I attended the Extraordinary General Meeting of the BCAA on Thursday, December 10 and below is my report from the event.
ANGLERS will be able to enjoy the great fishing on the Basingstoke Canal in years to come after more than 40 people attended an extraordinary general meeting of the Basingstoke Canal Angling Association last Thursday night, to answer the call for new committee members to save the club from dissolution.
Since the Angling Times ran the story in November, the club had been run by trustees who oversaw several committee positions being filled at the EGM, by volunteers who had come forward following the coverage.
Taking the helm as the new secretary will be Chris Ross, an ex-policeman who members have decided has the right credentials to take the club forward. He'll be joined by new chairman, John Wood, and the club's former head bailiff, Jeff Bunch, who will bring his knowledge and experience to the post of vice chairman. A candidate has also been found to fill the head bailiff vacancy, who will be voted in at a future meeting.
Outgoing chairman, Peter Emery, said: “The publicity has helped us to form a very strong new committee, with a core of experience that bodes well for the future.”
Another boost for the club has come in the form of Danny Williams, South East Regional Officer for the Angling Development Board, who was voted in as a committee member.
“Associations like the BCAA are paramount to the future of angling in this country so I'm really impressed by the way people have rallied round to save the club. I'm fully committed to the association and I'm now hoping that together we can look at some development strategies to use in line with the affiliated clubs,” he said.
Saturday 12 December 2009
Thursday 10 December 2009
Soar point
LEICESTERSHIRE County Council have just announced plans for a £3m rejuvenation project on the river Soar which will see canoeing facilities, boat races, ferries and the bizarre concept of floating markets on the waterway, all much to the annoyance of anglers who are currently enjoying a great run of form and match weights to over 60lbs.
I know the river well but surprisingly perhaps, not from an angling point-of-view. My brother has lived on a narrow boat on the river around Loughborough for the last four years and I've spent many a sun-soaked/rain-drenched afternoon chugging up and down its picturesque course. I've often taken some kit but haven't ever got any further than catching a few roach and perch on a short whip over the side. The fishing potential has been well documented in the past and even more so recently, I'm planning to go for a fishing rather than boating trip in the new year, to exploit its potential for barbel and chub before the season ends.
So I guess it's fair to say that I have a foot in both camps when it comes to the most recent news. I've always tried to buck the boater vs angler trend and firmly believe that both can pursue their chosen hobby or way of life harmoniously on the same waterway providing each shows a little consideration for the other. We're all there to use the same resource after all.
But in this instance, I think LCC may well have gone too far and have not given anglers due consideration. I have yet to see them or any facilities for them mentioned in any of the plans despite the fact that they must constitute one of the biggest current user groups of the river.
Canoeists already have the use of an Olympic standard centre not far away on the Trent in Nottingham into which the Soar eventually flows so does it really need two sets of facilities just for them at Glen Parva and Aylestone? The British Canoe Union are constantly pushing for more access to rivers at no cost and with the backing of politicians who regularly bandy early day motions around parliament on their behalf. They clearly don't care about steamrollering right over established stretches that have been paid for by anglers, clubs and associations for years.
It seems like an ambitious plan for what relatively speaking is a small river but if it does all come to fruition, I'm concerned that fishing could be badly affected or even lost on some parts of this great fishery. A lot of the proposed development is to take place in and around Leicester so more rural areas through which the river flows may be spared and hopefully remain unaffected.
Click here for the full story.
I know the river well but surprisingly perhaps, not from an angling point-of-view. My brother has lived on a narrow boat on the river around Loughborough for the last four years and I've spent many a sun-soaked/rain-drenched afternoon chugging up and down its picturesque course. I've often taken some kit but haven't ever got any further than catching a few roach and perch on a short whip over the side. The fishing potential has been well documented in the past and even more so recently, I'm planning to go for a fishing rather than boating trip in the new year, to exploit its potential for barbel and chub before the season ends.
So I guess it's fair to say that I have a foot in both camps when it comes to the most recent news. I've always tried to buck the boater vs angler trend and firmly believe that both can pursue their chosen hobby or way of life harmoniously on the same waterway providing each shows a little consideration for the other. We're all there to use the same resource after all.
But in this instance, I think LCC may well have gone too far and have not given anglers due consideration. I have yet to see them or any facilities for them mentioned in any of the plans despite the fact that they must constitute one of the biggest current user groups of the river.
Canoeists already have the use of an Olympic standard centre not far away on the Trent in Nottingham into which the Soar eventually flows so does it really need two sets of facilities just for them at Glen Parva and Aylestone? The British Canoe Union are constantly pushing for more access to rivers at no cost and with the backing of politicians who regularly bandy early day motions around parliament on their behalf. They clearly don't care about steamrollering right over established stretches that have been paid for by anglers, clubs and associations for years.
It seems like an ambitious plan for what relatively speaking is a small river but if it does all come to fruition, I'm concerned that fishing could be badly affected or even lost on some parts of this great fishery. A lot of the proposed development is to take place in and around Leicester so more rural areas through which the river flows may be spared and hopefully remain unaffected.
Click here for the full story.
Sunday 8 November 2009
Tackle shops - The good, the bad and the completely useless...
With a week in search of angling nirvana on the much hyped river Wye rapidly approaching, I popped out to get some bits and pieces in preparation for the trip. Now, this in itself poses a problem: where to go? Until about a year ago, it would have been straight to Academy Angling in Sandhurst, Berkshire, which was a brilliant little shop with a great range of stock, and a proprietor who was friendly (even if it was your first time in his shop) and was full of helpful local knowledge of the type that money just can't buy. The shop closed due to an unfeasible increase in rent and in its place now stands a curry house that does a good line in vindaloo, but struggles a bit with maggot and caster. Up the road is Yateley Angling Centre situated in the very heart of carp country and surrounded by the Cemex Yateley pits. As a result, unless you want 10 kilos of boilies or a spod rod, - “We don't have worms, got boilies though” - you might as well head back to the curry house where your search for any match or pleasure gear may well yield better results.
So two choices remain, the shop in the town where I live which has bee consistently rubbish and particularly cliquey for the last 15 years, or one slightly further afield that isn't bad but tends to turn into a fireworks emporium at this time of year to the point where you have to play 'spot the tackle' amongst the rockets and bangers. So with teeth gritted, I chose the former and will endeavour to explain my customer experience and possibly justify my comment above.
Fireworks and guns also play a large part in this shop's stocking agenda at the moment, but more floor space means the tackle still gets a look-in. On arrival, a sign on the door reading 'Under new management' raised a glimmer of hope somewhere deep inside me but I wasn't holding out for any drastic changes.
A browse around the shop showed that little had changed. New management, it seems, has lead to a bigger range of kit and it could even be argued that the shop is starting to veer away from a carp bias, but the prices were still too high for my not-quite-bulging wallet. Many of the floats were priced at two or even three pounds plus – surely a lot in anyone's book for a single peacock waggler – and a Seymo loop tier, essentially a small piece of plastic with no moving parts, was four quid! I collected a few bits but by no means all that I needed, placed them on the counter before wandering behind it – by invitation – to look at the hooks and line. And then the fun began...
I put a packet of size 14 hooks on the counter whereupon the chap behind the till told me it was getting a bit cold for hooks that big unless I was fishing for “proper fish”.
“I've got a week on the Wye”, I replied, “so definitely after something decent”.
He then proceeded to explain with a certain air of arrogance how he'd fished a match last week and caught a carp at around 8lbs on a pole fishing a single red maggot on a size 16. As it transpired, he was fishing a 'lake' where his pole was nearly touching the far bank and the fish really didn't have far to go in terms of making runs. I wouldn't be surprised if it virtually climbed into his net just for a few extra square inches. I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble and explain that I actively try to avoid this happening when I'm targeting roach, fishing the pole on a local still water.
His assumption that I was some sort of novice was ill founded but would have been understandable if useful advice was offered. It wasn't. The ignorant git simply proceeded to gibber patronising nonsense at me until I paid up and left. Not, however, before he'd said: “so what is this Wye, a lake is it”...
I want to see tackle shops succeed and remain on the high street as much as the next angler, maybe even more, and for them not to fall victim of stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap internet-based emporiums. They are, afterall, the face of angling on the high street and I want them to remain there and prosper. A kid who's new to the sport can't go to an internet store for his first bits of tackle and get the full run down on how to use them, but a decent shop can provide this sort of service and nurture our future anglers – a duty that should not be shirked for the sake of an elderly ego in need of a polish.
So two choices remain, the shop in the town where I live which has bee consistently rubbish and particularly cliquey for the last 15 years, or one slightly further afield that isn't bad but tends to turn into a fireworks emporium at this time of year to the point where you have to play 'spot the tackle' amongst the rockets and bangers. So with teeth gritted, I chose the former and will endeavour to explain my customer experience and possibly justify my comment above.
Fireworks and guns also play a large part in this shop's stocking agenda at the moment, but more floor space means the tackle still gets a look-in. On arrival, a sign on the door reading 'Under new management' raised a glimmer of hope somewhere deep inside me but I wasn't holding out for any drastic changes.
A browse around the shop showed that little had changed. New management, it seems, has lead to a bigger range of kit and it could even be argued that the shop is starting to veer away from a carp bias, but the prices were still too high for my not-quite-bulging wallet. Many of the floats were priced at two or even three pounds plus – surely a lot in anyone's book for a single peacock waggler – and a Seymo loop tier, essentially a small piece of plastic with no moving parts, was four quid! I collected a few bits but by no means all that I needed, placed them on the counter before wandering behind it – by invitation – to look at the hooks and line. And then the fun began...
I put a packet of size 14 hooks on the counter whereupon the chap behind the till told me it was getting a bit cold for hooks that big unless I was fishing for “proper fish”.
“I've got a week on the Wye”, I replied, “so definitely after something decent”.
He then proceeded to explain with a certain air of arrogance how he'd fished a match last week and caught a carp at around 8lbs on a pole fishing a single red maggot on a size 16. As it transpired, he was fishing a 'lake' where his pole was nearly touching the far bank and the fish really didn't have far to go in terms of making runs. I wouldn't be surprised if it virtually climbed into his net just for a few extra square inches. I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble and explain that I actively try to avoid this happening when I'm targeting roach, fishing the pole on a local still water.
His assumption that I was some sort of novice was ill founded but would have been understandable if useful advice was offered. It wasn't. The ignorant git simply proceeded to gibber patronising nonsense at me until I paid up and left. Not, however, before he'd said: “so what is this Wye, a lake is it”...
I want to see tackle shops succeed and remain on the high street as much as the next angler, maybe even more, and for them not to fall victim of stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap internet-based emporiums. They are, afterall, the face of angling on the high street and I want them to remain there and prosper. A kid who's new to the sport can't go to an internet store for his first bits of tackle and get the full run down on how to use them, but a decent shop can provide this sort of service and nurture our future anglers – a duty that should not be shirked for the sake of an elderly ego in need of a polish.
Fishing platforms on the River Wye - Letter to the Angling Times
Following an article in last week's Angling Times 'Angling is sold down the river' p6, November 3-9, I thought I'd write them a letter to them and offer my opinion on the subject. Keep checking this blog to see how I got on when I fished the mighty river last week. For now, here's the letter:
Dear Richard,
Having just returned from a week fishing on the Wye in Hereford, I am amazed to learn that plans for fishing platforms on the stretch have been turned down by the Environment Agency, much to the chagrin of the local angling community. Many of the pegs along both banks of the stretch are at best difficult to fish from and at worst, dangerous, especially at this time of year when the steep banks are muddy and slippery. The local authority, which owns the banks, should realise what an incredible fishery they have right on their doorstep and work with the EA and Hereford and District AA to install permanent platforms. It will benefit all parties long-term as more visiting and local anglers will be able to use the river more regularly, generating more local income and encouraging more people to fish there. Otherwise it's only a matter of time before an accident occurs that could so easily be fatal and will have major repercussions for angling on this prime stretch of roach-filed river.
Yours sincerely
Dear Richard,
Having just returned from a week fishing on the Wye in Hereford, I am amazed to learn that plans for fishing platforms on the stretch have been turned down by the Environment Agency, much to the chagrin of the local angling community. Many of the pegs along both banks of the stretch are at best difficult to fish from and at worst, dangerous, especially at this time of year when the steep banks are muddy and slippery. The local authority, which owns the banks, should realise what an incredible fishery they have right on their doorstep and work with the EA and Hereford and District AA to install permanent platforms. It will benefit all parties long-term as more visiting and local anglers will be able to use the river more regularly, generating more local income and encouraging more people to fish there. Otherwise it's only a matter of time before an accident occurs that could so easily be fatal and will have major repercussions for angling on this prime stretch of roach-filed river.
Yours sincerely
Friday 16 October 2009
Trent fish deaths - the full extent
Just to compound the misery of what's already happened on the Trent, it's now being reported that a survey conducted by the Environment Agency along 700 metres of the waterway has found 'almost no evidence of living fish'.
Further downstream, however, stocks appear to be 'mostly unaffected' by the pollution. Scant comfort in the wake of the devastation but perhaps when water in the polluted stretch returns to more normal levels, fish will make their way back there. This coupled with a possible re-stocking programme may in time see the stretch get back to it's former self, as long as the Environment Agency ensures nothing like this can happen again.
Further downstream, however, stocks appear to be 'mostly unaffected' by the pollution. Scant comfort in the wake of the devastation but perhaps when water in the polluted stretch returns to more normal levels, fish will make their way back there. This coupled with a possible re-stocking programme may in time see the stretch get back to it's former self, as long as the Environment Agency ensures nothing like this can happen again.
Thursday 15 October 2009
The Wharfe in the north - a southerner's first taste of a northern river
Coming soon - how I got on when I went head-to-head with one of north Yorkshire's finest rivers.
Review - Keenets Catch Carp Roving Rucksack
I've just bought this 58 litre bag for £11! Read the full review now I've given it a week's thorough field testing at the River Wye in Hereford.
Having used this bag quite extensively I have a fairly mixed opinion of it. Size-wise as the capacity suggests, it's massive, possibly even too big for the roving angler so you have to be careful not to over-fill it and make it too heavy or you won't want to move from your first swim!
The shoulder, hip and chest straps are well padded and the stitching is sound but even with maximum adjustment the bag sits too high on my back and the hip straps sit on top of, instead of around my hips. Despite this, a reasonable level of comfort can still be achieved and I walked with it fully-loaded for half an hour or so without much of a problem. The plastic clips are well made and are big enough to use even with cold fingers.
Due to the depth of the main compartment, the back of the bag has a tendency to sag which is annoying but could probably be solved by inserting some ply down the back and across the bottom of it. There are four spiky plastic mud feet on the underneath of the bag which is made of plastic and as such isn't difficult to clean, but don't go putting it down in deep mud as the moisture will creep in given time. The bag seemed to be shower-proof but it never got a full soaking as I carry a separate waterproof rucksack cover to protect it during heavier downpours. This seemed like a sensible precaution due to the nature of the thin plastic lining.
All-in-all it's not a bad rucksack but the overall quality is reflected in the low price. Some more thought at the design stage would have paid dividends in the form of a more comfortable fit and a more rigid structure, but the plethora of pockets – six in total – and the quality zips, clips and straps go some way towards making up for this. More suited to the static carper than the river rover.
5/10
Having used this bag quite extensively I have a fairly mixed opinion of it. Size-wise as the capacity suggests, it's massive, possibly even too big for the roving angler so you have to be careful not to over-fill it and make it too heavy or you won't want to move from your first swim!
The shoulder, hip and chest straps are well padded and the stitching is sound but even with maximum adjustment the bag sits too high on my back and the hip straps sit on top of, instead of around my hips. Despite this, a reasonable level of comfort can still be achieved and I walked with it fully-loaded for half an hour or so without much of a problem. The plastic clips are well made and are big enough to use even with cold fingers.
Due to the depth of the main compartment, the back of the bag has a tendency to sag which is annoying but could probably be solved by inserting some ply down the back and across the bottom of it. There are four spiky plastic mud feet on the underneath of the bag which is made of plastic and as such isn't difficult to clean, but don't go putting it down in deep mud as the moisture will creep in given time. The bag seemed to be shower-proof but it never got a full soaking as I carry a separate waterproof rucksack cover to protect it during heavier downpours. This seemed like a sensible precaution due to the nature of the thin plastic lining.
All-in-all it's not a bad rucksack but the overall quality is reflected in the low price. Some more thought at the design stage would have paid dividends in the form of a more comfortable fit and a more rigid structure, but the plethora of pockets – six in total – and the quality zips, clips and straps go some way towards making up for this. More suited to the static carper than the river rover.
5/10
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Red Industries and the ironies of being a 'hazardous waste disposal company'
The Environment agency has served a suspension notice on Red Industries of Burslem, Stoke-On-Trent in the wake of last week's River Trent cyanide and sewage contamination. This means that the hazardous waste management and disposal company can no longer discharge any industrial effluent after cyanide was found at the sewer access point that it used. The company had already voluntarily ceased all discharge of effluent and in a statement released last week, promised to co-operate fully with the EA as they conduct an investigation into the disaster that has claimed the lives of thousands of fish.
Whatever the reason behind this terrible occurrence, be it a careless mistake or something more sinister, the EA must find grounds for, and press ahead with a prosecution under the Water Resources Act and impose a fine of the size that will send a clear message and act as a deterrent to other companies.
To give Red Industries the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake, it is still one that is entirely unforgivable for a company whose sole purpose ironically is to dispose properly of the sort of waste that ended up in the Trent. Any company dealing with potentially lethal chemicals has a duty to ensure that things like this don't happen and before the EA reinstates Red's licence, it should be made to prove that measures have been taken to prevent anything similar from ever happening again.
In it's 'Vision and Mission Statement' Red Industries states that:
“The company’s continuing success benefits customers, environment, business partners, families and the communities in which they operate all around the UK.”
In the case of the Trent and the surrounding area, nothing could be further from the truth and this sickening environmental catastrophe has had a hugely negative impact for which Red Industries must be made to pay.
Whatever the reason behind this terrible occurrence, be it a careless mistake or something more sinister, the EA must find grounds for, and press ahead with a prosecution under the Water Resources Act and impose a fine of the size that will send a clear message and act as a deterrent to other companies.
To give Red Industries the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake, it is still one that is entirely unforgivable for a company whose sole purpose ironically is to dispose properly of the sort of waste that ended up in the Trent. Any company dealing with potentially lethal chemicals has a duty to ensure that things like this don't happen and before the EA reinstates Red's licence, it should be made to prove that measures have been taken to prevent anything similar from ever happening again.
In it's 'Vision and Mission Statement' Red Industries states that:
“The company’s continuing success benefits customers, environment, business partners, families and the communities in which they operate all around the UK.”
In the case of the Trent and the surrounding area, nothing could be further from the truth and this sickening environmental catastrophe has had a hugely negative impact for which Red Industries must be made to pay.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Review - Sonubaits Pellet O's
I've been using Sonubaits pellets of various types for a couple of seasons now for a variety of different situations. I've used their S pellets in 6mm halibut and 16mm monster crab and mussel which have been the downfall of all sorts of fish from roach to tench to chub. They go on the hook perfectly, and equally well on the hair providing you're careful with the smaller sizes, and the oil leakage is second-to-none which I'm convinced helps draw fish into the swim.
Having achieved good results with some of the range already , I was keen to try a new – to me at least – addition that I found while browsing a tackle shop recently. Pellet O's come in a 75 gram tub of hard, 8mm or 12mm pre drilled pellets in crab or halibut flavour... And that's it! However, the difference with these is that you get two Korum hooks complete with hair, quickstop and needle to thread the bait on included in the tub and all for around two quid.
The hooks are strong with a flat profile and a slightly in-turned point and are perfectly matched to the size of the pellet that you choose. The hair is the right length and a pellet will sit just off the bend of the hook or just touch it if you tip it with a grain of corn to improve visibility, while the quickstop system makes mounting any bait a simple procedure, and cuts out the need to fiddle about with a hair stop, especially useful in the dark.
Ultimately, this is a simple product but with some some careful thought and great presentation from Sonubaits, it's been turned into an entire bait system in a tub that will help you to put fish on the bank.
10/10
Click to view a practical if unenthusiastic video of Pellet O's in use
Having achieved good results with some of the range already , I was keen to try a new – to me at least – addition that I found while browsing a tackle shop recently. Pellet O's come in a 75 gram tub of hard, 8mm or 12mm pre drilled pellets in crab or halibut flavour... And that's it! However, the difference with these is that you get two Korum hooks complete with hair, quickstop and needle to thread the bait on included in the tub and all for around two quid.
The hooks are strong with a flat profile and a slightly in-turned point and are perfectly matched to the size of the pellet that you choose. The hair is the right length and a pellet will sit just off the bend of the hook or just touch it if you tip it with a grain of corn to improve visibility, while the quickstop system makes mounting any bait a simple procedure, and cuts out the need to fiddle about with a hair stop, especially useful in the dark.
Ultimately, this is a simple product but with some some careful thought and great presentation from Sonubaits, it's been turned into an entire bait system in a tub that will help you to put fish on the bank.
10/10
Click to view a practical if unenthusiastic video of Pellet O's in use
Thousands of fish dead in River Trent cyanide contamination
News of a cyanide contamination in the the Trent between Stoke-on-Trent and Yoxall, in Staffordshire, has come as a massive blow to those anglers who have been enjoying the recent sport on the river similar to that of its 70s heyday. For at least a couple of years now, the angling press has been singing the praises of the river, and catches like Lee Swords' recent 50 plus barbel haul attest to the fact that it's bang on form. That catch was taken further north of where the spillage occurred but initial reports suggest that thousands of fish have already died as a result, which goes to show that prior to this, the river held a good head of fish up and down its length.
It's not just the fish stocks that will suffer as a result either; plant and bird life will also be affected as their natural habitat is changed out of all proportion. To treat the contaminated site, the Environment Agency has had to pump thousands of litres of hydrogen peroxide – a powerful chemical in its own right - into the water in an effort to re-oxygenate it. The whole affair is a mess and smacks of a company who were willing to cause this environmental havoc in order to save a few quid during these times of economic difficulty.
Wildlife wasn't the only victim however, as a Severn Trent water treatment plant at Strongford in Staffordshire was badly affected as a result of the cyanide, and couldn't avoid releasing some partially treated sewage into the river. Staff then had to work around the clock to get the plant back to good working order.
If one positive can come from this – and it's a long shot, I know – it's that anglers were amongst the first to notice the change in the river as fish were seen struggling for oxygen. Cyanide pollution is invisible in water so it was down to switched-on river users to spot what was happening and alert the authorities to it, thus firmly cementing angler's place as the eyes and ears of the countryside. It is also anglers who will most fervently press for action to be taken and prevent a repeat episode from happening long after it has slipped down the news agenda.
It will be interesting to see how the Angling Trust deals with this as it's the first major incident and serious test with which the organisation must deal. As the legal arm of the organisation, Fish Legal are reportedly pursuing a civil claim or at least the potential for one and I hope that they are able to do so and get a result for any clubs that have affected stretches on their books. This is almost more important than any criminal prosecution that the EA may be able to bring, which ultimately, would be a bonus and serve as a warning to any other company stupid enough to think about pulling a similar stunt in the future.
For any anglers still unsure about the Angling Trust and the merits of joining, it is surely incidents like this that should be the deciding factor. Whatever your views on the organisation, it is now the only choice and the one body who can fight this sort of thing from the angler's corner and as such, deserve the support of us all.
It's not just the fish stocks that will suffer as a result either; plant and bird life will also be affected as their natural habitat is changed out of all proportion. To treat the contaminated site, the Environment Agency has had to pump thousands of litres of hydrogen peroxide – a powerful chemical in its own right - into the water in an effort to re-oxygenate it. The whole affair is a mess and smacks of a company who were willing to cause this environmental havoc in order to save a few quid during these times of economic difficulty.
Wildlife wasn't the only victim however, as a Severn Trent water treatment plant at Strongford in Staffordshire was badly affected as a result of the cyanide, and couldn't avoid releasing some partially treated sewage into the river. Staff then had to work around the clock to get the plant back to good working order.
If one positive can come from this – and it's a long shot, I know – it's that anglers were amongst the first to notice the change in the river as fish were seen struggling for oxygen. Cyanide pollution is invisible in water so it was down to switched-on river users to spot what was happening and alert the authorities to it, thus firmly cementing angler's place as the eyes and ears of the countryside. It is also anglers who will most fervently press for action to be taken and prevent a repeat episode from happening long after it has slipped down the news agenda.
It will be interesting to see how the Angling Trust deals with this as it's the first major incident and serious test with which the organisation must deal. As the legal arm of the organisation, Fish Legal are reportedly pursuing a civil claim or at least the potential for one and I hope that they are able to do so and get a result for any clubs that have affected stretches on their books. This is almost more important than any criminal prosecution that the EA may be able to bring, which ultimately, would be a bonus and serve as a warning to any other company stupid enough to think about pulling a similar stunt in the future.
For any anglers still unsure about the Angling Trust and the merits of joining, it is surely incidents like this that should be the deciding factor. Whatever your views on the organisation, it is now the only choice and the one body who can fight this sort of thing from the angler's corner and as such, deserve the support of us all.
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