It is with great sadness that I write these few lines in memory of David, former President of the NFA and Chairman of the SAA, who lost his life to lung cancer on the 18 August 2010.

I often met David for a chat at angling exhibitions where invariably he was manning the Specialist Anglers Conservation Group (SACG) stand, later to become the Specialist Anglers Alliance (SAA), and I was doing my bit for the Carp Society. The 'Go Fishing' exhibition at the NEC was also a favourite venue for our long chats over coffee and where we would turn the air blue, not with expletives, but with cigarette smoke, much to the annoyance of the security staff.

David was always informed, informative, passionate, positive in his outlook and blatantly honest to the point where you either held your own with him or listened and learnt. I had a great deal of respect for him as did many other people, be they business acquaintance, friend or foe.

David was always supportive of the Carp Society and together with Mike Heylin, now Chairman of the Angling Trust, we agreed a lot of common ground. This led to the formation of the Fish Welfare Group. Probably one of the most influential angling committees of recent times.

I always enjoyed being in David's company, either during our informal one-to-one chats, or at meetings he chaired with his usual entertaining and humorous style. He shared his opinions openly, considerately and easily, whether it was on behalf of the SAA or FWG. Angling unity was also something he had long strived for within anglings' political hierarchy; let's hope the Angling Trust lives up to his expectations and that his opinion and forethought still has the influence it warrants even today.

Sad as it maybe for those left behind to mourn his loss, David, albeit prematurely, has left an indelible impression upon all of us who knew him as someone who really cared and actually contributed towards the future well-being of angling, and that should be loudly applauded.

Farewell David.