Lure Anglers Society troubles

[Fentiger01]

I started to drift away from the LAS when John Cheyne & Co set up the excellent Lure Anglers Canal Club (LACC) back in about 2013, as that really appealed to me at that time. I joined the LACC then and still have membership now.

I met some good guys at LAS events back in the day, one of two are active on here.

[spincityfan]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

[davelumb]

The whole 'Team England' thing completely passed me by. I was probably too out of touch by then, but I don't have any problem with club committees taking the initiative and fulfilling a club's constitutional objectives.

Controlling and running its own waters was a constitutional PAC objective, but we got into hot water from some quarters when we did it with Fox Pool. That was ultimately a huge success and the club went on to break all membership records the following year, despite the voiciferous nay sayers. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Organised fishing events and competitions were always a feature of the LAS and I was involved in organising many of them, both for the LAS and PAC. The only rule I was adamant about was 'No money prizes', just tackle prizes and trophies. I'm glad that has continued to be a feature of the LAS.

Promoting multi species lure fishing was always another strong and proper LAS objective. I remember having a 'spirited' discussion with Martin Gay when the LAS was formed, after he said he didn't see the point as lures were just another way of pike fishing. I retorted that the point of the LAS was the method, not the species - and always wound him up thereafter by referring to the PAC as 'The Deadbait Society'.

I hope LAS weather's the current storm. I agree with Ian it has to be fun. Unlike the PAC, the LAS is not a crusade.

I have one word regarding committees upsetting the membership. Helicopters.

[Monts]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

I remember your posts Ash, why have you drifted away from lure fishing? It has changed massively in the last ten years, it is very social media driven particularly on Instagram. Fly fishing is going that way also. All big bushy beards, and guides popping up all over the place.

I still love my lure fishing, and fly fishing. Miles of river banks to roam away from people. I understand not everyone is fit enough to cover 8 or so miles a day on unkept rivers, but I'll keep on doing it for a long time yet.

[Ian Crook]

In my defence from the 5 years I committed to the committee, fully committed, I always said the Society needed to be inclusive of all branches of lure angling and all species.
I probably did share the comment of floppy hats because that was the feedback I was repeatedly getting from the lure angling community, at a time where membership was dropping substantially year on year.
I don’t think the way fishing in general has gone in recent years has helped them, with people wanting to write elsewhere to simply promote themselves and acquire sponsors, with the exception of a few good guys who fulfilled both and provide magazine content.
The chapters have been dying for years, lack of people wanting to get involved, fewer wanting to get of their arses and organise anything.
The apparent shift to more competition boat fishing is simply a result of people from that section of the sport being happy and willing to organise events, the bank events I tried to push for years but no one with the exception of Mike Stephen was prepared to organise anything!! We even tried to get chapters to organise bank events but they didn’t want to share their fishing with the national unwashed populous!!

The LAS became a no win situation, whatever anyone in the committee tried to do, it was always wrong and the likes of Jason, who had thankfully put in many years of his time on the committee, never chipped in with anything better.

No club can survive without new blood, with Alex, Dave and one or two others there was real potential but they were quickly ground down too.

When you give up so much of your own time for free you HAVE to enjoy it, not do as your told by people with nothing to offer.

Let’s hope you guys with better ideas step in and save the LAS

I ran the South East Chapter for a few years, and it was fun. What sickened me was the underhand way the money was given to Team England without consultation, very poor. The apologies after the event seemed half arsed. Submitted articles for the mag and helped run the second hand stall, hardly offering nothing.

Yep having served on club committees, and back on one now it can be a royal pain in the a**e. But I'd like to think being honest with the club membership helps.

Would I rejoin the LAS again? No, not after what happened. But even you must admit ' Talent Pathways ' should have the p**s taken out of it?

So, as you are aware, a committee is elected by the membership to run the club/society and ensure it is done in accordance with the constitution.

The first committee meeting I attended was face to face and a subject on the agenda was the upcoming Boat Lure Fishing World Championships, which for the first time ever was being held in England.

A few of the committee members, including myself, felt that the LAS would not be seen as “Promoting the Sport of Lure Fishing”, if it wasn’t some way involved with this one particular world championship.

Lurefair was also raised as it had been organised by Dave Mutton in Kettering and going through the costs and numbers it was set to lose around £2k. I offered to step in a take over and suggested we should offer some level of support to the England team, IF they helped out and put the LAS on their tops, water proofs, etc, which they did at their cost.

I put in over a hundred hours, just on the organisation of a great Lurefair with more stalls and a bigger participation than ever before, we actually made over £5k, and as had been agreed at committee level a contribution of the cost of entry for Team England of I think £1600 (memory might be out, but was in that region) was made.

The Society benefitted massively also to the tune of roughly £3.5k.

Simon apologising for not asking the membership first, was, in my opinion, pathetic, we simply did as a committee what we were put in place to do, ensured there was no loss, and donated part of the profit to what we believed a worthy cause to “ To promote the sport of lure fishing throughout all branches of angling – sea, coarse and game – in the British Isles, Europe and the rest of the world.” (Objective No. 1 of the Society’s constitution!!)

So bite me, you f*****g whinger

When you ran Tywford it was a very good club, I've said that before. But the LAS did seem to loose there mind over the whole Team England affair, thus alienating a large trunch of the membership

You can't ever escape your talent pathways, you are the David Brent of the angling world over that, it's FAF.But your so self absorbed, you don't see it. People over a pint still laugh about it.

I'm not whinging, I enjoy winding you up always have done. But it won't detract from the fact the LAS was known as the 'Friendly Society ' at the time. And that changed rapidly.

As I said, there should have never been an apology! “Your committee made the decision as they were elected to do, like it or not” was all that was needed.

Talent Pathways, was an Eric Edwards initiative, not mine, I just thought it was a good idea and tried to push it within the Society.

I love a wind-up as much as the next man, I’m usually the instigator, but raising it in this discussion makes it personal!!

[Monts]

In my defence from the 5 years I committed to the committee, fully committed, I always said the Society needed to be inclusive of all branches of lure angling and all species.
I probably did share the comment of floppy hats because that was the feedback I was repeatedly getting from the lure angling community, at a time where membership was dropping substantially year on year.
I don’t think the way fishing in general has gone in recent years has helped them, with people wanting to write elsewhere to simply promote themselves and acquire sponsors, with the exception of a few good guys who fulfilled both and provide magazine content.
The chapters have been dying for years, lack of people wanting to get involved, fewer wanting to get of their arses and organise anything.
The apparent shift to more competition boat fishing is simply a result of people from that section of the sport being happy and willing to organise events, the bank events I tried to push for years but no one with the exception of Mike Stephen was prepared to organise anything!! We even tried to get chapters to organise bank events but they didn’t want to share their fishing with the national unwashed populous!!

The LAS became a no win situation, whatever anyone in the committee tried to do, it was always wrong and the likes of Jason, who had thankfully put in many years of his time on the committee, never chipped in with anything better.

No club can survive without new blood, with Alex, Dave and one or two others there was real potential but they were quickly ground down too.

When you give up so much of your own time for free you HAVE to enjoy it, not do as your told by people with nothing to offer.

Let’s hope you guys with better ideas step in and save the LAS

I ran the South East Chapter for a few years, and it was fun. What sickened me was the underhand way the money was given to Team England without consultation, very poor. The apologies after the event seemed half arsed. Submitted articles for the mag and helped run the second hand stall, hardly offering nothing.

Yep having served on club committees, and back on one now it can be a royal pain in the a**e. But I'd like to think being honest with the club membership helps.

Would I rejoin the LAS again? No, not after what happened. But even you must admit ' Talent Pathways ' should have the p**s taken out of it?

So, as you are aware, a committee is elected by the membership to run the club/society and ensure it is done in accordance with the constitution.

The first committee meeting I attended was face to face and a subject on the agenda was the upcoming Boat Lure Fishing World Championships, which for the first time ever was being held in England.

A few of the committee members, including myself, felt that the LAS would not be seen as “Promoting the Sport of Lure Fishing”, if it wasn’t some way involved with this one particular world championship.

Lurefair was also raised as it had been organised by Dave Mutton in Kettering and going through the costs and numbers it was set to lose around £2k. I offered to step in a take over and suggested we should offer some level of support to the England team, IF they helped out and put the LAS on their tops, water proofs, etc, which they did at their cost.

I put in over a hundred hours, just on the organisation of a great Lurefair with more stalls and a bigger participation than ever before, we actually made over £5k, and as had been agreed at committee level a contribution of the cost of entry for Team England of I think £1600 (memory might be out, but was in that region) was made.

The Society benefitted massively also to the tune of roughly £3.5k.

Simon apologising for not asking the membership first, was, in my opinion, pathetic, we simply did as a committee what we were put in place to do, ensured there was no loss, and donated part of the profit to what we believed a worthy cause to “ To promote the sport of lure fishing throughout all branches of angling – sea, coarse and game – in the British Isles, Europe and the rest of the world.” (Objective No. 1 of the Society’s constitution!!)

So bite me, you f*****g whinger

When you ran Tywford it was a very good club, I've said that before. But the LAS did seem to loose there mind over the whole Team England affair, thus alienating a large trunch of the membership

You can't ever escape your talent pathways, you are the David Brent of the angling world over that, it's FAF.But your so self absorbed, you don't see it. People over a pint still laugh about it.

I'm not whinging, I enjoy winding you up always have done. But it won't detract from the fact the LAS was known as the 'Friendly Society ' at the time. And that changed rapidly.

As I said, there should have never been an apology! “Your committee made the decision as they were elected to do, like it or not” was all that was needed.

Talent Pathways, was an Eric Edwards initiative, not mine, I just thought it was a good idea and tried to push it within the Society.

I love a wind-up as much as the next man, I’m usually the instigator, but raising it in this discussion makes it personal!!

Certainly not personal on my behalf, just having an opinion. You and I have both been on angling club committees long enough to understand that people may voice opinions we may not agree with.

But I will always laugh at talent pathways, how can anyone not? It's like 'blue sky thinking ' and other cliched driven b******s.IMO.

Getting back to the LAS, I hope it doesn't fold as in my first post I met some great characters. Wadey being the stand out, and JC who I keep in contact with all the time, grumpy Mark Kelly etc. Oh and I can't forget big Alan P.

[Fentiger01]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

You're one of the good guys I met back in the day on an LAS day Ash.

[spincityfan]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

I remember your posts Ash, why have you drifted away from lure fishing? It has changed massively in the last ten years, it is very social media driven particularly on Instagram. Fly fishing is going that way also. All big bushy beards, and guides popping up all over the place.

I still love my lure fishing, and fly fishing. Miles of river banks to roam away from people. I understand not everyone is fit enough to cover 8 or so miles a day on unkept rivers, but I'll keep on doing it for a long time yet.

I just don't lure fish much anymore, think I went twice last winter, catching one jack. not been once this winter, seriously lost the fishing bug nowadays

I still check in on the LAS forum to see what the midlands guys have been up to though.

[spincityfan]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

You're one of the good guys I met back in the day on an LAS day Ash.

That's right, it was a bank day at Tewkesbury, my first LAS event.

[John Milford]

The whole 'Team England' thing completely passed me by. I was probably too out of touch by then, but I don't have any problem with club committees taking the initiative and fulfilling a club's constitutional objectives.

Controlling and running its own waters was a constitutional PAC objective, but we got into hot water from some quarters when we did it with Fox Pool. That was ultimately a huge success and the club went on to break all membership records the following year, despite the voiciferous nay sayers. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Organised fishing events and competitions were always a feature of the LAS and I was involved in organising many of them, both for the LAS and PAC. The only rule I was adamant about was 'No money prizes', just tackle prizes and trophies. I'm glad that has continued to be a feature of the LAS.

Promoting multi species lure fishing was always another strong and proper LAS objective. I remember having a 'spirited' discussion with Martin Gay when the LAS was formed, after he said he didn't see the point as lures were just another way of pike fishing. I retorted that the point of the LAS was the method, not the species - and always wound him up thereafter by referring to the PAC as 'The Deadbait Society'.

I hope LAS weather's the current storm. I agree with Ian it has to be fun. Unlike the PAC, the LAS is not a crusade.

I have one word regarding committees upsetting the membership. Helicopters.

To this day, I still don't know who dreamt up that myth. It was a good 'un though, perhaps the result of an over-indulgence of Cheshire cheese?

[davelumb]

The whole 'Team England' thing completely passed me by. I was probably too out of touch by then, but I don't have any problem with club committees taking the initiative and fulfilling a club's constitutional objectives.

Controlling and running its own waters was a constitutional PAC objective, but we got into hot water from some quarters when we did it with Fox Pool. That was ultimately a huge success and the club went on to break all membership records the following year, despite the voiciferous nay sayers. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Organised fishing events and competitions were always a feature of the LAS and I was involved in organising many of them, both for the LAS and PAC. The only rule I was adamant about was 'No money prizes', just tackle prizes and trophies. I'm glad that has continued to be a feature of the LAS.

Promoting multi species lure fishing was always another strong and proper LAS objective. I remember having a 'spirited' discussion with Martin Gay when the LAS was formed, after he said he didn't see the point as lures were just another way of pike fishing. I retorted that the point of the LAS was the method, not the species - and always wound him up thereafter by referring to the PAC as 'The Deadbait Society'.

I hope LAS weather's the current storm. I agree with Ian it has to be fun. Unlike the PAC, the LAS is not a crusade.

I have one word regarding committees upsetting the membership. Helicopters.

To this day, I still don't know who dreamt up that myth. It was a good 'un though, perhaps the result of an over-indulgence of Cheshire cheese?

[Fentiger01]

I drifted away from the LAS but purely because I drifted away from lure fishing.
I fished with the Midlands chapter on a regular basis and made some great friends.
It will be a shame if it folds.

You're one of the good guys I met back in the day on an LAS day Ash.

That's right, it was a bank day at Tewkesbury, my first LAS event.

I remember you, Andi Mytton and I went for a pint afterwards. Happy days indeed.

[Alan_dalton]

I only just joined last month, still unable to get on the forum! Good timing be me! Gutted if the lure show doesn't happen as its a great day out!

[Steve Dennington]

I only just joined last month, still unable to get on the forum! Good timing be me! Gutted if the lure show doesn't happen as its a great day out!

I don't think that's very good timing at all, Alan. You'll have got half-price membership, but unless I'm mistaken, it expires next week. I was going to re-join, but thought I'd wait until 1st March.

[Ian Crook]

I think there will be encouraging news soon

[Steve Le maitre]

I think there will be encouraging news soon

Let's hope so Ian

[Monts]

I was chatting with JC last night, he said he would pay for me to rejoin as I'm needed on the forum. As I'm to effing stubborn.

[Ian Crook]

I was chatting with JC last night, he said he would pay for me to rejoin as I'm needed on the forum. As I'm to effing stubborn.

Probably the last person needed

[Monts]

I was chatting with JC last night, he said he would pay for me to rejoin as I'm needed on the forum. As I'm to effing stubborn.

Probably the last person needed

[Graham Benyon]

Twas never the same after they bunged Team England a grand and Crookys 'Talent Pathways '.


Talent pathways still makes me cringe..

It was never the same since it went all competitions, tiny lures, and willy waving about gaudy Japanese rods and reels. But that seemed to keep the membership happy so good luck to them.

There was a few remarks about the LAS being seen as a group of our of touch old men. And those fossils throwing hard baits etc.

It was some time ago, still I did meet some great characters in the past. Time waits for no man though, hence the era of 'Dudes, Bruh, Sick, Epic" and hats back to front, with your costas on your head.

I'll not mention Tim Kelly's favourite 'Savage Beards '.

Whats wrong with Costas? Even the dog has a pair!

[Monts]

Twas never the same after they bunged Team England a grand and Crookys 'Talent Pathways '.


Talent pathways still makes me cringe..

It was never the same since it went all competitions, tiny lures, and willy waving about gaudy Japanese rods and reels. But that seemed to keep the membership happy so good luck to them.

There was a few remarks about the LAS being seen as a group of our of touch old men. And those fossils throwing hard baits etc.

It was some time ago, still I did meet some great characters in the past. Time waits for no man though, hence the era of 'Dudes, Bruh, Sick, Epic" and hats back to front, with your costas on your head.

I'll not mention Tim Kelly's favourite 'Savage Beards '.

Whats wrong with Costas? Even the dog has a pair!

Does the dog have any thumb rings and tattoos?

[Neville Fickling]

It is always hard to keep a club going unless a crisis affecting anglers turns up. That usually gets everyone working together. Getting magazine contributions is a nightmare but some of is are happy to help when we have time