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spring clean
- Thread starter David Hall
- Start date
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
I obviously do applaud any investment aimed at improving our environment, and naturally enough, being an angler, our waterways in particular. However, it does make me mad when our government are forced into doing something, via threats of severe penalties from Brussels for non compliance....and then try to announce their eventual cave-in and compliance as thought it were all their own idea, brought about out of the goodnes of their hearts, to benefit us the voters...barstewards 
Cheers, Dave.
Cheers, Dave.
Paul Boote
No Longer a Member
Paul Boote, today, 09:47, in the "Save Our Forests" thread in members-only Viewpoint:
Save Our Rivers...
New Government initiative today, with, we are told, real new money. Very laudable, but I do hope that the scheme doesn't become (as, as a first-few-dozen, non-founding-group member, I gently warned the founder of a well-heeled watery / fishy Society (later Trust) in an unanswered letter soon after its launch back in 1997) "just another riparian owners' benefit gig" - meaning a "fragrant" affair fine and dandy for an in-crowd associated few, but just a pretty view (and maybe not even that) for the many.
BBC News, 13 April 2011
Waterways to get £110m boost, Caroline Spelman confirms
Otter The country is blighted by waters which cannot support animals such as otters, Mrs Spelman argues
Otters and salmon will benefit from a £110m boost in spending on England's waterways, the government has said.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said the funds would improve the "health" of lakes, rivers and streams and allow wildlife to flourish by tackling pollution and invasive weeds.
She also said that ministers wanted people to become more involved in caring for their local waterways.
Ralph Underhill, of campaign group Our Rivers, welcomed the announcement.
The funding will be shared between the Environment Agency, Natural England and charities such as the Association of Rivers Trust.
Redundant dams, weirs and landings in England will be removed.
This boost is earmarked for England alone because funding for waterways is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Grass roots
Announcing the move, Mrs Spelman said: "The health of our rivers has come along in leaps and bounds, but we still see nasty invasive weeds and lifeless waters blight blue spaces in cities and across our countryside.
"With this funding, we'll help all our waterways and streams thrive by tackling problems that until now have been sitting in the 'too-hard' basket.
"Our new grass-roots approach to boosting healthier waterways and flourishing wildlife has local experience and knowledge at its heart."
Mr Underhill warned that the funding would not "solve all the problems overnight".
But he hailed the announcement as "fantastic news for our rivers and the wildlife they support".
"Rivers are a national asset and in the current financial climate it is great to see a new investment being made in their future," he added.
Save Our Rivers...
New Government initiative today, with, we are told, real new money. Very laudable, but I do hope that the scheme doesn't become (as, as a first-few-dozen, non-founding-group member, I gently warned the founder of a well-heeled watery / fishy Society (later Trust) in an unanswered letter soon after its launch back in 1997) "just another riparian owners' benefit gig" - meaning a "fragrant" affair fine and dandy for an in-crowd associated few, but just a pretty view (and maybe not even that) for the many.
BBC News, 13 April 2011
Waterways to get £110m boost, Caroline Spelman confirms
Otter The country is blighted by waters which cannot support animals such as otters, Mrs Spelman argues
Otters and salmon will benefit from a £110m boost in spending on England's waterways, the government has said.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said the funds would improve the "health" of lakes, rivers and streams and allow wildlife to flourish by tackling pollution and invasive weeds.
She also said that ministers wanted people to become more involved in caring for their local waterways.
Ralph Underhill, of campaign group Our Rivers, welcomed the announcement.
The funding will be shared between the Environment Agency, Natural England and charities such as the Association of Rivers Trust.
Redundant dams, weirs and landings in England will be removed.
This boost is earmarked for England alone because funding for waterways is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Grass roots
Announcing the move, Mrs Spelman said: "The health of our rivers has come along in leaps and bounds, but we still see nasty invasive weeds and lifeless waters blight blue spaces in cities and across our countryside.
"With this funding, we'll help all our waterways and streams thrive by tackling problems that until now have been sitting in the 'too-hard' basket.
"Our new grass-roots approach to boosting healthier waterways and flourishing wildlife has local experience and knowledge at its heart."
Mr Underhill warned that the funding would not "solve all the problems overnight".
But he hailed the announcement as "fantastic news for our rivers and the wildlife they support".
"Rivers are a national asset and in the current financial climate it is great to see a new investment being made in their future," he added.
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Rhys Perry
Senior Member
Think I should have read this before starting my thread!
I'll accept a combined total, from both threads, of 15 pages of otter bashing
Shouldn't be too difficult, especially when you see how evil that otter looks, like he's just about to kill a double figure barbel
I'll accept a combined total, from both threads, of 15 pages of otter bashing
Shouldn't be too difficult, especially when you see how evil that otter looks, like he's just about to kill a double figure barbel
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David Gauntlett
Senior Member
Think I should have read this before starting my thread!
I'll accept a combined total, from both threads, of 15 pages of otter bashing
I would have thought that bashing the person who continually tries to foment forum rows would be much more fun than bashing otters....but that's only me
Cheers, Dave
Paul Boote
No Longer a Member
Out of interest, Dave, please name your putative fomenter.
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
Well I am not a betting man Paul, but the man whom has started another thread on this very same subject, which is running concurrently, and who has now posted on this thread....would seem a reasonable odds on favourite for the prize.
Of course, if your feel that you have skeletons in your cupboard on that issue, making the cap seems an uncomfortably good fit....then be my guest and wear it dear chap
Cheers, Dave.
Paul Boote
No Longer a Member
No fomenter, me, merely someone who feels he must blow a cautioning whistle when a few, loud, angling traders, celebs and hacks are shouting for stuff that not only will affect many others' fishing but quite possibly destroy the very thing that made them comfortably off and later become so "Listen to me" mouthy in the first place.
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David Hall
Senior Member
the word otter should be banned!
Rhys Perry
Senior Member
I would have thought that bashing the person who continually tries to foment forum rows would be much more fun than bashing otters....but that's only me
Cheers, Dave
Scandalous that is! If only I could afford a lawyer.
I must say Dave I'm very surprised to see you involved in discussions about otters.
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
Whereas I am neither surprised nor particularly bothered by your actions here Rhys. We have thrashed this problem out here and elsewhere time and again, all parties stating their opinions, and it is obvious to all that there is a huge gulf between the two camps which can never be bridged.
To continue airing our seperate views on this over and over is both pointless and counter productive, leading to possible anti angling feelings amongst the general public, and certainly unfair moderating problems for Andy and co.
However, you do as you see fit old chap....perhaps it's the only way you ever get bites these days
Cheers, Dave.
Rhys Perry
Senior Member
However, you do as you see fit old chap....perhaps it's the only way you ever get bites these days
Cheers, Dave.
You don't know how bloody true that is!
Just a bit of fun Dave, though its so easy to get bites from 'your camp' its no sport anymore, but boredom propels me to carry on, I'll try and stop.
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
Can you IMAGINE the furore we would have if Keith Speer were to catch a huge otter on the float, using lite lines and small hooks....I dont EVER want to go there Rhys
Cheers, Dave.
Paul Boote
No Longer a Member
Ah, but that blahdy man Boote has already had them on self-tied dry flies down to size 22 fished on tippets the diameter of a human hair, but when invited to appear at the Otter Society's annual conference and talk about it merely told the chap on the phone "Awfully good of you, it really is, but I wouldn't want to start another goldrush - articles by suddenly appeared otter experts, otter rods, otter flies, otter guides, high-end fly-in otter lodges...". I heard a sound that sounded suspiciously like a pistol shot then, then nothing, total silence (except, possibly, the sound of water(?) dripping). Haven't heard from the Society since.
Rhys Perry
Senior Member
Can you IMAGINE the furore we would have if Keith Speer were to catch a huge otter on the float, using lite lines and small hooks....I dont EVER want to go there Rhys
Cheers, Dave.
Even worse if he would be so foolish as to not use an unhooking mat!