"At our meeting of 13 clubs representing 1600 anglers the other night I heard soemviews which startled me.
Two delegates whose views I respect, although often argue with, expressed that as far as they were concerned fishing on rivers would be finished by 2025.
They felt that this would be brought about by public pressure, perhaps the PC brigade or anti-anglers, who knows.
Whatever, they seemed to think that we are heading for a total closure on to fishing on rivers.
Still waters would be ok, they thought.
Do you agree?"
Total carp (is that the name of a respected modern angling publication, as written by a dyslectic?).
Fishing (river, stillwater, coarse or game (the latter excepted, at least for a well-paying few; these always 'get by') WILL be finished by said date if the owners, commercial operators, the mags and the Trade continue to rule the roost, set trends, make anglers buy what they need them to...
Poison the organic grassroots of Angling for profit, and just see the whole lot go belly-up. PDQ.
Fishing is (or was) something that niggles at the mind of initially attracted, then, if the conditions are right, can grow to become a passion / an addiction / a way of life / a means of expressing himself (in America and other more democratic, socially mobile nations, HERself), an escape from the still top-down constraints of work (do this because I said so...).
Angling -- the real thing -- xists -- LIVES AND THRIVES -- in the individual yet collective head. It's not just another leisure or shopping opportunity (or shouldn't be -- should NEVER BE). If Angling's "leaders" (so often, these days, self-appointed, self-serving and highly likely to disappear from the scene (abroad, anywhere) once they have made the necessary amount of loot)can get this into their (let's be generous, Now) modratlyly challenged brains, then Ordinary Joe British Fisher (and, as a result, our rivers and Angling itself)might just stand something more than just a short-term health (health as defined as how many ???s or $$$s the punter is currently spending).
What's the answer to the problem?
Just go fishing. For yourself. And don't be led.