EXTREME FISHING WITH ROBSON GREEN
The actor Robson Green, who presents Extreme Fishing With Robson Green on TV Channel 5, has been causing major controversy of late with the angling media, anglers and the non-angling public alike all up in arms over his behaviour. I’ve watched most of the programmes and I do feel that the criticism aimed at Mr Green is well deserved.

Firstly the handling of the fish caught is appalling at times with archaic gaffing of fish that could so easily be hand lifted in to the boat for unhooking, a camera smile and brief chat about the fish, then returned with no harm done. This gives the impression that all anglers abuse fish this way which is totally incorrect. Also the casual throwing of the catch when returning them to the water highlights total disregard for the fish. I’m afraid it shows to experienced anglers that Mr Green and his co-presenters are behind the times in fish conservation and consequently not showing our sport in its true modern light, and equally shows their own inexperience.

I’m no angel when it comes to swearing when with the lads, but I’d never swear on TV within an angling context. It shows disregard for those that find bad language distasteful, plus any kids watching the programme end up being disappointed because Mum and Dad switch the TV over to avoid the obvious embarrassment. Using the obvious “F” word on a mainstream TV angling programme, and I don’t care if its bleeped out, is unacceptable to me in any form due to the programmes obvious mixed audience, and all sensible anglers will agree with me.

I’m sure Channel 5 are rubbing their hands at the publicity the programme has gained due to the bad language and controversy over the handling and misuse of the fish and some of the ill-informed comments made by Robson Green, but it also shows the TV channel and production company in bad light as they obviously do not understand the reality of the sport, its popularity and why, nor the contribution the sport makes to our nation. They are misrepresenting the sport and giving viewers, many of which are not involved in any way in angling, the totally wrong impression of a sport that contributes greatly to the UK economy financially and to the countries well being via past, current and future conservation action.

In a recent conversation with some other anglers, who just so happen to be Geordies like Mr Green, they also mentioned that many Geordies have been highly embarrassed by the behaviour of Mr Green on TV and that it is reflecting badly on the people of the Northeast. Again I have some sympathy with their thinking and can see where they are coming from!

I’m not sure why TV companies persist in wanting TV celebrities to front their programmes anyway? I’m of the opinion that to present a fishing programme you need to have a least a basic background in the sport to enable you to ask leading and logical questions, that’s why ex  pro footballers become pundits. My personal opinion is that this programme does not achieve this! Being a good actor does not necessarily make you a good TV presenter immaterial of the subject matter.

We’re lucky that most angling related programmes are excellent and in particular I’m enjoying Bob Nudd’s new series on Discovery Shed which is how angling presentation should be, but there again Bob Nudd is a professional angler which is why he’s so good at presenting an angling programme!

SEA SECTION BACK IN ANGLING TIMES
I was very disappointed, as many other anglers were a couple of year’s back, when the weekly papers, Angler’s Mail and Angling Times, decided to drop their sea sections.

I had a few conversations with people in the angling media at the time and most thought it a long term mistake. I was mainly worried about the loss of weekly publicity for sea angling as a sport, but I was also aware as to how many anglers, coarse as well as sea anglers, used the weeklies for catch information, news and up-to-date tactics. It’s often forgotten that many coarse anglers do dabble at different levels with sea fishing, and vice versa.

Well surprise surprise Angling Times I hear are to reintroduce a sea section starting, I understand, with the issue for 28th April. No doubt it will be a mix of news, catch reports, tackle reviews and tactics columns, but its most welcome and I think acknowledges the increasing popularity of sea angling amongst regular coarse anglers as well as newcomers to sea fishing.

I hope the section does well for AT and that it helps fill the monthly gap those that enjoy reading hard copy newspapers and magazines have to endure between monthly issues.