Ban for worms on the Wye?

[Liphook]

Here we go again! Tarring all with a broad brush of "us vs them" is utter nonsense. Things have moved on somewhat though obviously there are some that haven't and probably won't. 'All brothers and sisters of the angle' I say and the quicker the old schools of division die off the better! Angling is a broad church, it's only minds that are narrow.

[Troydog]

Yes Moley, some of the people on the Wye LFG talk as if there is only one species of fish in the river, and only one group of anglers - salmon fisherman. I remember. Dick Walker saying that he did not mind salmon, but he wasn’t keen on the company they keep !!

I have advised the Chair that the proposal to introduce a Byelaw amendment banning worm as a bait for all species on the Wye is ludicrous: it is laughable that a tiny group of men should want to impose their will on hundreds, thousands of ordinary men who fish for perch with worm, fish for barbel, chub and roach.

There are so many really big issues facing the salmon, I want to know what all these committees have actually achieved in improving salmon numbers these last few years. I’d think that the answer is, nothing. So let’s ban the worm and See what that achieves......over my dead body !!

I hooked a 6lb fish on worm about twenty years ago Dave...

[Olly]

Prawn is banned on a couple of rivers in the NE - reason caught too many fish!

No - it was the anglers catching AND KEEPING too many fish!

[Dave Burr]

I hooked a 6lb fish on worm about twenty years ago Dave...

So it's your fault then

[Troydog]

Sorry Dave....

[Duckett]

Here we go again! Tarring all with a broad brush of "us vs them" is utter nonsense. Things have moved on somewhat though obviously there are some that haven't and probably won't. 'All brothers and sisters of the angle' I say and the quicker the old schools of division die off the better! Angling is a broad church, it's only minds that are narrow.

Amen to that. The problem is that I first experienced the problem when I was in my teens and I’m now 59! Back then, it was one club with two particularly nasty rows going on at the same time. One was led by salmon anglers who basically wanted to ban any fishing that didn’t conform to their narrow view of angling. The other, match anglers who wanted every Pike killed on sight. In a way I consider my self lucky to have experienced idiots from both Coarse and Game angling at the same time.

All these years on, I can’t recall the last time I came across the Pike slaughter brigade. Sadly, the other still raises its ugly head.

Phil

[Old Wulf]

I think there is a bigger issue than just worms on the Wye. How is it possible that 20 or so people can get together make proposals and then effectively decide what anglers can or can't do to stay within the law. What credentials do the people of the Local Fishing Group have to pontificate on these matters. You don't mention this but it is my bet that this proposal is not based on any scientific findings or research. More likely it is the result of someone's accumulated prejudice. What role do the official bodies play i.e. EA & NRW? I hope they have a greater influence than just one vote.
If this way of governing our bye laws is normality across the country it may work where there is balance in the membership of the LFG. But in the case of the Wye there seems to be an unacceptable level of bias.
Far from discussing banning worms I think you could be opening a can of worms.
More power to your elbow Tim.

[Paul F]

I think this is a wind up, how can a club with an 800/25 membership even cosider a ban, let alone police it?
Can the ban be held up in law? Nothing will be achieved, apart from 800 disgruntled members.
I also think the TFF is not the the place to post threads like this, we are all just too chilled out for club politics!

[Old Wulf]

I don't believe this to be a wind up. Indeed it is not a club issue. Should this proposal be passed and enacted as a bye law it will affect the whole of the River Wye catchment, thereby forbidding you from putting a worm on the hook to fish for the perch, roach, chub or barbel in your swim. Do you think that is right? Especially when this decision will be made by a small number people many of whom who represent no one but themselves.
I certainly agree with you that ordinarily a forum like this is for the more "gentler" aspects of our sport. But there are times when absurdities like this need to be publicised so as to bring it to a wider audience. Who knows? It could be the rivers you fish next.
My real concern is the system. It is structured to give an awful lot of power to a very few people who do not represent anglers in general, and to me that disenfranchises anglers.

[Dave Burr]

It's called democracy and countries are run the same way. Fishing clubs have poorly attended AGM's, one that I was a member of, had a constant battle between match and pike anglers. Every now and then one party or other would load the AGM with followers of their views and get rules changed. Next year it would be standing room only and the rules would be changed back. The crazy thing is, very few followed the rules anyway.

Will I be using worms when perch fishing? Hmmm?