THE person who wrote the letter about fishing (Wiltshire Times, September 6) is so badly misinformed about angling that I have my doubts that it comes from an individual but one of the anti sports groups. They gave no information as to where or when this fishing match took place, if it ever did.

Angling is a legal sport in the UK and, to the best of my knowledge, in every other country in the world. We pride ourselves on having very high standards for the protection of fish. Most, if not all, match anglers use barbless hooks.

Keep nets are made with fish protection material and net size is stated by the Environment Agency and is a legal requirement. Anglers live in hope with the size of their nets and fish are never crammed in nets as was suggested.

Fish are normally handled once in a match at the time of being caught. After they have been weighed-in they are returned safely to the water without being handled. We do have a small number of people who let the sport down but most anglers treat fish and the environment with respect. If Theresa Thom does exist I would inform her that some of the largest angling clubs in the country are based in London as angling is a sport for all, not just people living outside our cities.

TERRY FELL,

Chairman, South West Region,

National Federation of Anglers,

Devizes.