barbusbruce.
Every word in that post is true.
To accuse me of promoting '"blatant arrogant segregation" could not be further from the truth. I'm in no way defending my post, I don't have to, but before you go 'quoting' me again then please get the facts right.
In my own club, DCAC, we have a mixed coarse/game membership and in all the years I have been associated with it I can honestly say there has not been any conflict, indeed I have fought on several occasions to keep a maggot ban on a section of water we have in order to preserve the fishing for the game anglers. My club is probably one of the few on the Wear where this happy relationship does exist. No separate membership rates/category of membership, every member pays the same.
I strongly suggest its not me who's the one wanting segregation, they really have to be seen (and heard) to be believed.
I am not 'anti' game, and up to the time when my mobility became severely limited I was, although I say it myself, a very accomplished fly fisherman and have taken sea trout to 14lb, not that has any bearing on your ignorant (of the facts) comments.
There are others using this forum who attended the same EA meeting to which I refer..FACT not something made up by an arrogant segregationist.
In 2006 I contacted several game clubs/syndicates on the Wear in order to get access to their waters for a CSG weekend held on the river. Some did give permission, with reservations and conditions attached, whilst others came back with the reply, even thought the weekend was in November (to avoid any conflict with salmon sea trout fishing) 'we do not approve of coarse fishing'!!!! even though some of my clubs water is on the opposite banks to theirs??? Presumably they don't approve of my club either, although we let their members use our parking facility to access some of their waters.
Another game club even refused the EA permission to use its section of the river to hold the anual Wear Championships competition which it uses to gather data for its management of the river, the EA also does this on the Tyne, without any problems.
On another occasion, just by way of a chance conversation with a customer (he told me he'd just been made a life member of his angling club) I asked whether there were any grayling in the small river he fished (the river Browney)
GOD NO he said, were a game club, we don't want those bloody things in
OUR river!!
Sad news for Mr Life Member, the EA stocked several 1000's one year fish into
HIS river two years ago, and they are now flourishing.
Since I posted the above a friend who fishes higher up the river has been physically attacked by three game anglers for no other reason ...than being a coarse angler, he's also a b£oody good game angler.
Sorry for not replying sooner but I've been away, fishing the upper Severn, where strangely the game anglers I met don't have a problem with coarse fish. Considering yesterday was the last day of their season they were more than happy to coexist.
To quote whingeing pom "
I am one of the most vocal opponents of the AT". he then goes on the say "
And I am also an AT member" Makes perfect sense, as clear as pea soup
However W.P. thank you for elevating me to the level of Mr Ron Clay; not in my wildest dreams could I ever envisage myself being talk of in the same breath as Ron.
I'll finish with this:
Some years ago I was secretary of the 'River Wear Fisheries Improvement Ass' a body representing
all clubs with fishing on the river to the EA. During the writing of the Constitution some delegates actually objected to the fact that those delegates representing clubs with coarse anglers would have the
same voting rights as those from clubs who had game anglers as members!! I kid you not. Just by coincidence those very same people were the ones shouting, very loudly, at the EA meeting against having to return coarse fish to the river!!
