Hi, First of all thanks for your input both in the questionnaire as well as here. As the person responsible for the project I'd just like to clarify. By 'outside of remit', we do not mean that these are not important issues, which they clearly are. We simply mean that, as researchers broadly within social science, analysing water quality and fish stocks is not within our scope of abilities. That is the preserve of fishery, biological and ecological scientists rather than us. As one fishery scientist recently put it to us 'we research the fish; you research the people'. Of course there is a need for both approaches to work more closely together, something we are looking into developing this year.

Also, we are, and have been, disseminating findings of what is important to anglers to those who are responsible for these areas of work, but for a project that is funded to understand the social and community benefits of angling, run by social researchers, the impact of angling on fish stocks and water quality is outside of what this project can deliver. Thanks. Adam Brown

With all the rules and regulations and paper filling now involved in teaching juniors in whatever sport I applaud all those take the time and trouble to carry out junior instruction.
I am a qualified instructor in fly fishing teaching adults, original qualification under STANIC which took two days to carry out. I then attended a few short courses under the auspicious of Game Angling Instructors Association to attain Level two status.
I shudder to think how much time it would take and at what financial cost involved in attaining a similar qualification to day, especially ADB qualifications.
I am only afraid that the numbers of those prepared to do so will be diminished by this increasingly onerous task.

I echo the sentiments. I am involved with running a busy fly tying group and the whole question of having children on board causes much debate amongst the predominantly middle aged male members. We do not/cannot exclude youngsters from wanting to join although we have no young members for some unknown reason and when the question of coaching schemes/activities comes up the members back away because of the implications of legislation etc. They also feel potentially vulnerable even at fishing shows whilst instructing youngsters as they don't know what might be seen as bad practice if getting close to or touching youngsters in the act of instruction.
We have had advice from the ADB on setting up schemes but it is quite off-putting to see what has to be done.
It is a dilemma and most anglers I know want to encourage youngsters but shy away because of the perceived difficuties that might be faced in doing it in compliance with everything.
I just wonder if it needs recognition and support from the media to raise the profile of angling in general? We know an angler will never win Sports personality of the year! Look at Anglers achievements and then see what coverage they get - next to nothing.Come third in one of the 'chosen'sports and you're a hero and get national recognition but what have our World Champions and multiple world champtions ever had?
We are seen currently as a minority sport along with many others who achieve superb results and go unnoticed - it had got to be down to media interest and coverage.
Got off soap box now!
Glyn Williams

This impossible to quantify because comparing say carp fishing to salmon fishing is at either end of the spectrum. In carp fishing you set up your bivvy and settle in one place and in salmon fishing you wade up to your chest in icy waters and keep on the move all the time. There is no norm.

Just a point.

You incorrectly list football, cricket, rugby etc as high participation sports alongside angling.

This is incorrect. Angling is a high partcipation sport. The rest are all highly WATCHED activities.

It is very important you understand this and yet its in the first few paragraphs of your Interim Report.

I got no further.