Not a fish was visible that first time I visited Beechmere; an utter
stillness brooded over the place and I felt the strange and sinister atmosphere which, so the story goes,
has been the cause of several suicides.’
BB – Confessions of a Carp Fisher
In response to CarpArtist's 'Why?' - that's what 'modern fishing' is about (not to us, of course).
My lecturer pal in Sussex tells me that the Fishery Management course at his college is totally aimed at commercial fisheries; that its students have no interest in any fish other than 'boilie-bellied' carp; that the students are (his words) thick dorks.
It's hard to blame the college. It wants to get its students into employment and commercials offer better financial prospects. What these courses are unlikely to do is to produce individuals like the late Frank Sawyer, for example - vastly experienced and knowledgeable, but not 'qualified'.
Surely your mate has a responsibility to educate his students as well as to train them. I spent many years teaching in universities where I saw it as an essential part of my job to question and at times undermine the 'official' curriculum.
Your pal could start one of his lectures in the new year by showing his students the two pictures that Sofasurfer has posted above then asking them the simple question... 'If you were an angler which of these two swims would you choose to spend your day (and your money!) in and why would you choose one or the other?' I am sure he would get a lot of debate out of this question and maybe set a few bells ringing in his students' heads.
I sometimes wonder what kind of lecturer calls his or her students 'thick dorks'.
I can assure you, Wandler, that he does everything you suggest and more. Unfortunately, he is not in charge of Fishery Management, so has to follow the party line. Nevertheless, he is a traditionalist at heart - uses a complete cane landing net, and wants me to make him a split-cane fly rod. If he was a bit more computer-savvy, he'd be one of our members.
His reference to his students' mental acuity compares them with those on the Game Management course, of which he is course director - very successfully. If you're interested, you can see them in action on YouTube - 'Pheasant Shooting at Plumpton College'.
A lecturer and course director at a further / higher education college who can't use a computer sufficiently well to join a discussion forum and yet calls some of his colleague's students 'thick dorks'.
You are sending all kinds of subliminal messages here Nailbourne!
Still if he uses 'a complete cane landing net' that makes it all right!
Unfortunately for anglers such as us, most fisheries have to bow to the masses. Comercials and day ticket waters rely on the masses to fund them and the masses want nice clear swims and tidy banks. Clubs also depend on paying members so that leases can be paid. Its not always The Match or Carp fraternity, in my experience its usually to please the pleasure anglers who wish to turn up, have easy access and catch.
"A float tip is pleasing in its appearance and even more pleasing in its disappearance"
WHY?