The move has been taken as part of the association’s constitution change after 122 years, reported last month. Effectively, the BAA is now owned by all its individual members and not by its associated clubs.
With immediate effect, the 2006 books are only available at the BAA headquarters, over the phone or on the Internet, although day tickets will be still be sold in the shops.

John Williams of the BAA says that it’s part of a drive to build up a database of its members so that it can keep in touch with them and make them feel more involved.

However, Mal Storey of Mal Storey Angling Centre, Kidderminster, in recent year’s the BAA’s best agent, believes the BAA has simply not thought things through.

“The BAA is forgetting that the shops not only help drive the sales but they also provide an invaluable service in letting customers know how the waters are fishing and where to go,” he said.

“The BAA simply can’t do it from their HQ in Birmingham. Of course the knock-on effect is that customers buy tackle and bait from the shops, so the system works for everyone. If it’s not broken, why fix it?

“I think the result will be a big fall in book sales, and the loss of a lot of good will from the tackle shops, which the BAA can ill afford,” added Mal.

For the full story see February’s issue of Midland Angler, out second Wednesday of Jan