The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

another law that will be next to impossible to enforce as loads of anglers will still use lead weights!!

I've just read this thread through.

However much we dress it up, lead compounds are toxic. Lead does oxidise slowly, and the oxides can further combine with CO2 to make other toxic compounds. It why their use is banned in paints among other things.

Irrespective of other greater environmentalist issues (which also deserve attention), the removal of a toxic compound forming metal from the environment is a good thing.

While I'd admit many substitutes don't seem so effective (although for my part, 'meh' can't say I've noticed), we ought to consdier that lead use is a bad thing and stopping it is a good thing. So a few anglers lose a few yards on their longest casts. Hey ho. Twenty years back they couldn't cast that far anyway.

If your argument really is:

"We should be allowed to occasionally dump toxic compound forming metals if we want so we can catch a a few more fish", well, good luck with that, but don't include me in those diatribes.

To argue for the continued use of lead is just putting nails in the angling's coffin.

Not using lead for angling is a good thing.

There are no defensible or sound arguments to the contrary.

Shropshire Lad wrote:another law that will be next to impossible to enforce as loads of anglers will still use lead weights!!

...and those anglers are, not for the first time, setting themselves above the law and democratic process. Which is selfish at best.

That'll help keep angling safe. Well done.

Shropshire Lad wrote:another law that will be next to impossible to enforce as loads of anglers will still use lead weights!!

It didn't take long to see the back of lead shot larger than 8 and bombs less than an ounce in the 80's

I've been on two shoots this week. Each time there were about 1,000 12 bore cartridges fired with about an ounce of lead shot in each. That's 2,000 ounces which is 125lb of lead scattered around the countryside.

How much lead shot do 10 anglers lose during 2 days fishing? Just asking.

If I remember correctly this proposed 'Law' was started by the "greens" in the EU parliament!

It was banning lead - everywhere - not just for fishing! As it is toxic.

SofaSurfer wrote:I've been on two shoots this week. Each time there were about 1,000 12 bore cartridges fired with about an ounce of lead shot in each. That's 2,000 ounces which is 125lb of lead scattered around the countryside.

How much lead shot do 10 anglers lose during 2 days fishing? Just asking.

True but irrelevant.

Because 'someone else' is doing something questionable, possibly worse, does not excuse angling doing a similar thing - either logically or in the eyes of the public.

One might as well justify pouring engine oil down the drain as oil companies spill millions of barrels now and then.

Like I said, lead compounds are toxic. Anglers using lead weights cannot be rationally or reasonably justified if a non-toxic alternative is available.

It's a good thing.

I think the real sticking point on lead is, PRICE, if the manufacturers of the substitutes were to make it a reasonable price, then people wouldn't moan as much as they do. I have seen lead weights on Ebay at ridiculously low prices, they were listed as sea weights, but they were of the banned sizes for fresh water? If you look for the smaller sizes, they rocket in price, and not just because of the "must have factor", ie the name on them, or because of who uses them to catch the tame fish from a puddle, whilst being paid by the company who made the weight, the deciding factor is, a law has been made, and the suppliers will use that law to milk us for what they can get, as shown with car insurance, and pensions.

Rod wrote:I think the real sticking point on lead is, PRICE, if the manufacturers of the substitutes were to make it a reasonable price, then people wouldn't moan as much as they do. I have seen lead weights on Ebay at ridiculously low prices, they were listed as sea weights, but they were of the banned sizes for fresh water? If you look for the smaller sizes, they rocket in price, and not just because of the "must have factor", ie the name on them, or because of who uses them to catch the tame fish from a puddle, whilst being paid by the company who made the weight, the deciding factor is, a law has been made, and the suppliers will use that law to milk us for what they can get, as shown with car insurance, and pensions.

You're right, but it's not an argument to use lead, it's an argument to break a virtual cartel in the tackle business.

The price of lead shot is trivial. I can't remember the last time I bought any, probably over a year ago. Anglers don't discard a tub of shot at the end of each trip and buy another.