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Post by zagaschin wannabe on Jul 15, 2003 12:32:31 GMT -5
Thankyou smallmouth, no offence taken. I didn't realise things could get so heated in such serene surroundings. Hopefully all good relations have been resumed. I'm not much of an Angler. But definately hooked into something with this posting...... Mind you, thats what whippersnapper, Fabricated Fishermen like me do.....Fluke one out once in a while. Cheers
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Post by Paul Boote on Jul 15, 2003 14:52:33 GMT -5
Line from "ZM" in reply 11 above:
"The protection of Angling is doomed to failure, If this upperty, In-crowd attitude persists."
The most sensible thing that has been written, I believe, on a very hot day.
That's what we got here in Britain, a few years ago -- a new, uppity in-crowd, and, with it, a once-broad church suddenly and cynically narrowed for, I believe, personal, financial or, even, political gain. We saw the rise of the angling celebrity; of the relentlessly chummy angler-networker ("Hello, mate..."); of a few key-players identifying and taking just what they wanted (the best), then holding onto it come what may; of a new, insidious form of exclusion just when our sport should have been doing inclusion, big time.
British coarse-fishers are an altogether more savvy crowd, about a lot of things, than many of us. They take a long hard look at the latest batch of faces who have smiled or clawed themselves to the front in order to lead and speak for anglers and angling, swiftly and very shrewdly assess them, utter something usually pretty pithy or obscene about the obvious (and the less-obvious) phonies in the new intake, then leave them to it ("But don't expect any help or respect from us ... we're not joining YOUR club, even if you offered us honorary membership..."). Exit any chance of unity and pulling together, of wider understanding and tolerance. And it ain't the anglers' fault; it is the self-perpetuating, clubbable little system that expects these guys merely to pay their subs when required, do what they're told, and generally shut up. Coarse-fishers -- often castigated as the worst type of apathetic cynic by their self-appointed leaders and gurus -- have a realistic handle on the situation, I reckon: "Nothing in this for the likes of me, or anyone like me, ever -- I'm off!"
I had high hopes at one time that a rolling democratization of Angling (heck, it was happening in every other part of our lives) would make the sport a much better and easier thing for a kid of just average means to be doing than it was when I grew up. But then we had the greedy go-for-it 1980s, the "River Runs Through It" Nineties (and with them, the relentless branding and pricing-up of anything and everything to do with Angling), and now the doubt-ridden "Reckon we fouled up big-scale somewhere along the line, guys" 00s. I HATE to say that I saw it coming, BUT I DID. And I fought tooth and nail against some of the people who believed it was their God-given right to bring us these things, whether we wanted them or not. I didn't shout, scream or bellow at these fellas, I merely informed them that I wouldn't be playing their game or joining the club -- "Nothing personal, you understand. But I'll pass, if you don't mind." Lasting and terrible enemies made in an instant; I had naively believed such people to be capable of, at least, well, basic tolerance of others. I was wrong, badly wrong: they were not. "You're either with us, or you're totally against us..." was the ethos, now. (How stupid of me.) No quarter given to any perceived enemy; lots of smiles and bonhomie, though, for your clients, camp-followers and many new-found "good friend"s (the latter only remaining so until they ceased to be of use to you).
THE REAL WORLD COME TO DREAMY OLD ANGLING, BASICALLY.
THE CORRUPTION -- FOR ME AND MANY OTHERS LIKE ME -- OF SOMETHING INCORRUPTIBLE.
THE ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE:--
THE OFFICE AND THE BOTTOM LINE FINALLY COME TO THE RIVERBANK.
Money, power, property, politics -- has Angling come to this?
Probably.
"But what can we do about it? Against such types ... they always win?" is the usual, impotent cry.
Make life very uncomfortable for those who believe that, for themselves only, at least, Angling should all be about ease, elegance, opportunity and comfort. As I do. And make myself ANY number of enemies in certain sections of our pastime, but a lot of friends among those I meet on riverbanks here and there who fish for the same reasons as I do: for a few fish; for silence and solitude; and, above all, for the magic and the mystery.
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