richiekelly
Well-known member
Athletics looks to be a superb investment at over 4 million a medal while pensioners bloody freeze, what a country, you couldn't make it up.
Pathetic!
Is that the best they can manage?
Ye Gods!
Of course our waterways are a wonderful addition to the governments 'sporting portfolio' no grass to cut, no pitches to mark, no buildings to heat and no loss of land to sporting arena to prevent much needed house building. Quite the perfect sport canoeing...
It strikes me that the government, properly lobbied, could be our staunchest allies.
A poster on "The Paddle" intimates that their best approach is to garner sympathy in political circles; i.e. those who have the strongest clout.
Anglers probably have a far greater representation in this respect, from ministers who angle, and there's no-one better than a politician at protecting their own vested interests - most spend their lifetime doing so, one way or another.
Robtherake, I hope that you're right but if I was a representative of the canoeists, lobbying politicians, the fitness element of canoeing and therefore the health benefits would be an aspect I'd be pushing. Reinforced with the likelihood that open access would cost zilch. I also think that in todays political environment politicians looking after their own interests too obviously quickly get hammered by the media, and rightly so.
Without making this a Trust issue canoeists do appear to envy the clout of the Trust a good deal.
The point about militancy is very valid i would imagine most anglers on the right river wouldn't mind the odd canoeist and I imagine most paddlers want the same.
I do wonder how much the rational anglers view has been hijacked by the Countryside Alliance / landed Gentry , inherited ownership of vast parts of Britains natural resources and the refusal to share offends my naturally socialist sensibilities , though I fully understand that this is a view not applicable to all our rivers ( I know some FM. Members own stretches without being the landed gentry for instance ).
By the same token there are a lot of very sensible paddlers who also fish but again their cause appears to have been hijacked by militants this is human nature I suppose but its a shame this sometimes translates to confontation on the bank , I'd rather not spoil a days fishing with that nonsense.
Having studied the PRN legalargument though over many fora I must admit my view has changed and I do not think the paddlers case , based on remnants of the Maga Carta , holds up at all.
It strikes me that the government, properly lobbied, could be our staunchest allies.
A poster on "The Paddle" intimates that their best approach is to garner sympathy in political circles; i.e. those who have the strongest clout.
Anglers probably have a far greater representation in this respect, from ministers who angle, and there's no-one better than a politician at protecting their own vested interests - most spend their lifetime doing so, one way or another.