Yoey, if you look at the times the messages on this forum are showing, you will see we posted within five minutes of each other. Your post was not showing at the time I started writing, it was only noticed after I had pressed the 'post' button.

I have been highly critical of the NZACA with good reason, but please note in my posts I am also critical of elitist anglers who are always putting down certain parts of the recreational side of the fish quota for amateurs.

For some unfathomable reasoning fishing is a pastime that just can't get it's act together, was it ever thus. Fly fishers hate those who spin, boat fishers hate the gin palace that sails by them, surfcasters have no time for those who fish with kontikis. With all this in fighting, is it any wonder clubs and the NZACA seem to have a regular impasse?

I play golf, for my age I am a good player. It is a sport followed by huge numbers, by far the majority not only support their club but they are fiercely loyal to those who look after their interests. Not all are competition golfers, like anglers the vast majority play just for fun. However, the ruling body works for all, they put out regular information and act for everyone who carries a set of clubs.

There is critique on the board regarding the way Fishing magazines handle information sent them. Having spent many years writing for magazines I can assure you the editor's main concern is can he get advertising out of a story, can they get a sponsor for regular reports? This takes a far higher priority that the quality of the news copy. The association need to make their reports interesting, topical and newsworthy, then the magazine will find the sponsor. Quality writing is imperative, the article needs to be edited, spelling errors corrected plus punctuation and grammar improved, this to make an article readable and hold interest. Magazines no longer employ people for such work, believing the writer's PC spell check should be switched on and articles self appraised.

I believe the NZACA have one fundamental failing and it's not difficult to discover, although the cure may take some thinking outside the square. Take a drive along Napier seafront or any seafront come to that and count the vehicles parked up with the occupants fishing. Then ask the simple question, with are so many people enjoying the sport, why are they not involved or remotely interested in the local club or national body?

When you can attract the pleasure angler into joining the NZACA I would suggest you have cracked the biggest hurdle. The association will be so much stronger and clubs will really benefit. I also firmly believe, and I know this for a fact, many pleasure anglers view club fishing as elitist although this is not always the fault of the club. I have mentioned on another post it is imperative that senior anglers stop their constant gripes at others who enjoy 'just going fishing'. People who are happy to take home anything that will feed the family or even their cat. It's great to see regular pictures of an elite few holding up large snapper or a Kingfish, but these are the exception, in our area especially, they are certainly not the norm.

Many people cannot afford to spend a weekend fishing or the petrol to take them on a 150 klm round trip to catch their fish. They have family commitments and on occasions mum and the kids may accompany them on a fishing trip. The point I am trying to push is that there are anglers from all walks of life with other commitments, fishing isn't the be all and end all as is the impression given on these boards. I suggest it is the ordinary angler, by far the largest number of our fraternity, the NZACA is failing to take into consideration.

Until then I see nothing changing, unity is strength, division and separation is the catalyst for downfall.