Opinion Piece – The Angling Trust

We’ve had quite a few threads regarding the Angling Trust on the forums recently and I am (or perhaps not) surprised that there are still so many negative views about it and it’s raison d’être.

Let’s first of all start by saying that we do need a national organisation to speak up, fight, and lobby on our behalf. If you don’t see that then you really do need to take the blindfold off your eyes or get your head out of the sand, whichever you feel appropriate. Sure there are no single overall threats as yet to ban angling, but the pressure groups know that the best way is to go about it stealthily and you won’t know a thing until it smacks you in the face.

There will be bans on fishing in public park areas, followed by bans on keepnets, and then bans on loose feed and live baits such as maggots and worms. It will happen and already has in some towns and cities, candidly, without you knowing. One council park that abuts the Thames and was ever so popular in the winter months at times of flood is now overgrown with non-native bushes planted to prevent anglers from fishing there. That’s how it works.

And don’t for one minute think that the Environment Agency will prevent this from happening. Sure the guys in Fisheries Departments, especially in our area, are only too willing to help anglers and are keen to see we have good fishing from now ‘til Kingdom come. But above them sit a body of politicos who’s only interest is in bowing and prostrating themselves to Government directives and they won’t care about your loss of sport.

(I heard the other day on the wireless that angling in this country is worth £3billion a year, but believe me, that won’t cut any ice with politicians if they think a seat or two in Parliament depends on it.)

Almost every other amateur and professional sport and pastime in this country has a national body to represent it. I complain about bikers (cyclists) riding roughshod up and down the towpaths and just about everywhere a bike isn’t supposed to go, but they are represented by Sustrans (http://www.sustrans.org.uk) at a national level. This shows how they fight for their members; we held a meeting about three years ago to decide what sports and activities to allow on the new Jubilee River. We had three anglers (one being an EA Fisheries Manager), one from British Trust for Ornithology, one from the canoeists, a few landowners, but 12 from Sustrans.

The canoeists are now getting themselves well organised, don’t forget that they don’t pay a cent towards the river’s upkeep, and want to have access to every inch of water including some very delicate fish breeding areas. Who’s going to fight them? Not the guy on the commercial fishery (I’m not knocking commercials here) who goes with his three mates every other month when the weather is fine. I would never expect them to care, but someone has to.

The Angling Trust

So lets accept that we do need an national body to fight our corner and it was with this in mind that six groups came together to form AT. I didn’t agree with everything it was doing, I didn’t like the price they wanted to charge believing it to be exclusive and would put off the average punter from paying a small sum to have that representation. However, it forged ahead and was formed and after a bit of kicking and screaming I decided, like quite a few others, that it was time to lay all my feelings on one side and support these people as best I could, WITH CASH!

Since then we have heard that the AT has had a bout of bother, few anglers felt compelled to join meaning that recruits fell well short of the targets that AT had set themselves. It’s no good saying “I told you so.” because that doesn’t solve anything at all. The board have a new chairman now, Mike Heylin, a guy I have known for a few years, but still a relatively short time. Yet I know Mike is the sort of person that will not accept flannel (OK, bullshine if you like) and that one way or the other he will want to see this organisation succeed.

It must!

So lets hope very much that the AT will sort itself out. It nevertheless needs money and urgently. Some anglers, many of you on this website, have proposed that a levy be stuck on the price of a licence, but I can tell you (and most others in the know agree) that will not happen. Considering the licence fee goes to fund the EA and they are a part of Government and we may at some point be opposed to an EA course of action, a levy would mean the Government making a rod for it’s own back. That can never be.

There’s also the legalities of doing it and the logistics of collecting it etc. Sure it should be a simple thing to achieve, but you should know Government by now. It’s the only disorganisation that can make a simple task into a real dog’s breakfast, v.v. identity cards.

The Trade

This month, there has been an article by David Hall in his own Tackle & Guns magazine (trade only) and another piece from Sean O’Driscoll, ‘Where does the Trust lie?’ (I hope there wasn’t an underlying message in that title.)

Both point to the problems, the errors made, and the apathy of the angler, which I agree with to some degree. Both also ask (in roundabout ways) what can be done. David makes the final point of wanting to ask everyone involved, “How could you get it so wrong in under 12 months?”, but doesn’t offer any solutions. Sean, on the other hand, finishes his comment with “Unless the Trust can find some unique selling point or find a way to make joining compulsory then I fear there might always be funding issues.”

Fair points, but no solutions. Yes, come on Angling Trust, find a way why don’t you!

Oh, come on. It’s not a problem for AT on it’s own, they are only ordinary men (and women) like you and me, they’re not gods who can whimsically dream up money making schemes overnight. And the problems of finances are NOW, today.

I’d like to put forward a suggestion and direct it to Sean, who for his sins is also Chair of the Angling Trades Association. There is a way, it’s a little self governing and I don’t expect every manufacturer to take part, just the same as every angler isn’t by now a member of AT, but it is for the manufacturers to pay a levy from every rod and reel (nothing else unless they wish) they import or manufacture, say £1 for every £100 RRP value or part thereof.

Before anyone starts screaming “That will only inflate prices in the shops!!!”, it shouldn’t. Considering that most shops discount most items anyway. So, taking the £100 rod that might be discounted to £80, instead it will in future only be discounted to £81. The angler still makes a saving on the RRP anyway and doesn’t even see the £1 donation he effectively makes to AT.

It can be a good marketing ploy as well if those goods can carry a sticker saying “Thank you for supporting the Angling Trust”. Perhaps a membership leaflet in the reel box also?

The £1 levy, or donation if you prefer, is ring-fenced at manufacturing (importers) level and paid over by them through the Angling Trades Association. It shouldn’t affect the retailer’s margins even, they could remain the same. Even if the retailer has a end-of-season clearout at bargain basement prices, the £1 has already been paid and is helping the AT.

It’s also very socialist in it’s concept since those who can afford the better rods could contribute a little more and everyone (even licence dodgers) helps when they buy a new rod or reel by getting a little less discount. Will it matter to them if they get £30 discount or just £29? And if you can afford to buy £600 Sage fly rods, can’t you sacrifice a little discount (do you get discounts on Sage rods?) to help a body that will fight for your right to use that rod?

Same goes for the manufacturers, you can do a little more to help the organisation that will fight to protect your future business? It’s in everyone’s interests to help the AT, manufacturers, retailers, even wholesalers because if there’s no fishing, there’s NO BUSINESS! To me, it’s a no-brainer.
 
How about pushing that idea to your members, Sean?

The Future 

I don’t see this as being the long term solution, far from it. What the Angling Trust needs are individual members, caring anglers who will support it and by that I would like to see the majority joining it. I don’t expect those who fish for three weekends after June 16th to join and certainly not the licence dodgers (albeit a levy on top of their fines would be useful!), but most of you who go fishing at least 2-3 times a month, hold a licence and are generally law abiding folks should be in it.

As the old saying goes, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.’

That’s the sad truth today, we anglers have too many problems (if you don’t know it, wake up and smell the coffee) and the AT has too many directions and targets to aim it’s guns at whilst at the same time it’s grossly underfunded. If you’re not already a member I urge you to join now and save yourself from your own shame and disgrace. It’s no good saying AT isn’t what I want, fact is it’s the only show in town and if it fails, we’re all in the pollution.

For now, raise your sights above the miasma and get into the AT. Afterwards, we can make it what we anglers want of it.

To join Angling Trust, click here.