Not me, I didn’t apply for any as the nearest match was on a commercial well over 2 hours away. There were 2 others about a similar distance and I have not fished any of them and never will.
I have however been a member of the Angling Trust since it started and was an individual member of both the NFA and the ACA before that. The old ACA did a brilliant job of prosecuting polluters and obtaining damages from polluters like the water companies for angling clubs. The Angling Trust carries on this work and the Government has decided that they will ONLY talk to a unified body for angling in the exactly the same way as it does for Swimming, Cycling, Athletics, Tennis, Football, Rugby etc. A unified body is the only way that the Government put any monies into sport. They will not talk to the timbucktoo athletics club or never never lands football club but their governing bodies and only their governing bodies.
It is not the ATrust trying to impose its will on anglers as some would have it but the Government imposing its will upon us. Either you want funding for the sport, which at present is 99% geared towards coaching or you don’t. If you don’t and don’t want an organisation that takes polluters to court and wins substantial damages against polluters then don’t join. If you do then the sooner you join the better and encourage your friends who are anglers or perhaps just love the waterways of this country to do the same.
If the only reason for joining was to get tickets then any one that failed to get tickets gets little sympathy from me.
hub.
