tope fishing

[smokey]

Heard this morning a certain Mr Ianson has had a 100lb+ Tarpon yesterday on the Cps jolly boys outing to Florida 

I bet he wont tell you where he caught it though Mart   

   

[Ramrod]

I will virtually guarantee that every angler that reads or even see,s that article advertised will be a responsible angler already. In our world of rules and regulations, these codes and practices do not exist in the world of ignorant anglers and they certainly won,t be scouring the net looking for new "practices" no more than a criminal who repeatedly flounces the law will visit his solicitor to catch up on the new laws which have just come into practice. I understand there needs to be ground rules but personally they just leave a bad taste in my mouth now.

[Leon Roskilly]

When DEFRA consulted on proposals to protect tope, there were those people and organisations who were looking for total protection where any fishing for tope, either by commercials or anglers fishing catch and release, would have been banned outright.

In fact this was one of the options offered in the consultation, which had some support from non-angling organisations concerned only with conservation.

That some tope will come to harm, no matter how carefully dealt with, is beyond argument.

And pictures posted on websites and in magazines showing tope being handled incorrectly (ie lifted up only by the tail) provide evidence that not all anglers are aware of how to handle tope correctly.  Such evidence that will be seized upon by those who would still like to see all fishing for tope by anglers banned.

Part of the 'deal' that allows anglers to continue to fish for tope was the establishment and promotion of a Code of Conduct for catch and release angling of tope.

In both adopting the code, and publicising it, RSA is fulfilling its part of the deal that allows (for now) anglers to continue to fish for tope.

However, there will be a review of how well the current arrangements are working in 2010, and part of that review will be establishing how familiar anglers who target tope, or who may think of targeting tope in future, are with the existence of the code of conduct, and how closely they follow the code.

And there will be other proposals in future (on other species, with regards to marine protected areas etc) where the adoption of a code of practice will be argued as an alternative to an outright angling ban.

So, both for the sake of being able to continue to fish for tope in future, and perhaps to deflect other restrictions on angling activities, the authorities, and those who would press to have angling restricted, need to be convinced that RSA can embrace and responsibly follow such codes of conduct.

[Ramrod]

I understand and acknowledge your reply Leon. What concerns me is the "social worker" type discussions that are taking place involving our fishing and why these people, and some who, as you say, "from no angling organisations" are allowed to dictate as to what they require and the RSA seem to pander to their every whim. I don,t fully understand why people who are supposedly representing the anglers seem to think that they should sacrifice part of our heritage on many issues and come away thinking they have scored a victory. I feel very uncomfortable with the whole senario. It,s too easy to point the finger at fishermen and it,s a very difficult pastime to defend against in this day and age but surely you must understand that most of us are very responsible people and we should be treated and represented as such. If someone handles a Tope badly, which I am not condoning, why should I or any other  angler be held responsible no more so than if someone drives off without enough air in their tyres and crashes, every driver in the country does not then recieve a proposal as to how to check your tyre pressure. The organisations proposing these insulting rules should be nipped in the bud, embarrased and sent packing probably with the wrong tyre pressure in there tyres! More backbone and less appeasement is required imo. Ray.

[Leon Roskilly]

Ah! But legislation has been bought in so that anyone not driving with the correct tyre pressure is guilty of an offence and can be prosecuted.

Surely it's better to adopt a voluntary Code of Conduct, rather than having legislation that bans angling for tope and risk being prosecuted if you fish for them?

[Spawney Bass]

forgive me if this is a stupid question, but how could you ban tope fishing without closing an area ?, surely if the practice was banned tope anglers would simply say they were hoping to catch a skate, then say "oh doggy do do another one of those tope things" & let it go.

I just hope when we get rid of this government we can get rid of this bloody nanny state with it, but i doubt  it.
Surely the only people who give a sh*t about the welfare of Tope, are Angler as they don't really appear to be of interest to anyone else.

[Ramrod]

Ah! But legislation has been bought in so that anyone not driving with the correct tyre pressure is guilty of an offence and can be prosecuted.

That particular person can be prosecuted Leon not the whole of the driving world, and then everyone be threatened with an outright ban on driving unless everyone toes the line! And why should you/we even have to contemplate a total ban when in general anglers are playing by the rules? Why are these bodies not getting the true picture instead of succumbing to their desires. History tells me that they will be back for more which is why I think they should be blocked now and told that there is no need for any more restrictions rather than give them a little and put it down to damage limitation. I feel that the RSA would get more respect and backing from the fishing community if they stood their ground more often Leon, as I personally feel we are getting short changed on too many issues by people who think it,s "the right thing to do" which I think will eventually lead to disaster.

[Baramundi Bob]

Leon,

  I set up this site for "Sea Anglers". The type of sea anglers I know and understand, those being the people I share my fishing club with, the type of people I meet on the beaches and rocks each year. Sadly this site is being infiltrated by do gooders like yourself who seek to regulate and to ruin what is good about our sport (freedom), and to be honest,  I (And many others here) haven't put in a lot of hard work with this site for the likes of you to come and dictate how we should behave. This site is for the real sea anglers not people who barely see a fish and think they should tell everyone else how to behave.

Leon through the inshore fisheries working group you have sat with our government, commercial fishermen, greens, and members of self appointed angling representative groups like BASS and your own personal empire the SACN (Remind me who appointed you to speak for us?), and you dreamt up things like the recreational sea anglers strategy, angling licences and bag limits. You have encouraged the government to introduce things that could damage angling throughout the country, nowhere more so than in the north east where bag limits will signify an end to hundreds of years of history . You have sat with them whilst they propose things that could put many of my good friends out of business - namely the local charter skippers whom you have caused a massive amount of worry with the angling licence and your beloved bag limits. No doubt you will fire back and say you were out numbered and tell us how it wasn't your fault, along with all the other excuses you have in your little book. I've heard so  many of your excuses now I see through all of them.

Feel free to continue using our site but please come here as angler with reports on your outings like the rest of the lads.

[Bassyken]

The sea anglers conservation network seem to have put this code of conduct together - which if you read is erm . . . . COMMON SENCE  

Leon is an executive co-ordinator of SACN (well until the end of this year when he retires)

http://www.sacn.org.uk/

This code of conduct to protect tope seems to have come about in partnership with The Save Our Sharks Organisation, supposedly set up by anglers . . . .and this is their website  

 http://www.save-our-sharks.org/news.php

[Jellyworm]

Without getting into the true political side of this "debate" I shall give just a little into the reasons I enjoy my sea angling.
Firstly though a little about my background of fishing.I was introduced to a lifetimes pleasures in angling in its various guises by my old man and together we have fished ponds and rivers ,matches ...bivvied up for carp and climbed the Filey Brigg ladders for me my fishing has spanned over 35 years,my old man nearer 40 years.

Now in this day of hug the tomato "they've got feelings too" where are we going to stop ?

Yes some species are possibly endangered...but is that due to rod and line anglers ? I very very much doubt it.

Should we all be forced to catch and release ?
For me no way....when I go fishing I take what I want to eat.I leave undersized fish and I don't take what won't be eaten .

Yes I do sometimes struggle with the match fishing for bags of any species...it goes against the grain for me to think of bags of Wrasse etc doing no more than tip the scales then fill either the bin or the cat...so perhaps to get the antis off our backs some thoughts of damage limitation have to be employed.....but I have to go with the opinion that our age old right to hunt for our food should be preserved and if that means by us heading out to the sea with rod and line then yes that is our age old right as hunter gatherers...and as soon as we give an inch to the lets hug the lettuce brigade then our identity as such will be lost.

So to qoute mr Roskilly from his article titled "Return that fish" http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon27.htm
" In summary, it’s up to each of us to draw (and review) our own line. And perhaps to provide guidance on where (and more importantly why) others should consider drawing theirs."

So yes practice as you preach.......let each of us draw our own line....perhaps advise....but not to dictate.
   

[jack]

cheers all for that

[Baramundi Bob]

So to qoute mr Roskilly from his article titled "Return that fish" http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon27.htm
" In summary, it’s up to each of us to draw (and review) our own line. And perhaps to provide guidance on where (and more importantly why) others should consider drawing theirs."

What gives you the right ? So long as people are behaving within the law of this land you have no right to "provide guidance on where (and more importantly why) others should consider drawing their line".

Its just not on and its judgmental, and its Leon Roskilly to the core.

Its about time someone stood up to these people who never go fishing and seem to think they have a right to tell everyone else how to behave. Makes my blood boil.

I shouldn't have read this topic again, it just keeps reminding me what this world is coming too. Full of PC zealots, health and safety enthusiasts and people who think they have some power over everyone else. There should be a cull of such people.

[Jellyworm]

Got to agree Glenn....sorry for posting on it but had to add my two penneth as well.
Why they take such delight in spoiling for others I will never know.

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