[Rob Brownfield]

National Scottish associations for sea and coarse anglers? Never heard of them either!

Irvine

Unless you are into competition fishing in these fields, it is unlikely that you would come across them. Also, the SFCA is pretty much concentrated around Glasgow/Edinburgh and south of these two, where the biggest concentration of coarse anglers is.

Both, however, have a coaching system and casting instructors.

[Kevin Moss]

Rob that is very true.

I had asked some of the coaches from the coarse side to come up and do a weekend introduction as there was alot of interest.they were all for it but it never happened.I know they have all the equipment,the coaches, the funding and all they needed was the water and the potential anglers.THEY WERE there for them to expand but it never happened.

These are things which need to happen.Under one organisation with the get up and go rather than the plod here and there going nowhere ,it could help all parts of the sport grow.Smaller seperate organisations will remain just that and only benefit few where as working together have a bigger voice,bigger funding more know about it and it can get bigger.That way Everyone benefits,not just one or two .

[Rob Brownfield]

Smaller seperate organisations will remain just that and only benefit few where as working together have a bigger voice,bigger funding more know about it and it can get bigger.

Totally agreed. I used to be on the committee for a national Pike angling organisation, in fact, it is still the biggest single species club in Scotland, but even that was to small to make a real impact.

Slightly off subject, but hopefully I will make the point, I am on the committee for a UK charity that looks after servicemen, service women and their dependents. The organisation just celebrated its 125th birthday, so you could say they are well established, but we were little known, even within the military. Perhaps a little like SANA?

We have experienced a significant dip in donations in the last 5-7 years because there are many smaller charities poping up left right and centre. Many of these charities are repeating the services offerred by ourselves, but on a smaller scale. They are also presenting a confusing message to the public, and some have even suggested they are milking the public for their own gain.

We recently went through a huge change and teamed up with the Royal British Legion, Help for Heros, BLESMA and Combat Stress, the major players, and formed one united body who can offer ALL services, but with better backing, better exposure, and a better service. It also meant that we could see how other large organisations handled certain things, and we learnt a lot, and visa versa. We now have a stronger organisation with one hell of a lot of clout and respect.

I see the same format being required for angling in Scotland.

[Derek Roxborough]

I was an Individual member of sana and was on the first coaching courses run by them, I was asked to be on the migratory committee but because of the distance to meetings I had to decline, but the focus of sana seemed always to be on the central belt anglers, I suggested that some meetings could be held further north but this was counted out as most of the committees came from central Scotland, and seemed predominantly interested in competitions, a pity, because we do need a body to speak for angling throughout Scotland, but how do you overcome the logistics of meetings?, easgach 1

[Allan Liddle]

Computers Derek, the more we use them the less need there is for people to travel long distances for routine mundane meetings.

[Rob Brownfield]

Computers Derek, the more we use them the less need there is for people to travel long distances for routine mundane meetings.

Yes and no. I am well used to video confrencing etc at work, but it is difficult to build a raport with someone if you are not in the same room.

[Kevin Moss]

Many meetings are just a social and done as part of the regular routine which is again a waste of peoples time and money.Meetings should not be held for the sake of having a meeting ,they have to be productive.I also agree they should not be held in the same place all the time.As Alan said these days much can be done via Skype,less cost to everyone.

The interest has to be there for any organisation to move forward and it has to be fairly represented.