Digital media should capture their interest

I WOULD like a fiver for every time I’ve heard it said that fishing must change to survive.

The trouble is that fishing is stuck in a sort of time warp because most leading figures from the sport’s governing bodies have refused to accept that some of the magic and mystery that Mr Crabtree used to experience is now a thing of the past.

Children today have a much faster-moving life with so many distractions, as digital technology threatens to swamp them.

Sitting still on a riverbank in the rain, catching nothing, is the very unappealing image most non-anglers have of fishing.

I believe nothing will change until this negative stereotype of a boring and lonely angler on the bank (Rob Hughes’ words) is wiped away for good.

Rob is also on the right track when he says using digital media with exciting and engaging content can introduce the public to angling in a different light.

As a point of interest I have taught my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to fish, and apart from my sons, who like a bit of all-round river fishing, the younger ones seem to gravitate towards carp and runs waters.

They do seem to prefer regular action and fish that pull back hard. Perhaps the gentler side of the sport and a passion for roach fishing will come with age. Ron Brooke, email