Angling historian Keith recalls how angling’s leaders caved in to the ‘swan experts’ 43 years ago… and why they shouldn’t have!

“The National Federation of Anglers well and truly sold us down the river”

AS ANGLERS we should be quite used to what happens on rivers, but I believe that, in 1986, the old leadership of the National Federation of Anglers well and truly sold us down one.

We conceded, with very little evidence and absolutely no concrete proof, that lead shot was harming the swan population – an assumption based almost entirely on what was happening on the River Thames.

We accepted responsibility, and offered to stop using shot from BB down to No4.

As was entirely predictable, the powers that be increased that to ban ALL shot, except what was then known as ‘dust’ shot – No8 – and ALL leger weights below 30g. Not even one ounce, at a time when metric was not used in fishing, but an ounce and a bit.

What amazed me was the number of people that thought it was a great idea, including some leaders in our sport. They had obviously never floatfished!

My friend David Bird, NFA President at the time, was our negotiator and, in my opinion, among the best leaders angling ever had. But in this instance I firmly believe he got it wrong.

But let’s now look at that so-called ‘evidence’.

Swan ‘experts’ said the biggest percentage of lead shot found in swans’ gizzards was No1.

Well, I checked with the major split shot suppliers of the time, Thamesley Tackle and Dinsmore, and No1 was BY FAR the least sold, although it appeared in seven-part dispensers.

They also pointed to reduced numbers of swans on the river in surveys compared to the 1950s – completely ignoring the fact that 40,000 acres of gravel pits had been dug in the Thames Valley in the same timescale, all of which were full of swans!

Do I sound bitter? Well, yes, I still most certainly am! I have not found suitable substitute No4s or No6s for my beloved stick float fishing, and still use bunches of No8s.

Only in the last 12 months has Drennan come up with a decent replacement for waggler bulk shot.

And guess what? Lead is STILL used in shotgun cartridges and, if I correctly recall my research, there was 400 times the amount of lead used for that purpose than there was for angling.