“We Fish As One” and Emma Harrison's fight for female friendly fishing!

[Mrs Munch]

I've had no problems with anyone in the fishing community. I've been nothing but welcomed, especially from all the guys on this site and I thank you all for the warm welcome.

But I don't know if anyone on here has noticed, i'm not an 'ordinary' gal. I do not get offended. why get upset by something you can't control? You can't control what people say or how they think so I don't let it bother me.
Plus I love banter, whether it's seen by some as 'sexist' or not and will happily give it back but maybe that's because I have 130 guys that work for/with me everyday. If a guy said to me 'I'll never let a woman beat me' I see that's as a challenge and will go out to do just that or at least try. It's all about your mindset and how you choose to perceive things. I have not got time or the energy to care about stupid comments from stupid people...... But that's just me!!!

Happy fishing everyone

 

[MunchMyStump]

It's all about positive mental attitude. The "can do" attitude. We are surrounded by assholes, some sexist, some racist but if we just let them get on with their alienist lives and ignore them then they lose in the end. I'm sure @Mrs Munch would have no problem at all talking to any one of you over a pint or two and you would leave a happier man having met her. We are born how we are born, we have no choice in that. What defines us is how we interact with others.

 

[tipitinmick]

One lady springs to mind-Gaynor Mills a regular on the matches around Warks, at Toft,Banks,Tunnel and regularly wins matches I was drawn next to Emma Pickering on the JJL , and she was great company

Oi. Hands off. .

 

[tipitinmick]

I’d welcome any woman onto the bank. Except my missus. She is the luckiest ‘ angler ‘ ever. After an evening match on the Leeds / Liverpool I canal up at Thackley I passed her my 3m whip which I’d been catching gudgeon with as I packed up. First put in I thought she had hooked a snag until it moved off. That was a bream of 4.5lb. Next put in she hooked a tench which amazingly could not break my 12oz bottom choose how hard she pulled. That went 2 3/4lb. I weighed 5lb 2oz of gonks to win the match. She would have beat me with just those two fish. Pheromones. That’s what it is. I’m sure of it. Fish must be attracted to Pheromones. Never again. I still get reminded of it to this day.

 

[SeanB]

I've had no problems with anyone in the fishing community. I've been nothing but welcomed, especially from all the guys on this site and I thank you all for the warm welcome.

It's because we're all scared of you

 

[Mrs Munch]

It's because we're all scared of you

And so you should be

 

[Dave]

To be honest Mrs Munch was a pleasure to fish alongside, I don't know what all the fuss is about MrMunch

 

[tipitinmick]

To be honest Mrs Munch was a pleasure to fish alongside, I don't know what all the fuss is about MrMunch

Yeah and smells better I bet ? .

 

[Fishingfan22]

I listen regularly to the Keith Arthur podcast and on my drive home from work yesterday played the latest episode where he just so happened to be talking to Emma on this subject amongst other topics and after remembering the discussion on here thought it would be an interesting listen.

The headline of the podcast is all around the we fish as one campaign, what she’s gone though with male anglers, mental health, Etc Bizarrely they spent around 5 minutes briefly discussing that and the rest of the time talking about how she got into fishing, for such an important topic to her surprisingly she didn’t have a lot to say on the matter. Call me an old cynic if you must.

What is fishing becoming when this is what we’re up againat, the world is going mad and fishing is becoming a who can grab the most attention sport not who can get the best catch!

 

[mike fox]

I don't think you are being a "cynic". I'm now getting the opinion when I hear about mental health (not just in angling) issues is; 'oh not that old chestnut again'!! Anyone would think mental health issues is a new concept, the way it is broadcast these days. Its getting to be too much a case of 'I need attention' so I'll play the mental health card, much like the race card, and I'll get noticed. Too many people seeking celebrity status IMO. Now 'YOU' can call me "an old cynic if you must".

 

[Arry]

I don't think you are being a "cynic". I'm now getting the opinion when I hear about mental health (not just in angling) issues is; 'oh not that old chestnut again'!! Anyone would think mental health issues is a new concept, the way it is broadcast these days. Its getting to be too much a case of 'I need attention' so I'll play the mental health card, much like the race card, and I'll get noticed. Too many people seeking celebrity status IMO. Now 'YOU' can call me "an old cynic if you must".

And this is an attitude that we can well do without... rather than think "oh not that old chestnut again" you could stop and think what would happen if everyone thought like this...

For me the last year has been hell... I thought I was fairly grounded... until lockdown I thought I was fairly ticketty boo... I didn't know that 40 years of sleep deprivation, poor health, and worry, and losing friends and family would all come to call and say "you ain't doing all that good after all sunshine"
Seems that no-ones immune from the bite of the Black Dog...

Until you've experienced it, leave the "that old chestnut" at the door

 

[mike fox]

Until you've experienced it, leave the "that old chestnut" at the door

I have and I dealt with it privately.

 

[Fishingfan22]

I do believe fishing is an excellent way to clear your mind, get out in the fresh air and make fiends all of which are beneficial to mental health. it should be taken seriously always.

However it seems this campaign has gone from
positivity, to judging male anglers when like I’ve said before some are more than happy to fish for compliments within a male dominated audience on their social media platforms and accept more than banter on there too but then complain about similar banter in person - which in most cases that’s all it will be.

They seem to be scraping the barrel even further with the toilet talk. We’d all like fancy facilities but this is fishing not the Ritz and then just for comedy there was talk of visiting natural venues and rivers - be in for a shock when all’s you have is a bush to pee in! Some sensibility needs to be restored. Its all just click and like material, which has stemmed from something that could have been valuable and worthwhile for the right reasons, but as always a little bit of attention grows greed at any cost.

 

[mike fox]

There's a huge difference in talking about your issues privately to someone as to publicising them. Most, including me, don't want to know about other people's problems who we don't know and never likely ever to meet. I say, get on and deal with those issues within the circle that has caused them. Don't burden others with it, we all have our own lives to lead 'privately' thank you.

 

[OldTaff]

There's a huge difference in talking about your issues privately to someone as to publicising them. Most, including me, don't want to know about other people's problems who we don't know and never likely ever to meet. I say, get on and deal with those issues within the circle that has caused them. Don't burden others with it, we all have our own lives to lead 'privately' thank you.

I understand that you dealt with your issues privately and I’m glad that worked for you.

However - and it’s a massive however - not everyone can or does.

The current “culture” of people “advertising” their mental health problems is, in my opinion, a massively positive thing and should be actively encouraged not closed down.

It is normalising the fact that it’s OK not to be OK, it’s normalising that it’s a good thing to open up and talk about the fact you are not OK. Celebs doing so are also bringing to the forefront that there are free to access services available to everyone - Scarlett Moffat is a prime example sharing her battles with depression and how the Samaritans literally saved her life.

I‘ve lost too many friends over the decades who did not feel able to let others know there was a problem or that they were not OK in case they were seen to be weak or became a “burden” which is the very last thing they were or would have been - I’ve been one of those people and but for the grace of God I’d not be here to tell the tale.

You say most people, you included, don’t want to know about strangers problems and I feel incredibly sad for them and you because being open to a casual comment from a stranger can literally mean the difference between life and death for them.

I’ve been the person who needed someone to stop for a minute and hear my story else I would not be writing this post and I’ve been the person who stopped on a motorway bridge one morning going to work and took the time to be “burdened” with a story and changed the course of another persons life for the good.

Stay private and silent if you will but do not denigrate those who do not.

 

[Arry]

There's a huge difference in talking about your issues privately to someone as to publicising them. Most, including me, don't want to know about other people's problems who we don't know and never likely ever to meet. I say, get on and deal with those issues within the circle that has caused them. Don't burden others with it, we all have our own lives to lead 'privately' thank you.

I know of two people who kept their issues to themselves... one was found hanging from a tree in Sussex, another threw himself under a train... if they had told someone they were having problems, perhaps 2 families would have been spare the agony of a lost loved one... sorry, but your approach is callous and ignorant especially in a time when there are lots of people going through the same problems... good job they don't need you particular brand of care... we're done

 

[Nunachuk]

I've had no problems with anyone in the fishing community. I've been nothing but welcomed, especially from all the guys on this site and I thank you all for the warm welcome.

But I don't know if anyone on here has noticed, i'm not an 'ordinary' gal. I do not get offended. why get upset by something you can't control? You can't control what people say or how they think so I don't let it bother me.
Plus I love banter, whether it's seen by some as 'sexist' or not and will happily give it back but maybe that's because I have 130 guys that work for/with me everyday. If a guy said to me 'I'll never let a woman beat me' I see that's as a challenge and will go out to do just that or at least try. It's all about your mindset and how you choose to perceive things. I have not got time or the energy to care about stupid comments from stupid people...... But that's just me!!!

Happy fishing everyone

Well said!

 

[Nunachuk]

I once took the Misses fishing on a local lake, I got her set up and showed her how to cast, then I went to the next peg and started to set my gear up, in the meantime, she caught a fish, but refused to touch it ;-(. So obviously I had to go and unhook it for her, this done, I cast back out for her and returned to my peg (5 metres away and in plain sight of her), I continued setting up and she caught another one, (both roach), again I had to unhook it and cast out for her, she then ! She then asked me how many fish I had caught, and reminded me that she had caught two fish already! Gritting my teeth, I continued with what I was doing, suddenly she declared that she had a bite, I looked across at her float, took into account the flow and the wind factors and told her that it wasn't a bite, she wasn't having any of it and again declared that it was a bite, through gritted teeth, I decided to excert, (sic), my undoubted angling credentials by reminding her that I fished for the Army and that it was just wind! ............Peace reigned for ten seconds, then she struck and landed the best roach that I had ever seen in that lake! I was just about to congratulate her, but she then declared, oh look o Army angler, I've caught some wind! Never again!