Thank you for that message, Rex. One day perhaps we could fish together and then let body language and facial expressions be a part of the conversation, these features emphasise what is being said and when accompanied by a smile, there cannot be offence taken.

When I wrote for publication in well known angling magazines, before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, I always looked, objectively at the topic under discussion. I hate knee jerk reactions and when you think things through, very often there is common ground.

I will answer one point you raised in an early post, you believe I have a certain sympathy for the Ministry of Primary Industries. To a certain extent you are correct. You need to understand they are the body who sorted out the Napier meat company of Bay Cuisine. This company are now facing charges before the courts to do with contaminated meat. That meat ended the life of my first wife. I switched off her life support system, not an easy decision or a nice job. Primary Industries have been very supportive when the health system did nothing but turn a blind eye especially to their own failings of which there were a few.

With surfcasting there are huge problems, not just with a lack of certain species here in Hawke's Bay, but with surfcasting in general. My main concern is that it is often the angling press who take on the big issues, whereas it should be the NZACA. It has always been thus and until attitudes change, nothing will alter.

I love fishing the surf and have spent an entire lifetime, and a bloody fortune doing so. It is one of the countries largest participant sports, yet support for clubs and the NZACA is very poor. I have my ideas why and it's about time some people sat down and really thrashed out the problems. Unity is strength and until the NZACA has strength and the support of all anglers, sorry, it's not worth a zac.