Angling trust fish legal put subs up

[david i]

I think a lower rate for OAP's is certainly a good idea, my organisation rates for example are:

£66 for adults
£56 for OAP's and club members
£22 for Juniors - up to 21

Since the recession hit we also give a discount to those on Job Seekers Allowance

I see no reason why a member could not ask for this to be debated and voted on at AGM i guess? Or at the very lease have it proposed for the elected members of the Board to discuss and let us know?

David

 

[alan whittington]

Im not sure,but i think im right in saying that a fair proportion of members of the RSPB are NOT birdwatchers,but people who like birds and look at them when they can,as i do,my in-laws are members and ask me about birds,i feel there is a similar situation in angling(i.e. how many regular anglers are there?),the thing with the RSPB is the members who dont dash out with their telescopes feel they are doing their bit for wildlife,where that cant be widely said about angling can it?

 

[david i]

I disagree; there are significant conservation benefits with angling. A pond, lakes, brooks rivers and so on create a haven for wildlife of all kinds.

Many small, medium inland waters are managed by anglers / angling clubs to the great benefit of the local wildlife.

And of course, when the local river, brook, stream, pond etc is polluted out of existence, its with the help of the AT / Fish Legal for example, that its put back to the site it was in before, and not just for the benefit of the fish / fishermen, but all the other animal and plant species as well.

David

 

[alan whittington]

I disagree; there are significant conservation benefits with angling. A pond, lakes, brooks rivers and so on create a haven for wildlife of all kinds.

Many small, medium inland waters are managed by anglers / angling clubs to the great benefit of the local wildlife.

And of course, when the local river, brook, stream, pond etc is polluted out of existence, its with the help of the AT / Fish Legal for example, that its put back to the site it was in before, and not just for the benefit of the fish / fishermen, but all the other animal and plant species as well.

David

As an angler i agree with you,but please look from the outside,we are swan and fish killers,we litter and damage the bankside,something that cant be said for a nick-nick,environment minded bird watcher,ask people who you work with,there are a lot of people verging on the anti.

 

[stu_the_blank]

As an angler i agree with you,but please look from the outside,we are swan and fish killers,we litter and damage the bankside,something that cant be said for a nick-nick,environment minded bird watcher,ask people who you work with,there are a lot of people verging on the anti.

Spot on Alan. This is exactly the anti-angling propaganda that we need to counter. Our side of the story rarely gets told. We need a more forthright 'Voice of Angling'!

Stu

 

[david i]

Yes i agree, we have a good story to tell, so lets tell it!

But I also know how hard it can be to get positive stories into the press - not impossible, but hard.

For example an editor of a national paper has two stories in front of him:

1. Angler accused of killing swans - with a picture of a dead swan that could have been killed by anything - incuding old age

2 Fishing club take the lead in litter pick up along the river - with a picture of a group of happy people and a pile of litter

Or look at another way - whan was the last time you saw a newspaper front page with the story

'Everything is great, people are happy'

Yep running an effective PR campaign for anything is possible, but it costs money...

However, fishing clubs can do a great deal of good on a local basis, match reports , club events and so on - local papers will lap it up and it keeps fishing in the public eye as a perfectly normal activity - which it is!

David

 

[904_cannon]

Jim Page, aka amushroom, and the TAC have been running clean-ups and other events on the tidal Thames.
TAC and Jim are big supporters of the ATr, a little acknowledgment would be good.

 

[Bluenose]

Jim Page, aka amushroom, and the TAC have been running clean-ups and other events on the tidal Thames.
TAC and Jim are big supporters of the ATr, a little acknowledgment would be good.

Acknowledgement from who John?

As stated most local papers will print good news stories as and when they get the info provided. Many will even send out a photographer/reporter if given a little notice!

 

[alan whittington]

Trouble is Mushroom's TAC shouldnt have to pick up the garbage that people leave and ive heard him say a few times now,that quite a large part is anglers rubbish,try printing that as a good story,even though swan sanctuary's say that anglers try to help by calling them,who's hooks and lines are in them,we cannot claim the high ground like the RSPB,EVEN THOUGH I'D LIKE TO,for their members in the vast majority think they help the natural world in a picture book way,we would have to sweep certain points under the carpet to look so squeeky clean.

 

[904_cannon]

Acknowledgement from who John?

As stated most local papers will print good news stories as and when they get the info provided. Many will even send out a photographer/reporter if given a little notice!

Angling Trust for starters. They should be encouraging 'doer's' not 'talkers' [and kayakers]

Talk to Jim, Alan. I think you'll find its far more than anglers litter/rubbish they collect

 

[stu_the_blank]

The tidal Thames is London’s unofficial waste disposal system, everything from dead bodies downwards gets pulled out. However some ‘anglers’ are a major source of litter and unfortunately it’s visible, right by the river and in the case of discarded tackle obviously ‘ours’.

TAC are doing a fantastic job, but I’m not sure what acknowledgement the ARr can be expected to give. We need the EA and the Govt. to acknowledge the efforts and benefits of angling, that is part of what the ATr are trying to achieve.

The TAC are very visible supporters of the ATr, does amushroom feel let down by them?

Stu

 

[alan whittington]

Angling Trust for starters. They should be encouraging 'doer's' not 'talkers' [and kayakers]

Talk to Jim, Alan. I think you'll find its far more than anglers litter/rubbish they collect

Im not saying they dont pick other stuff out,but i have heard him say on 'talksport' they collect a lot of anglers rubbish,litter is a countrywide problem,thing is we cant afford to leave it and lower our public profile.

 

[Merv Harrison]

Trouble is Mushroom's TAC shouldnt have to pick up the garbage that people leave.........we cannot claim the high ground like the RSPB,EVEN THOUGH I'D LIKE TO,for their members in the vast majority think they help the natural world in a picture book way,we would have to sweep certain points under the carpet to look so squeeky clean.

But the RSPB have to have working parties to clear garbage/litter, even from sites where there is no angling taking place.

Still an AT member, irrespective of all the problems, (and Fish Legal is doing a good job despite fund restrictions) because it's all there is and i'll be a member until it's in it's final death throe's.

 

[Bluenose]

Angling Trust for starters. They should be encouraging 'doer's' not 'talkers' [and kayakers] Talk to Jim, Alan. I think you'll find its far more than anglers litter/rubbish they collect

On that TAC website you linked there is an ATr story appealing for volunteers John, I'm not sure how much more encouragment than that you want. If am not mistaken the same story has appeared here also.

Also on that same site, TAC state "We work closely with the Angling Trust as a consultative for the Thames...." and again on the same site there are press releases which to me show the ATr are supportive of several of TAC's objectives. Indeed TAC actually directly mention their connection with the ATr in their letter to Thames water concerning The Tideway tunnel.

"As the Angling Trust Consultative for the River Thames between Staines and the Dartford Crossing (including all of the London boroughs), the Thames Anglers’ Conservancy (TAC) welcome the consultation document concerning the Tideway Tunnel."

Now in my mind would the ATr allow TAC to use their name if they were not in full acknowledgement and offering full recogntion of TAC's work? Maybe the leaders of the ATr allow just anyone to drop their name?

In view of the fact that TAC is only 12 months old I would say they have made remarkable progress in that short time and it seems clear to me that they have become fully recognised and acknowledged in no small part by the ATr as shown by the points mentioned above and that is furthering their cause.

However as a layman looking from the outside in I accept I may well be reading this relationship wrong if so am sure someone somewhere will put me right!

 

[alan whittington]

But the RSPB have to have working parties to clear garbage/litter, even from sites where there is no angling taking place.

Still an AT member, irrespective of all the problems, (and Fish Legal is doing a good job despite fund restrictions) because it's all there is and i'll be a member until it's in it's final death throe's.

Sorry Merv,thats not the point im making,the RSPB would say their picking up non-bird people's litter(even if it was theirs),so they are still gleaming in the public eye,you cant say that when your picking pellet and g.bait bags etc.Im still a member till later this year,then its in the balance,depending on performance.

 

[Merv Harrison]

Alan, the fact that the RSPB have 'litter picking' parties indicates that they must have, like ourselves, a serious problem, (except their problem is the general public), but I agree, we anglers are our own worst enemy.

 

[904_cannon]

However as a layman looking from the outside in I accept I may well be reading this relationship wrong if so am sure someone somewhere will put me right!

You said it.

TAC is promoting the ATr, surely the work TAC does should be shouted OUT LOUD. Plenty on the ATr site about talking of doing.

Interestingly if you search hard enough you'll se a bit by Hugh Miles and the words 'specialist - specimen' can even be found.

One small step... in a little over two years.

 

[Bluenose]

John, you said ATr should be encouraging doer's I say they're doing that already on TAC's own website (and others).

You say ATr should be acknowledging TAC, I say judging by the partnership that appears to be set up between both parties jointly fighting various causes it appears that they're doing that already. Sure it's a mutual arrangement and why not?

Like I say I'm happy for someone in the know to point out any misconceptions I may have taken from TAC's website.

 

[jef bertels]

Chaps I'm very active in the TAC, due to be appointed at tomorrow's AGM the TAC's PR officer and membership officer plus have been out with Mushroom (Jim) on several litter picks so to answer some questions...

In the really busy swims, a lot of the litter is angling related. Soon as you get away from hot swims, the litter is general and not angling. Much is from picnics, campers, boaters and commuters throwing litter over the bridge onto the river bank. I personally filled one bag with hundreds of plastic glasses, perhaps from a boat party. The soiled nappies we binned may have been from anglers

I took that pic that John H posted of the batteries and general junk left mainly by houseboats - not a scrap of that pile was anglers' litter.

So why have we spent our spare time picking up 154 bin bags this year of other people's rubbish, plus loads that can't fit in bags? Because no-one else does it. Simple Our bin bag count immediately gets the attention of the councils, boat clubs, rowing and canoeing clubs and everyone else anglers historically haven't managed well.

After much co-operation with the police, councillors, boat clubs, rowers/canoeists we've had many 'victories' and no losses. For once, these groups are now speaking constructively with anglers.

As Mushy says, "everyone loves someone who's gonna pick up their cr * p for free"....and we're very aware its our 'in'.

Re: Angling Trust. Without knowing this was being discussed on here, I just got off the phone to ATr's Will Smith. Spookily, we were planning how the ATr can publicise the TAC's work more. Will approached us about it a few weeks ago so it wasn't because of this thread. As a result, the ATr will post our work on the ATr site.

TAC have got to nearly 800 members in year 1 with only a handful, if that, citing the Angling Trust as where they heard about us so the ATr have given us no tangible benefit, though of course it helped with credibility in the early days.

Although TAC aren't members of the ATr (legal reasons that are being looked into), we cover Staines to Dartford, encompassing the catchment area with the highest number of licences, so it is in their interest. It, in return, is in our interest to support the voice of angling. That mutual support will now have a more visible face. Mike Heylin is due to do a write up for our members along the lines of "What's in it for me, the average angler, to join the ATr?", which we'll be happy to distribute to our members. It's two angling groups helping each other out for a common aim and the good of Thames angling.

 

[david i]

Great news Steve,

I wish you all the very best with your new roll.

David