The
What Fish UK Smartphone App Bass gallery section has been sponsored for 2013 by
the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society or ‘BASS’ as they are better known.
BASS is an organisation that among other things is dedicated to the conservation of the European sea bass.
Recently
What Fish UK managed to get an interview with Mr Ian Misselbrook Chairman of
BASS, our aim was to find out more about this society.
Q
- WhatFishUK:
Hi
Ian, thank you for finding time to take part in this interview.
A
- Ian:
You
are welcome.
Q
- What Fish UK:
Ian,
what is your role in the BASS society?
A
- Ian:
As
you mentioned in your introduction – I’m the current Chairman of BASS and have
been for the past three years. As a group we try to keep official stuff to a
minimum but we do need an active committee to ensure the smooth running of the
Society, to plan ahead and keep our members happy by providing what they want
and we have always run the Society on this basis.
Q
- What Fish UK:
How
long has the organisation been running for?
A
- Ian:
BASS
was founded in 1973 so this year is our 40th anniversary year.
Sadly
– many of our founding members like Clive Gammon, John Darling and David Hill
are no longer alive, but their legacy is a society to which anglers who enjoy
catching bass, want to learn more about bass and how to catch them can belong.
If anglers also want support our work in restoring bass stocks then that’s
great but it isn’t a condition of joining.
Q
- What Fish UK:
A
- Ian:
Well
– we have two functions really:
First
and foremost we are a fishing club and although the membership was based in the UK we now
have members from across Europe and further afield.
Secondly
we are an organisation that believes its members have the ability to encourage
the conservation, research and protection of the European sea bass, as well as,
to improve and pass on to others the techniques of angling for this great
sporting fish. We campaign for better management of bass and the selective
retention of bass for the table.
We
recommend that our members observe a minimum size of 48cms, take a maximum of
two fish per day and ten fish over the course of a year. These are guidelines -
not rules - in fact many of our members release most of the bass that they
catch.
Q
- What Fish UK:
We
have two adverts for your society on the gallery pages of What Fish UK in the
Bass section, on one of the adverts you quote ‘Let Our Bass Breed’ what is the
meaning behind this massage?
A
- Ian:
We’ve
all become familiar with the warnings that many of our global fish stocks are
under pressure and for bass, this is no different. The Society was formed
because a number of bass anglers were worried about the increase in commercial
fishing for bass and things haven’t changed. Some would say they’ve gotten
worse. Female bass don’t become fully mature until they are around 42cms in
length, so to have a minimum landing size set at 36cm seems madness when you
consider that the bulk of the bass killed by commercial and recreational
fishermen won’t have spawned. We’d like to see the minimum landing size
increased to 48cms to ensure that female bass have the chance to spawn at least
once before they are removed. It just makes sense if we want to maintain and
rebuild our bass fishery.
Q
- What Fish UK:
How
would you say the BASS society has changed over the years from its beginning?
A
- Ian:
I
think the biggest change has been in the way in which our members fish for
bass. Forty years ago we were mostly fishing for bass with bait but now we have
a really strong membership made up of bait, lure and fly anglers. Bass really
are a species that everyone can fish for and I’m pleased to say that many of
the country’s top lure and fly anglers are members of the Society.
Communication
of our aims has also changed. Apart form our quarterly BASS Magazine we now
have a regular monthly page in Sea Angler magazine. The internet has also made
a big difference to the way in which we operate and communicate. We have a very
informative website, a members’ forum and we’ve recently launched a blog to
reach a wider audience.
Q
- What Fish UK:
Are
there any upcoming events or meetings of interest for the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing
Society in the coming months?
A
- Ian:
BASS
holds what we call ‘Fish-ins’ a weekend of fishing and banter where our members
can get together to exchange tips and ideas and have a laugh. We’ve also
recently become involved in The lure Forum (TLF) fishing get-togethers which
have been a great success. We usually attend three or four countryside and
fishing shows each year such as the CLA Gamefair and have a great relationship
with the Salmon and Trout Association (S&TA) with whom we share a stand. So
if you see us out and about with the BASS stand (it’s not easy to miss) come
and say hello and have a chat.
Q
- What Fish UK:
Where
do you see the BASS society’s future, and how do you think the society will
grow and move forward?
A
- Ian:
I’d
like to think that we can develop closer ties with other angling groups who
share an interest in fishing for bass. We already have strong links with the
National Mullet Club and the Angling Trust as well as the S&TA and TLF and
I’d like to see this number grow.
Q
- What Fish UK:
A
lot of the people that will read this interview will be interested in finding
out more about the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society, do you
have a website?
Q
- What Fish UK:
And
finally is there anything of interest that you would like to share regarding
the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society or any
points of interest that you would like to tell potential members of your
organisation?
A
- Ian:
BASS
is sometimes accused of being a one-species club but the reality is than many,
if not most, of our members fish for a wide variety of species in salt and
fresh water. I’d just like to say that if anyone out there is interested in
catching bass, whether they are a beginner or an old salt, they’ll find a
friendly bunch of people in BASS who are willing to share ideas and develop
friendships.
Q
- What Fish UK:
Ian - from What Fish UK thank you very much for your time.
A
- Ian:
You are welcome.
Here is a picture of Ian with a different species of Bass. This Striped Bass was caught during a fishing trip in Cape Cod in the USA.
You are welcome.
Here is a picture of Ian with a different species of Bass. This Striped Bass was caught during a fishing trip in Cape Cod in the USA.
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