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Angling Trust

Paul Hamer

Paul Hamer

Senior Member
Been a member of AT for 2yrs, just got my renewal through, cant honestly see what benefit is in rejoining. Whats peoples thoughts on this controversial topic.
 
Paul, half an hour reading their website should convince you its worth rejoining, although I'm sure many will tell you otherwise. A word of advice when looking at their website, try to make a list of all the positive things you read as well as the negatives. A list made up of mostly positives is good enough reason to rejoin, although I'm sure others will disagree. At £25 a year its a no brainer for me.

Nick C
 
Tricky one isn't it Paul? The old saying that 'You can't please everyone all of the time' comes in to play here, and there are things about the AT that don't please me, but then I do believe they do a lot more good than harm.

I was a tad dismayed a while back when it seemed that the AT were to be employed by the EA to take over some of their roles, but I await to see how that develops. I am also aware that the AT does not have the membership it needs to carry out much of what it would like to do....so we have only ourselves to blame for them seeking/accepting funds from sources that seem at first look to be dubious.

I view this from the standpoint that we really NEED a voice that is loud enough to be heard and taken notice of by the government. The problems of predation, pollution, over extraction etc. that are destroying our fisheries at the moment are only going to be tackled by a powerful body representing us in those circles. The AT's rather wishy washy stand on the otter problem is, I believe, kept to that level by the fact that they don't at this time have a strong enough membership to take on an issue as provocative as this one. They can't impress or frighten the government when they represent such a tiny percentage of our hobby.

The fact is, whatever our views on the AT, we DO need a strong body to fight our corner...and the AT is the only one on offer, they are all we have.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Paul, like yourself. ive also been a member for about 2 years, and like Dave G says, we have nothing else. For 50p a week, it's got to be worth sticking with for a while longer. :)
 
I was a member but decided not to renew my membership for a few reasons, as Dave says they will never please everyone and if an angler feels that any good they do outweighs any shortcomings then maybe they should join. my reasons for not renewing were/are.

Using the worst polluter in the country as a sponsor for their riverfest matches on the Wye, this was in my view very naieve and probably cost them members.

The practice of contacting ex members in certain age groups offering them membership at lower rates, smacks of desperation but at the least it was underhand and grossly unfair on members paying full price, I don't know if this practice stopped after it was publicised it certainly should have been.

Not being able to join Fish Legal on its own (I was an ACA member for many years) even though this is an option in other parts of the UK, I thought this country was also part of the uk, I could make a contribution to FL but wont because I don't trust where my cash would end up considering the lower membership cost debacle.

Their refusal to come off the fence when it comes to the problem of Otters and the damage they have caused on some small rivers (along with other things)

Publicising their fight and apparent victory over illegal paddlers while at the same time having a paddler membership section, in my view that's hypocritical.

There are other reasons but at the end of the day its down to the individual angler to decide if the good outweighs the bad, in my case I have decided that it doesn't.
 
Im with David G on this, to me its not perfect but the only voice the government listen to. £2.50 by direct debit which i never miss. I just wish more Anglers would do the same.
 
Not sure what their individual membership numbers are these days as I haven't managed to find it publicised anywhere, but I think it's around 33000 (could be wrong), which given how many anglers there are in the UK is pathetic. If they seem desperate Graham, it's because they are ! They definitely do the occasional thing which displeases me but I've never taken issue with anything fish legal have done.

Nick
 
50p a week to help support a national voice v £3.00+ per pint when the rivers are unfishable. No brainer for me.
 
Very slightly off topic, ( apologies ) but Liverpool Airport have just introduced a similar scheme. Register with the airport as an approved taxi driver, the cost, £ 120 for a 3 year badge, lots of drivers scream " i,m not paying that ". Its the equivalent of 80p a week. Since it was introduced, HALVE the drivers have disappeared, meaning i,m getting an extra 2 - 3 fares per evening.

The point i'm trying to make is, sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture, and the real cost to each and every angler. 50p a week is not a lot to ask, and support the AT. Imagine what they could do, if a couple of quid was added to the annual fishing license, and given directly to them. As said before, they can,t please everyone, and maybe they are a bit desperate, but what else can they do for angling, without anglers support.
 
I agree Derek, lot's of folk do as your fellow taxi drivers did, they take one minor aspect of something like this and use that as a weapon, a reason not to part with their cash...when in truth it's really the 'parting with the cash' bit that they are against. What are we like?

At one time I was all for the 'Take it out of the license fee' idea you mention, because anglers being an apathetic lot, there may not be any other way to fund the AT fully. As you say, who knows what wonders they might work with income of that order? However, I do see one possible flaw with that plan. If they were guaranteed their money no matter what, then the need to listen to anglers and do their best in the interest of anglers...would no longer be there. We would have no control...and we all know where that may lead :mad:

Still not sure what is the best way to go on this...a bit 'Damned if we do, damned if we don't ' aren't we? Nothing new there I guess :D

Cheers, Dave.
 
For legal reasons they cannot add a couple of quid to the Rod Licence, and make it compulsory to join, and I don't think many would object to joining if it only cost a little.

The problem at the moment is those who don't pay up, benefit from their work.

And when it comes to the likes of fighting cormorants, otters etc, they are not big enough to launch such a campaign. Yet not members whinge about them not fighting predation, so only have themselves to blame in my opinion

I don't agree to everything the Trust does, but we need such an organisation to speak for us.
 
That's still less than a million, when you consider how many anglers there are that's a matter of pence for each of us per annum. With the cost of legal fees they must fork out each year with their fish legal arm, plus all the wages, which like it or not they still have to pay, I'm amazed they get anything done.
 
I think you'll find the wages working for the AT are anything but inflated, the positions that were advertised lately were offering very modest salaries for the job specs. Fella at the top will be on good wages no doubt, but how's that different to any other organisation ?

Nick C
 
Nick Coulthurst said:
Not sure what their individual membership numbers are these days as I haven't managed to find it publicised anywhere, but I think it's around 33000 (could be wrong), which given how many anglers there are in the UK is pathetic. If they seem desperate Graham, it's because they are ! They definitely do the occasional thing which displeases me but I've never taken issue with anything fish legal have done.

Nick
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Neither have I Nick, I would join that as a separate entity but unfortunately I am not allowed to as I live in England, if I lived in another UK country I could, very strange.
 
Craig Hunt said:
For legal reasons they cannot add a couple of quid to the Rod Licence, and make it compulsory to join, and I don't think many would object to joining if it only cost a little.

The problem at the moment is those who don't pay up, benefit from their work.

And when it comes to the likes of fighting cormorants, otters etc, they are not big enough to launch such a campaign. Yet not members whinge about them not fighting predation, so only have themselves to blame in my opinion

I don't agree to everything the Trust does, but we need such an organisation to speak for us.
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The membership figures would suggest that this one isn't the one that the majority of anglers would want to speak for them, perhaps the holier than thou attitude of some members criticising none members has something to do with that, its certainly another reason for me not wanting to be associated with it or give them any money. (no more than I already do anyway through my club fee's and I have no choice in that)
 
Neil Blood said:
Same as others have said, not perfect but its all we have and for the most part it does a good job!
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It does Neil.

Seems to me we have a choice; either back the AT or keep our fingers crossed that this government - or any government for that matter - will suddenly start acting in our interest. They've done a sterling job in implementing the Water Framework Directive after all......

Dave
 
If the AT want the majority of anglers to join then they have to have policies that the majority agree with. They should conduct a survey to see what most want and make it plain that, with enough support, the will pursue these policies. If the majority expect to see a tougher stance on otters, cormorants etc. then they have to take that stance. In other words, become a democratic organisation or forever tread water. Pardon the pun...
 
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