Brian Hull Steps Down

[joffmiester]

This is really sad news to me my partner in crime , little and large and the A team all rolled into one Brian Hull has been a part of Leicestershire angling for as long as i can remember one of the nicest men you could ever meet has stepped down from the Soar Valley Winter League the best organizer the league has ever had through stupidity of a handful of anglers

soar Valley Winter League by Brian Hull

Well, we come to the final Winter League match of 2015 and the result could not be more in the balance. Three teams separated by three points fighting for two places in the Angling Trust Final. Should be quite a battle.I have been involved in the running of this winter league since 1992 and I have decided this will be my last match as organizer.Lots of things have changed over the years. We started with sixteen teams of twelve anglers. 192 peg matches. Now we are down to nine teams of 10.
Our matches used to spread for miles including places like Cossington, Sileby, Red Hill, Bonsors, Normanton, Sutton, Kegworth Deeps with anglers spaced at 15 yard intervals.Now our matches are spread foe miles with some anglers wanting a whole field for themselves.We had good weights over the years. 90lb of bream from Sutton, 44lb of chub from Redhill, 26lb of roach Toones Island and 18lbs of gudgeon from the Abbey Meadow.By contrast I once won a Winter League match with 4lbs 9 ozs of gudgeon caught on the straight lead on a flooded river, in the days before poles and flat floats.Today the average weight per angler is much higher and it is very rare to frame with less than double figures.The standard of angling is much higher today and the amount of equipment each anglers takes has multiplied ten times.
The one thing that saddens me is the attitude of some anglers. If anything the league has become too competitive and the fun has gone out of it. Gone are the Frank Barlow days of “Win or lose have a booze”. Now teams huddle together in little groups and do not mix and joke like the old days. I actually heard the other week of one angler who had framed in the match stating he had not enjoyed his days fishing. What’s that all about? For me a match should be a battle between men and fish with the ability to adapt to the conditions sorting the winners from the rest of the field. Not week after week catching big weights from tightly shoaled up fish that have been herded together by the rivers pike population.
As Tom Scholey said recently its called fishing not catching.
The saddest part of my decision to stop organizing has been remarks pointed at me over decisions I have made on health and safety grounds. As a club that allows its waters to be match fished by anglers who are not members of LSAS I am legally responsible for any problems. I therefore do all I can to reduce risks as that is the only course I can take to protect myself. When anglers question these decisions it shows they do not have a clue about the world we live in today.
This year I have not been able to fish the league as I have had my own health problems. I did not moan about it but I did not let it stop me turning up to organize every week as usual. I do not claim any expenses for running the league so in effect it costs me money. This is my decision but I am not prepared to put up with people who stay in the background and criticize my decisions when they do nothing to forward the cause of angling.
It is unlikely that Loughborough will enter a team next year and I am not sure if our club will allow its waters to be used that is up to my committee who are very upset about the remarks some people have made about me recently.
However I cannot leave without saying thanks thanks to all the anglers who have helped and supported me over the years.
Good luck to whoever takes on the role of match organizer. You will need a thick skin and lots cotton wool in your ears!
As for me I am going fishing for a change.

[Arch]

Thats sad. It's always the minority who do the damage. Although i've not fished with or seen Brian for a long while, i'd still like to consider him a friend.

A top bloke and a nicer man you could not wish to meet. All the best Brian

[MrV]

Enjoy your fishing and your health Brian. It must have been a really difficult decision for you to make after so many years. I can't remember how many league organisers have quit over my 40 odd years of fishing, but it always boils down to some "anglers" spoiling it for the rest, criticising the people who do all the spade work and background work to enable them to fish quality leagues.
You never see these so called "anglers" running leagues....would that be because they haven't got a clue, or they just want to turn up, draw a shedful of fish, sit on their fat arses and moan if they aren't on a shedful, and then criticise the people who spend all week preparing for the weekend league match. Respect your decision Brian, but I can imagine there will be 80 odd very sad faces after the last match

[Barrow21]

Really sorry to see this , but I have heard of some of the comments and cannot blame Brian at all. It would seem a very tiny minority could have spelled out the last rites for the SVWL . New organisers being very thin on the ground. I would like to thank Brian for his time and hard work over the years on behalf of the people who have and do appreciate his efforts.

[Peter Cobb]

I've only known Brian for the last couple of years but he's always helpful and a thoroughly decent bloke.
Sad loss to the Loughborough match fishing scene but I wish him all the very best.

[hitch]

Top bloke

[craftytafty]

a shame Brian is stepping down, but as a fellow organiser, albeit not done it as long, I can understand his feelings. maybe it's time for the moaners to step up and show how perfectly they could run matches. either put up or shut up.

[ChrisW]

Very sad news....

but being honest I'm amazed he stuck it as long as he did...!!! There's definitely something about this league that brings out the worst in the certain few guilty individuals spoiling it for the rest.

Good for you Brian a thoroughly nice bloke bloke and true gent

Sincerely wish you all the very best, and hope you get back out on the bank soon enjoying yourself mate