Opinion Piece – Eddie Cardus

Recent events, debates and arguments, not to mention insults, have got me thinking seriously for once about the hypocrisies and bullshit that exist within the modern angling world. That these comments have, on this site at least, recently revolved around the barbel scene makes no difference, these hypocrisies apply to, and affect, one and all in various ways!

Non-angler: “Eddie, as an angler you hook a fish with a piece of metal, and you are comfortable with that?”

“Yes as an angler I say that is okay.”

Non-angler: “You then place the same fish in a keepnet?”

“No, keepnets are banned on my waters on the grounds of fish welfare”.

Non-angler: “Say again Eddie?”

“You heard!”

Non-angler: “That’s rubbish Eddie, how can you stick a hook in a fish one minute then not put the same fish in a keepnet the next minute on the grounds of fish welfare?”

“Errrr well keepnets can damage fins and that like!”

Non-angler: “But so can hooks, can’t they?”

“S’pose so!”

Non-angler: “Well if anglers say that nets are cruel, then what about hooks?”

“Nah, fish can’t feel pain like us, their nervous system is different, besides I didn’t say that nets were cruel!”

Non-angler: “So why can’t you use nets? If they were okay there would be no problem, and don’t tell me a net causes more damage than a hook, you’re kidding me now aren’t you Eddie?”

“Get the beer in, what do you know anyway?”

And so it goes on, which would you say is more acceptable from Joe Public’s (very black and white) point of view?

1) Putting a hook in a fish?

Or

2) Putting a fish in a net to be released later?

Imagine a scenario we’ve all been through many times, you hook a fish, play it for however long, maybe even very occasionally pull it through underwater snags, weed or whatever, then take it from its natural habitat for seconds or minutes, having encapsulated it in a net first, then maybe take a photo! This is all fine and dandy, but hell and damnation unto you from some quarters should you place said fish into 4 metres of kite marked fisheries approved finest mono, prior to release!

What a load of rubbish!

I hardly use a keepnet, and honestly can’t remember the last time I did (mice chomped mine), however keepnets aren’t the big issue here, choice is! I would still like that option to choose to use one in what I consider to be appropriate circumstances thanks. So do what you feel is right for you Mr/Mrs Spokesperson but please, do not dictate to me.

Another scenario, an angler fishing two rods on a river catches a barbel, what happens next?

Seeing how the world and his auntie, apparently, coax said prince of the river back to life for what can be several minutes, hours or whatever, to those of you that fish with two rods, who looks after the other rod whilst you are nursing Bertie back to full strength?

Or is it that once Bertie is successfully landed, you leave Bertie in the landing net, reel your other rod in before beginning the unhooking/photographing process, or does Bertie get unhooked right away, and released asap whilst the other rod is still left out?

What happens if you get two fish on at once?

What if you are fishing really high above the water, say in a flood, how do you release Bertie? Do you lower him down in a landing net, or risk life and limb by getting down to the river’s edge?

And what about fishing lakes and rivers when we know that some fish are carrying spawn, let alone those out there that deliberately target them?

And those so-called carp safety clips, they aren’t that safe for bream and big roach, are they?

And a commercial fishery with thousands of pounds of fish per acre, that’s hardly really optimum conditions for fish to thrive, is it?

Of course I am just playing devil’s advocate now, I am certainly not judging or naming names, I don’t know any ‘names’ to name sadly, and who am I to judge the above practices? I’ve probably done most of them anyway, so I suspect, have most of you. It’s called fishing – it’s what we do!

So, each to their own, as my old mum used to say! It is funny that even though areas such as those just mentioned, each have their own differing degree of ‘cringe factor’ where so called fish welfare is concerned. They are conveniently glossed over or ignored by most of us, yet some still condemn the likes of keepnets on the same grounds! It is a total piss-take and in the immortal words of Jim Royle of The Royle Family it is all ‘My Arse’; you cannot have it both ways!

We now have state of the art unhooking mats, slings and sacks, fish friendly nets, fish antiseptic, and expert anglers offering hands on practical advice on all aspects of safely handling, unhooking and returning big fish via all manner of media. Never has there been better education in fish welfare, it’s all there and keeps getting better.

However, some of us need to accept that some aspects of angling are very unsavoury to some, but not to others! Livebaiting, treble hooks, chopped worm fishing, preparing peeler crab, etc, etc. I say deal with it, accept it, make your own choices but don’t impose them on others. You don’t like livebaiting? Then don’t do it! Don’t like keepnets? Then don’t use one! Barbed/barbless/treble hooks not for you? Fine, use what you like! But don’t tell me what to do! There are enough controlling bodies, do-gooders, and landowners outside of angling who wish to impose their ignorant will on me as it is!

Angling admin is a thankless task; I have done it in various modes on a small scale, and got FA for doing it except ball ache and very occasionally some self-satisfaction. However, to some of you big hitters in the angling admin and media world out there, with maybe hundreds, if not thousands of anglers hanging on to your every word, you may have some considerable power, maybe even genuine political pull, or like me at this point, simply too much time on your hands. By all means employ your own personal codes of conduct, take your ethical stances, and publicise your worthy causes and personal bests, make your recommendations, submit your reviews, articles and personal plugs, enjoy your high profile and any hard earned commercial interests that come your way, and please continue with your sometimes-excellent educational material, but please do not shove your own personal angling agenda up my arse and expect me to bend over, accept it without question, and say thank you, just because you say it is wholesome and righteous and it suits your way of thinking.

We are now past the thin end of the wedge where angling is concerned! I believe that with infighting, self-imposed bans and restrictions from within and this ‘holier than thou /we know what’s good for you’ elitist attitude that certain fractions of the sport try to impose over the rest of us means we are now at the middle bit of the wedge.

Be in no doubt that every self-imposed ban and restriction, no matter how well intentioned, or how politically correct, is one more fight that we have already lost. Another ‘choice’ removed from our ever-decreasing list of options! How can we ever hope to defend angling to the general public when judgement day comes, when we have banned selected elements of it ourselves in some quarters?

So the next time you want to ban something, or impose a new rule on the majority, because it doesn’t fit in with YOUR way of thinking, or YOUR favourite species, think how it looks to Joe Public when compared, say, to putting a size 6 hook in a fish in the first place. Soon they will ask: ‘If your fish are so precious and dear to you, why do you cast a line for them at all?’