I think snobbery and class is very much evident in angling still. A few weeks ago I went to visit a reservoir for no particular reason than I had never been there. Me and my mate who was driving wanted to go somewhere and it was a trip out in the country. I knew it had been a trout fishery once but did not know its present status. We pulled up into a car park and it said fly fishers club, the bailiff's cottage was on site and all heavily marked up with signs. I got out my mate stayed in the car as he was not interested but I wanted a look.
There were 4 people sitting beside a lake drinking coffee and one of them came over to me, looked like the bailiff, all aggressive and unwelcoming. Anyway to cut a long story short, I was not welcomed and told if I wanted to fish there look up the website. I was on best behavior and even stood upright off my knuckles but I think he noticed.
I did look up when I got home, £200 for 5 days fishing or £150 for 5 afternoons, boats extra. In June it was £250 and £200 respectively. It was a beautiful place the best in the southeast as advertised but only for the rich, not commoners.
To me there is something wrong in there somewhere; I cant quite put my finger on it, just a gut feeling.
I don't really get the point you are trying to make, Mark, apart from that you either wouldn't or couldn't afford that for some fishing, which is fair enough either way.
After all, the Bailiff pointed you in the direction of the website. Could he have been politer/friendlier? Probably.
But sure as eggs are eggs they won't want random people wandering around the fishery if for no other reason than health and safety.