Took, me thirty minutes to come up with the title of the Blog. I didn’t know whether to call it “The Sky Is Indeed Falling”, “Is It Time to Panic” or maybe “Where Are You Going To Fish This Winter?” In the end I thought I would just let you decide what it should be called and go with the time honoured —UPDATE. I try not to listen to the internet and feed on the sentiments of others so I waited until I could talk personally to a number of voices I trust who were actually at the Public Forum held on Monday. This being the last time the public could be heard on the issue. For the record I am against the Draft Legislation and those I spoke to are also against the legislation. I did not talk to any of the “Pro-Legislation” people, so admittedly you are hearing only one side of the argument when reading this. Additionally I am not Bahamian, simply an outsider throwing in his two cents worth. So in that respect my two cents are really only worth one cent. But in a way I still get to vote. Only I vote with my traveling dollars. It gets spent where my fishing friends and family will be welcomed and enjoy the experience. The last Public Forum that was held on Monday with Minister Gray and Prescott Smith prominently in attendance was, from those I talked to, a disaster. Many steps backward, very confusing and a significant number of attendees from places like North Andros flown in to make sure the atmosphere was anti-DIY, anti-Foreign ownership and in support of the current Draft legislation. Cindy Pinder, Vice-President of the Abaco Fly Fishing Guide Association asked me to make the point that as bad as this all sounds “we are still in the consultative stage, we are going to fight it” and she doesn’t see how it will make it through the Cabinet. Her caution is that we don’t panic, there is more of this tale to be told before final legislation passes. She is right. I respect what she has to say and support her, their association and the many others who continue to fight the good fight. But the fact is, travelling fisherman are now in LIMBO. I want to support my many friends in the Bahamas, those that own lodges, the independent guides that run professional businesses and all the other stakeholders that I have gotten to know through the last fifteen years. This morning I woke up to over 200 emails essentially asking the same two questions, “What happened at the meeting?” “Should we still book our trip?” How do I answer? How do I back the stakeholders in the Bahamas who make their living from traveling anglers and at the same time provide information that is relevant to subscribers. Rock and a Hard place. So, I’m putting it bluntly. My wife, myself and fishing friends as of this morning have cancelled our one month stay on North Andros for this coming December. As per usual we had booked a home for 30 days, rented two cars, hired guides for seven days plus the obvious, buying groceries, gas, booze etc., etc., etc. Why? Because the home owner is asking for a 50% down payment which is standard and we would normally do in a flash. But who is going to send down that amount of money when, I don’t know if on my “non-guided” days I can walk the flats on my own? Or worse yet, know what kind of intimidation tactics and threats I will face? It’s just LIMBO. Why not just go somewhere else where there is certainty? To the best of my knowledge no one has endured more harassment and vandalism in the Bahamas then myself and/or immediate fishing buddies. We have just endured it in the hopes things would improve. Now that I know a plane full of anti-DIY supporters were flown in from North Andros for the meeting, I’m not prepared to risk confrontation this December. I’m tired of it. You don’t want me….fine. I will go somewhere else. There I just voted. So what do I tell the other few thousand or so anglers, families and their friends that use this site for information? Probably this; read what is available in the Blogs, in the Forums, the published news paper articles and make your own decision. And in that vain, below are the latest two news paper articles published in the Tribune. Tribune #1 Tribune #2 I spent 30 minutes deciding on the title for the Blog. Now I’m trying to find a picture that represents how I feel, to place within the text. But having trouble finding a “Sad face, casting a fly.”
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