ROB HUGHES
Go and hug an angler
“Every time you go fishing remember you’re an ambassador for the sport”
THE GENERAL public’s perception of angling is massively important. I’m sure that many of them view us as little more than a bunch of bored blokes who like getting away from the family to sit by the edge of a cold lake or river on a wet Sunday morning. Or, worse still, they may hold the naïve view that we don’t really care about our quarry or the other wildlife we encounter. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
The benefits that angling brings in terms of wellbeing, exercise and spending time with your friends cannot be undersold. Our protection and appreciation of the aquatic environment is enormously important. Yet the public rarely see any of this.
That’s why I was so interested to hear about the ‘Hug an Angler’ campaign currently running in the US state of Colorado. The Americans have got an initiative going on to promote the sport of angling by first and foremost promoting anglers. But would you hug an angler? Looking at some of the blokes I know, such a gesture might not be too high on the agenda after a long fishing session, but on the whole we are a bunch of diamonds.
So, every time you go fishing or use social media or even when you talk about fishing at work, remember that you’re an ambassador for the sport. Use that opportunity wisely and you could well encourage more people to join our ranks. Even if they don’t start to fish, they’ll remember that nice angler who looked after the fish and cared for the environment. Job done. Hugs all round.