YOUR LETTERS
Write to: Sea Angler Mailbox, Media House, Lynchwood Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Email: SeaAngler@bauermedia.co.uk
Opinions on the top topics.
DISCREDITED IS DISPUTED
I read your ‘Welcome’ in issue 579 and thought it was worth reminding you that at a ‘sea angling working group’, in April 2018, it was agreed that the National Water Sports survey is the most reliable source of participants – 769,729 total, 353,156 core, 416,573 occasional.
This is not very far away from the figures produced in the ‘Sea Angling 2012’ report, albeit one was England and the other UK.
Your company Bauer’s own figures, from TGI research, show 329,000 people from Great Britain regularly go sea fishing, and 731,000 people from GB occasionally go sea fishing. In total 1,059,000 people from GB have been sea fishing in the last 12 months. Again, not far away from the higher end of the range produced in ‘Sea Angling 2012’.
So, while the ‘Sea Angling 2012’ report might not be believed by some anglers, the results from it are remarkably similar to those from the National Water Sports survey and your company’s research.
In the end a compromise was reached by those businesses present (including Bauer) to agree on the National Water Sports data. I don’t think that ‘Sea Angling 2012’ has been discredited. The other sources of evidence are all in the same ballpark. The only ones who seem to think it is discredited are the ones who simply refuse to believe it – no matter what the evidence says. David Mitchell, Head of Marine, The Angling Trust
■ The editor says: You disagree with one word ‘discredited’ that I used to describe ‘Sea Angling 2012’, yet admit it is not believed by some anglers. My ‘Welcome’ dealt with the bass bag limit increase, but you ignore the fact that I congratulated the Angling Trust and BASS for their parts in getting the bass bag limit increased.
THE FISHING EXPERIENCE
Some people are lucky as children, their dad or mum take them fishing at a young age and not only share their experiences, but pass on their knowledge. For others the road is more tortuous.
Although a very kind neighbour took me night fishing as a child and I had bits and bobs in my tackle box, he didn’t really sell it to me. Fast-forward many years and now I have finally experienced the love of sea angling, particularly boat fishing.
Everyone who has this passion will know that there are some really special things you must have in your tackle box. You know, those things that sparkle and that you can’t do without. In reality, some never really leave the tackle box, but you love them none the less.
Experiencing the sport later in life, I have tried to catapult myself into the mix, and one of the best things in fishing is the local tackle shop, or better still the staff. I live in Plymouth and there are a number of really good sea fishing shops, but I really like Sea View Angling on Faraday Road. The guy never pressures me, he often shares his knowledge, but never leaves me feeling less than another shipmate.
Every time I leave his shop, he draws another rig on the back of a paper bag or reveals another venue to visit. Every time, his little briefing notes bring results. I invite everyone to embrace their local fishing shop, squeeze out the odd piece of wisdom and treat yourself to some tackle. Geoffrey Farmiloe, Plymouth, Devon
USE IT OR LOSE IT
I live in a coastal town in Cumbria with a strong sea angling tradition, and in the last three years we’ve lost two angling shops. It’s a worrying trend.
For a town with three sea angling clubs, it’s an issue, with the nearest shop now being 10 miles away. While that is not a long way for some, I see it as a blow. Local shops were handy to go to and have a chat, get some advice or get a feel of things before purchasing.
While I take some responsibility, like many anglers, for purchasing from the internet for convenience or an item being cheaper, the long-term consequences will be felt as people give up fishing and don’t have anywhere to find out what’s being caught. Not everyone reads Sea Angler, or uses the internet, but the slow decline will have a knock-on effect for the next generation of anglers. Be thankful if you have a local shop. Use it or lose it. Mike Amos, Workington, Cumbria
PROMOTE THE FUTURE
I’m 15, and as far as I can remember I’ve fished at my father’s side. It has given us
a marvellous bond. I’ve learnt a lot, about not just fishing, but the natural world and life in general. That’s why we need more people my age on the beach or boat.
Fishing is good for the mind, body and soul. It builds bonds between family and friends, mankind and nature, and, of course, fish and fisherman. I think that fishing could help heal many of the problems that we face today. Nothing puts a human more at ease than being in our natural habitat.
Just like the fry is the future of fish species, the juniors are the future of our sport. We must all do our best to preserve, improve and grow the greatest and most ancient sport on Earth.
George Johnson, Horsham, West Sussex
FOLLOW HANDLING ADVICE
I watch some amazing catches on YouTube, but was disheartened to see the catch and release of a 27lb blonde ray. Disheartened not because of the fish or the angler’s ability, but why is it acceptable to weigh the fish by hanging it from its mouth or hold it by the soft tissue around its head? All anglers should follow the Shark Trust’s advice on how to handle sharks and rays.
Stu Davies, by email
ENCOURAGE OTHERS
I liked your article on the Shark Trust and poster about handling sharks and rays in issue 576. All types of media should only use photographs where the angler is holding the fish in the correct manner.
Matthew Day, by email
ALTERNATIVE VENUE
Two articles caught my attention in issue 577. First the one by Babs Kiljewski, and the second by Dave Lewis. I know Dave has written about Costa Rica before, but always about the Pacific coast. Obviously, these were excellent articles and would whet any angler’s appetite to visit.
You never seem to feature the Caribbean coast, which I have been fishing fairly regularly for more than 20 years. It’s true the east coast does not have the huge variety of species compared to the Pacific side. What it does offer is the consistency of the tarpon fishing at Barra Del Colorado on the mouth of the Rio Colorado and the snook fishing in the lagoons and beaches.
I have never visited without catching, and If any readers have a desire to catch one of the finest game fish available, this is the place to go.
Patrick Hillard, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
SHARE THE EXPERTISE
The article on the two skippers from Ireland and Wales meeting in the middle of the Irish Sea (issue 578) made me long for the summer.
As I own a small boat on the County Down coast, the Irish Sea is where I spend many an hour hoping for the big one. I often think about targeting these deep-water wrecks, but find it almost impossible to imagine doing it.
I would find it helpful if the skippers would share a few tips with small-boat owners on how to go about such a task. For example, tide state or getting that correct drift.
Luke Turkington, County Down
CONSIDER THE FORMULA
In the lure questions and answers in issue 577, Jonathan Parkinson states: “Surely casting 30g and 40g lures on 20lb braid is a recipe for breakages?”
Henry Gilbey replied there was no problem even with 18lb line. Has he not heard of the power casting formula of 10lb of line for every 1oz (30.25g) of lead being cast? That means that 20lb line can take 2oz (60.5g) and 18lb line 1.8oz (54.45g).
Dr John A O’Connor, Pembrokeshire Henry Gilbey says:
■ I believe 30g and 40g lures and heavier are just fine on a good 20lb braid.
BASS BAG DILEMMA
Two bass a day sounds great, but just like an old school trout fishery, it’s catch your bag and go home and less excuse to keep fishing. Two is enough for family dinner. However, you could move and/or change your target species.
Another point (or maybe a more serious issue) is sharing a catch among a group or on a boat. Say there are six crew plus the skipper, what is the legal position on boating 12 fish plus two for skipper? A bigger charter boat could take a lot of fish. A serious issue, but no one has addressed it. Would we rather not have an answer?
Malcolm Hayward, by email
HELPING HAND
The Yorkshire Federation of Sea Anglers has seen an upsurge in people wanting to fish our matches, several after seeing the events listed in Sea Angler.
Some of the newcomers are not as experienced as others, while some fished many moons ago and have decided to start again. Hopefully, I’ll persuade some of the local top anglers to give up a morning to show them all the basics.
Keith Mumby, Yorkshire FSA
WONDERFUL ‘LEAKYBOOTS’
Loved the piece by James ‘Leakyboots’ Batty about catching bass (issue 577). Informative, humorous and so good I read it twice. Nigel Duncan, Edinburgh ■ The editor says: You can read more from ‘Leakyboots’ on page 18.