It seems to me we need to be harder on ourselves.
 
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Gerry Castles

Guest
But Stu it was to confirm that no fishing tackle was present. You should be pleased that they bothered to do so, on this occasion exonerating anglers. It's got to be better than 'hhmm this looks possibly like a case of lead and hook poisoning' and leaving it there.If a vet is looking at a swan with obvious malnutrition and appears to be unable to eat, then it would make sense to check if there is any constriction caused by line, hooks, weights. Or does anyone think it might have swallowed a shopping trolley. If I catch a pike with an obvious look of malnutrition I check its' throat, half expecting to find it stitched by line, trace, hooks and weights. To suggest that on the number of occasions the vet is wrong outways the number of times that he is right doesn't take away the problem. It saddens me and it should sadden you that the incidence of damage to waterfowl from fishing tackle is so high that any vet would automatically make that kind of assumption. Or does anyone out there have a conspiracy theory that just before the cameras roll the director says 'Okay Doc, Rolf, lets put this one down to those evil anglers' Perhaps Graham might like to consider getting a vet's perspective on this.
 
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Alan (brush) Broomhead

Guest
I was out relaxing at my local pond yesterday, when a fellow angler, out walking his dog, stopped to ask how it was going.

While we were chatting, he heard his dog choking/coughing at the next peg, some idiot had discarded a hooklength complete with boilie attached, right on the bank, the guy managed to get to the boilie but the line came away in his hand and couldn't get to the hook, which was set deep in the dog's throat, necessitating an 'expensive' visit to the vets.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies!!
 
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