Antifishing folk....

[carlt]

So... where do you get your "ethically" sourced fish from?

 

Tesco or Sainsburys doesn't count...

I have a freezer full of Bass, Black Bream, Mackerel, Sole, herring and others...all caught by myself.

 

How about you?

[The Anonymous Bard]

I have a freezer full of Bass, Black Bream, Mackerel, Sole, herring and others...all caught by myself.

 

How about you?

 

Waitrose... origin unknown.

 

I've heard of people eating Perch but don't fancy it myself and there's little chance of catching Bass around here.

[carlt]

Waitrose... origin unknown.

 

You'll be removing your speech marks from "ethically" now, maybe?

[The Anonymous Bard]

You'll be removing your speech marks from "ethically" now, maybe?

 

Depends... how did you catch 'em?

[carlt]

Depends... how did you catch 'em?

Rod and line.

[The Anonymous Bard]

Rod and line.

 

With a dead nun as bait?

 

Who made the rod... was it Third World child labour?

 

What were you wearing... was it all ethically sourced?

[carlt]

With a dead nun as bait?

 

Who made the rod... was it Third World child labour?

 

What were you wearing... was it all ethically sourced?

I tend to favour artificial lures unless I've had a good Mackerel run when I will use them as dead bait.

 

My main boat rod I made myself, many years ago, when I was developing a carbon fibre filament winding process.

 

My beachcaster is a Daiwa (made in Scotland).

 

My reels are mainly vintage British made but my Beachcasting reel is a ridiculously expensive work of art, made in Lowestoft.

 

Most of my fishing clothes were made in the UK or America.

 

I wear Altberg boots, usually, though my old Timberlands and DMs still get the odd outing.

Edited July 7, 2011 by carlt

[The Anonymous Bard]

I tend to favour artificial lures unless I've had a good Mackerel when I will use them as dead bait.

 

My main boat rod I made myself, many years ago, when I was developing a carbon fibre filament winding process.

 

My beachcaster is a Daiwa (made in Scotland).

 

My reels are mainly vintage British made but my Beachcasting reel is a ridiculously expensive work of art, made in Lowestoft.

 

Most of my fishing clothes were made in the UK or America.

 

I wear Altberg boots, usually, though my old Timberlands and DMs still get the odd outing.

 

I've just checked the freezer and there's nothing but a tray of ice cubes... good from an ethical point of view until I consider the consequences on the enviroment of running an empty freezer!

 

Goodnight.

[carlt]

I've just checked the freezer and there's nothing but a tray of ice cubes... good from an ethical point of view until I consider the consequences on the enviroment of running an empty freezer!

 

Goodnight.

That would be a strategic retreat, then?

[Ange]

Catching fish for food is absolutely fine IMHO.

 

Catching them for sport isn't. I can't get my head round folks that catch fish only to throw them back in.

 

A few weeks ago I spotted what looked like a fish behaving very strangely in the water - it's difficult to describe - the best I can do is that the body of the fish was at a 90 degree angle to the canal bed when usually they're 180 degree - hope that makes sense. Anyway, it was moving frantically at a very un-fishlike angle - when I called Dave over and asked what it was he said it was an eel that had been cut in half - this was the front half of it's body trying to make sense of what had happened to it. We'd just passed a line of fishermen. Apparently fishermen don't like eels. I dread to think how long it took the poor thing to die.

 

We do our best to be friends with fishermen - we've had some laughs with some but most would rather study their maggots than exchange a friendly greeting.

[casper ghost]

I've nothing against catching fish if you're going to eat them but catching fish just so you can say, ooo look, i've out smarted a particularly dumb animal and now i'm going to cause it a bit of distress and maybe pain and then chuck it back..

Casp'

[The Anonymous Bard]

That would be a strategic retreat, then?

 

Good Morning Carl.

 

No.

 

It was an up at 5am and thoroughly bored retreat, were you flattering yourself there for a moment?

 

I actualy have to go to work now for a few hours, will that also be viewed as a strategic retreat?

[W+T]

Morning all

 

Carlt, i wasnt having a dig at you earlyer mate, i thought that was what you were trying to say.

 

Went on a bit last night didnt it. It takes all kinds of folk and a lot of the time dont see what the other see in things, i could not be a veggie for example, and i see it strange why somebody would want to, but i dont go disagreeing with them in what they are doing and why, be fore they were veggies what did they do?

i think football is a complete waist of money paying most of these over payed big headed show off`s £0000 a day, for many reasons i cant be bothered to say.

We all do wrong in one way to another person, but dont think what we are doing is wrong. As The Anonymous Bard said about US boater polluting the water ways, any decent boater should know that at some ponit oil/chemicals end up in the water system somewhere along the point, and it all adds up.

 

I dont see any point in being Anti this and that when we are all the same in a way. Myself i hate the thought of badger baiting and the likes, but i go fishing and have done for 30 years, some put me in the same catergory as that, in my eyes that is barbarick, i dont rip my fish to shreds.

[cotswoldsman]

I personally have no problem with fishermen, would be nice if occasionally they said "thank you" when I have slowed down for them. Can not quite understand why they put fish into a net after they have caught it.

[mayalld]

So it's ok to run a blade up a live fishes stomach and wrench out its guts with your fingers on a trawler (don't mention the "black fish" that have to be returned dead) in the name of human consumption but don't throw it alive into a keepnet only to be returned later to its habitat no worse for wear?

 

Yes, it's fine to catch fish for food.

 

No it isn't fine to catch them for your own amusement, and throw them back later.

 

Your claim that they are no worse for wear isn'tt even remotely believable

[magpie patrick]

Oh dear, I feel a need to wade in, not in waders you understand, I don't fish, never have done, and never will. Nor do I eat fish, not for any ethical reason, just don't like the flavour and texture.

 

Angling, fishing, fishermen and women, on canals rivers and streams (and okay lakes and if you must purpose built fishing ponds, although I have a slight problem with those. I'm limiting it to these to avoid arguments about the millionaire fishing for barracuda. Grass roots fishing, the type you see on the northern BCN, or indeed on almost any canal, is what I'm talking about.

 

I don't know what damage it does to the fish, although I know of recorded incidents of the same fish being caught several times, so it clearly isn't fatal. What I do know is what it does for society, and the canals as a whole. Angling has been found to be particularly effective at getting young offenders to avoid repeated offending, and helping people with learning difficulties turn their lives around, just one example of an organisation that does this

 

West Sussex Angling Academy Facebook Page

 

The EA used to provide assistance to the probation service having discovered the benefits of angling.

 

So that's a little bit on the social benefits, what about the canals? Well, how long do you think they'd last if angling were banned? Seriously? Go on? How many boaters are there, and how many anglers? Anglers may not mind if a canal isn't navigable, until it becomes choked with reeds etc, but they'd bloody well mind if it was drained or filled in. Anecdotal evidence I admit, but I recall about twenty five years ago hearing Sir Frank Price tell how he had visited the Ashton Canal when it was totally derelict, with a few politicians, and they saw a young boy fishing (so long ago the young boy will be older than me) amidst derelict factories and a rubbish strewn cana. Frank related how one member of the party asked whether the young lad would have caught anything, and FP admitted he'd said "I doubt it, the fish won't be able to see the bait!", so they went and asked and the young chap held up a bucket with two small fish swimming around in it. FP reckoned that one instance changed the whole debate.

 

Point is to any boater who wants angling banned, if you get your way, you may just be scoring the biggest own goal in history

[Nine of Hearts]

Your claim that they are no worse for wear isn'tt even remotely believable

 

They're better off, in point of fact, because they can now whistle.

 

... Anecdotal evidence I admit, but I recall about twenty five years ago hearing Sir Frank Price tell how he had visited the Ashton Canal when it was totally derelict, with a few politicians, and they saw a young boy fishing (so long ago the young boy will be older than me) amidst derelict factories and a rubbish strewn cana. Frank related how one member of the party asked whether the young lad would have caught anything, and FP admitted he'd said "I doubt it, the fish won't be able to see the bait!", so they went and asked and the young chap held up a bucket with two small fish swimming around in it. FP reckoned that one instance changed the whole debate.

 

So the best way to get a canal restoration kicked off would be to sit next to it with a fishing rod and a bucket with a couple of fish you'd brought from the pond at home. I shall suggest this to some restoration societies!

[RLWP]

 

So the best way to get a canal restoration kicked off would be to sit next to it with a fishing rod and a bucket with a couple of fish you'd brought from the pond at home. I shall suggest this to some restoration societies!

 

Not goldfish though...

 

Richard

[carlt]

 

I actualy have to go to work now for a few hours, will that also be viewed as a strategic retreat?

No but an admission that your attempt to catch me out was a complete failure would be welcome.

 

I don't expect anyone to meet my personal standards, in order to comment on a public forum. Most people her don't have a sea boat to go fishing with, for a start.

 

I wasn't even criticising anglers, so I don't know why your pretty weak attempt to catch me out was even necessary... probably because there were no 'antis' to have a go at and, on past form, you don't need any logic, to pursue an argument.

Edited July 8, 2011 by carlt

[The Anonymous Bard]

No but an admission that your attempt to catch me out was a complete failure would be welcome.

 

I don't expect anyone to meet my personal standards, in order to comment on a public forum. Most people her don't have a sea boat to go fishing with, for a start.

 

I wasn't even criticising anglers, so I don't know why your pretty weak attempt to catch me out was even necessary... probably because there were no 'antis' to have a go at and, on past form, you don't need any logic, to pursue an argument.

 

Carl... I have far better things to do than attempt to catch you out.

 

Why you choose to see it this way when all that took place was a discussion I really don't know.

 

As for you criticising anglers is concerned you may be better aiming that where it is more relevant because if you care to read back our discussion was centred around the ethical issues of catching/consuming fish, in no way was it ever implied by me that you were "anti".

 

Oh... hang on, did I just inadvertently catch you out?

[carlt]

 

 

As for you criticising anglers is concerned you may be better aiming that where it is more relevant because if you care to read back our discussion was centred around the ethical issues of catching/consuming fish, in no way was it ever implied by me that you were "anti".

 

 

So what was the point?

 

You didn't score any points, with your interrogation, merely confirmed my suspicion that you were looking to catch me out, once again, and failed, once again.

 

Pretty pathetic really and not relevant to the topic, at all.

[The Anonymous Bard]

Carl... I have far better things to do than attempt to catch you out.

 

Why you choose to see it this way when all that took place was a discussion I really don't know.

 

As for you criticising anglers is concerned you may be better aiming that where it is more relevant because if you care to read back our discussion was centred around the ethical issues of catching/consuming fish, in no way was it ever implied by me that you were "anti".

 

Oh... hang on, did I just inadvertently catch you out?

[Tiny]

Yes, it's fine to catch fish for food.

 

No it isn't fine to catch them for your own amusement, and throw them back later.

 

Your claim that they are no worse for wear isn'tt even remotely believable

 

As to does it hurt I remember reading a paper about the effect the magpie has on small bird population. The chap involved had done a multi year science survey using a large grand and, at the end of the multipage document of facts concluded magpies had no effect on small bird numbers. Then, showing his colours ha stated that he felt the conclusion was wrong as all those in the senior birding community knows magpies do effect small birds.

 

Given this one wonders about the experts who pronounce on fish pain and what they are trying to prove.

[Jan_G]

Catching fish for food is absolutely fine IMHO.

 

Catching them for sport isn't. I can't get my head round folks that catch fish only to throw them back in.

 

A few weeks ago I spotted what looked like a fish behaving very strangely in the water - it's difficult to describe - the best I can do is that the body of the fish was at a 90 degree angle to the canal bed when usually they're 180 degree - hope that makes sense. Anyway, it was moving frantically at a very un-fishlike angle - when I called Dave over and asked what it was he said it was an eel that had been cut in half - this was the front half of it's body trying to make sense of what had happened to it. We'd just passed a line of fishermen. Apparently fishermen don't like eels. I dread to think how long it took the poor thing to die.

 

We do our best to be friends with fishermen - we've had some laughs with some but most would rather study their maggots than exchange a friendly greeting.

 

Well put. I have never ever understood the point of catching something just to throw it back, it just is so pointless. OK some people do not agree with catching fish for food but at least there is a degree of a point to that. Aside from that your average fisherman/woman are so bloomin' miserable. I have lost count now of the number of times that Martin has waved and thanked them for lifting their poles or rods only to get either a grunt or no reaction at all, I don't know why he bothers put he persists, about 5% wave or nod back. And why do they fish on lock landings I thought they were not supposed to do this, last lot we encountered doing this there was about 5 burly males in the group so at my request Martin hung back from challenging them, a broken nose (or worse) is just not worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

jan

 

 

 

xxxxxx

[JDR]

I have never fished, don't have the slightest interest in maggot related shenanigans but there is another good thing about having people fishing on canal and rivers which I think is overlooked- the security aspect of having people about, often late at night with their eyes open. I know personally I consider it a bonus having people fishing nearby when I moor.

Edited July 9, 2011 by JDR