Well, well…I’ve been in the chair five minutes and I’m needing to make sense of what appears to be a feud between the Barbel Society and a group of very determined critics. But no; on closer inspection of bygone threads it would seem less of a feud (which requires at least two active parties) and more of a vendetta. I’ve had to do my homework because prior to my editorship I was what you might call a ‘regular’ participant in the affairs of FishingMagic; I frequently submitted articles and took a fairly casual interest in the ‘political’ side of this excellent website – certainly not enough to absorb, then to ponder the rights and wrongs of all the literary ping-pong. But I’ve seen enough now to form a more solid opinion, and I have done so with both the benefit of historic accounts and the utmost regard for freedom of speech and all that this entails: heaven forbid we, as proud, committed anglers, should tread the path of Government and strangle dissent and legitimate, popular concern. At such a level, opposition is bound to be intense, passionate, furious and inflammatory – and rightly so given the blatant disregard the majority of MPs have for so many peoples’ views.
But we are anglers. The very essence of our way of life comprises nothing more complicated than a rod, a reel, a line and a hook. Realistically it’s a damn sight more than this but the fundamental aim of achieving peace and happiness through an honest, legal and relaxing pastime remains – or should remain – our objective. In this spirit, clubs and associations have been formed, and where there are people there will be differences of opinion and before you know it you’ve got bleedin’ politics!
As I understand it, the Barbel Society, established 1995, has been rejected by a small number of barbel-men who disagreed – and continue to disagree – with the society’s policies. Despite their collective divorce from the Barbel Society years ago they persist in their obvious aim to discredit most of what it does and to blindingly illuminate everything it doesn’t! Without giving this more than a moment’s thought – what’s the point? Why would anyone with more important things to do (surely!) devote such precious time and sacrifice their legitimate anger-reserves to the pursuit of relatively unimportant matters? Note the italics. Fishing is vitally important for a multitude of reasons I need not touch-upon here; we understand the environmental, ecological, social and psychological benefits well enough, but we in Europe currently face turmoil unprecedented in our lifetimes: what on Earth possesses someone to pursue with all the unhealthy zeal of a bloodhound a few unfulfilled aims of a fishing club? Should these people not channel their excess enthusiasm into truly humanitarian matters?
Gu-uys!…you’ve lost your right to determine who go-verns you! And whoever it might be – you can’t re-move them! Oh and, errr…gu-uys! You’ve got unelected fantasists in fancy-dress ‘representing’ you in The Other House…and, errr…gu-uys! Your very identity is soon to be subsumed by cultures with no interest in your history, your customs, your humour or your fish-ing!
Channel your venom into something worthy – heaven knows there’s enough for you to get your teeth into! Try religion – that should keep you going for a while! How about the Creation V Evolution debate? Or the matter of admirable heroes currently risking their lives for your futures but subjected to vilification from the mainstream media? Do you even know who I’m referring to?
While you’re busy grappling with these, the Barbel Society can step into its twenty-first year of doing things that bring interest, involvement, enthusiasm and friendship into a pastime that daily affects our level of happiness. It might well be that this organization has failed to deliver on some of its stated goals and aspirations, and it may be the case that some of them were unrealistic if commendable – I honestly and genuinely don’t know. But viewing the photographs and reading the accounts of Barbel Society functions tells me of its worth in no uncertain terms: it makes a lot of people happy – including some very notable and supportive individuals.
It is the opinion of many a respected angler that the Barbel Society, responding on our forums to your individual ‘gripes’, would merely create a Hydra. The decapitation of each of its many heads would see two more appear – and we ain’t gonna have that. If you – the Super-Critics who care so single-mindedly about Barbel Society policy – would care to leave the sanctuary of your homes and accede to Steve Pope’s invitation to a formal, witnessed debate, we’d all be happier and, indeed, keen to know if your unfavourable criticisms hold water. Really.
I don’t seek to defend one or any of the Barbel Society’s objectives; I’m simply not that involved with them and I don’t have the necessary in-depth knowledge of this argument’s roots. I certainly don’t want to stifle debate. But how long has this been going on now, for Christ’s sake? Long enough, possibly, to deter some excellent writers from submitting their knowledge to FM for fear of ridicule from those who seek only to unfavourably criticize, and long enough to become downright boring. Would those who continually knock the hardworking Steve Pope kindly give up or, at the very least, explain (in cogent English, if you don’t mind) precisely why they’re so insistent? You can cut and paste that Barbel Society list a thousand times, Roy, but it won’t tell us why you’re so bothered about it!
Editor.
