Sad News Governor's budget kills Saltwater Fishing Tournament#

I am sick and tired of the VA Saltwater sport fishing license.

The Va salt water sport fishing license was intially legislated to determine the exact numbers of recreational sport fisherment in VA. Before the legislation was passed, it was amended and butchered up so by the General Assmbly, that the license was no longer recognizable.

The license was never intended to pay for marine police boats and tow vehicles for VMRC police, the license was never inteded to support piers , or ramps or artificial reefs. . It was never intended to fund research at VIMS and ODU. It was never intended to support children's fishing clinics. It was never intended to pay for bookeeping and statistics at VMRC. It was never intended to supplement the Governor's annual budget. It was passed with the promise that it was to keep track of the numbers of recreational anglers in VA...What a lie....

A commercial waterman complained some years ago that recreational salt water sport fishermen get too many breaks when the resource is allocated. That commercials earn their living by catching fish...a recreational earns his living off other things and can take up another sport, like golfing .

So I recenlty wrote a fictional essay about what has happened to recreational fishing since all the government licenses and regulations have been taking care of the resource over the last 50 years. I used the example of what would happen to golf if the government , with infinate wisdom, decided that golfers were doing some perceived environmental harrm to golf grasses and destroying the golf courses by over use...it is a useful comparison of a 'government gone wild". The government has gone wild when it came to governing salt water recreational fishing.

I plan to read the essay to the PSWSFA tomorrow night for the first time )(regular monthly meeting) . I read it to my wife , as a practice, and she rolled in laughter. If it goes over well, I will share it with others. If not, just keep paying your license fees !!

I am glad that I no longer have to purchase a Va Salt Water License--which I have so long despised and fought against. The license should be done away with. I am over 65 and lo nonger required to pay the outrageous tax that is emposed on VA salt water recreational fishermen.

Dr. Bob Allen
Hampton Va

via tidalfish.com

THE DAILY CATCH http://fishingnews.posterous.com/sad-news-governors-budget-kills-saltwater-fis I am sick and tired of the VA Saltwater sport fishing license. The Va salt water sport fishing license was intially legislated to determine the exact numbers of recreational sport fisherment in VA. Before the legislation was passed, it was amended and butchered up so by the General Assmbly, that the ...