The co called "off topic" threads are rather popular and to my mind provide an all round enjoyment as man lives not by fishing alone . . .
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- Thread starter mikench
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Well, I'm sorry you feel this way Mark but simply put, we cannot please all of the people all of the time. In the past when we have suggested closing little used forums it has caused a wave of complaint even though some of them are rarely contributed to.
Personally I don't see any evidence of the intolerance of which you speak although I would agree that we have a burgeoning population of older members here, but then that in itself accurately reflects the situation on angling in the real world.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
I was being a bit harsh but just trying to be truthful as well, a few have not survived on here for being a bit different, out there maybe but they didn't bother me, one made a bit of a mistake and got jocked off pretty quick, it is a bit intolerant in my opinion. There are at least two threads that have not been used for years and more that barely get used at all but no one wanted to support the idea of maybe having a bit more of a modern thread, not even as an experiment. It was beyond my why one of those threads could not be tried out for 4 weeks as a commercial/canal thread, No adventurous spirit at all. The administration said no, they always say no, couldn't be bothered, why was it too much trouble to change one or two threads for a while, the excuse was they didn't want any extra threads when it was plain they did not have to add any! The easy option is just say no!
Why is it always the default answer in this country for anything, as soon as you ask for anything from anyone in anything like some sort of authority, they always say no. Its not going to change, it is a dwindling usership and it may well dwindle more.. I have said before, we don't have any youngsters or family groups, regular commercial users which is where most of the action is these days, like it or not that is a fact but most of the old guard don't want that so it has become a bit of a clique, a bit purest, a bit one age group, a bit intolerant and most want to keep it that way.
I am not complaining and I am sorry but just pointing out the way I see it by standing back and looking at it objectively. This forum suits me, I don't use any other but it could be a bit more diverse and a bit more attractive to a wider range of anglers. I don't think that would hurt it any way.
Its not a great endorsement, out of 2 million coarse fishing license holders and about 1 million sea anglers; we have about 10 a week who post anything and maybe 50/100 a year who post at all.
Or you could say that's what makes it unique, small is beautiful but, it could get smaller!
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Most guests do not post/join FM as they feel they have nothing to offer post wise,or are afraid of embarrassing themselves,naively in the main,unfortunately as i've said the English written word is easily taken in several different meanings,so readers of posts can possibly take offence,if the poster and readers of said posts allow a little leeway for that everything should be hunky dory,also there is nothing wrong with learning,asking questions of people you hope will give you answers,come on,give it a try....
As an aside,yesterday,as I loaded my platform on packing up a guy appeared from the swim downstream(40ish),carrying a landing net with a barbel in it,he came up and asked if I had some scales,yes I replied,he said it was the best barbel he had,had,it weighed 5lbs 8ozs and he asked if I could take a photo for him,which I duly did,now here is the crux,a 5lb 8oz barbel is a modest fish,but I still remember my first barbel from the Royalty yonks ago,I still remember the fight and the great pleasure that fish gave me,so power to his elbow,I made a point of making sure the fish was well and truly ready to swim away,as that may stick in his mind,in case he wasn't sure....
As an aside,yesterday,as I loaded my platform on packing up a guy appeared from the swim downstream(40ish),carrying a landing net with a barbel in it,he came up and asked if I had some scales,yes I replied,he said it was the best barbel he had,had,it weighed 5lbs 8ozs and he asked if I could take a photo for him,which I duly did,now here is the crux,a 5lb 8oz barbel is a modest fish,but I still remember my first barbel from the Royalty yonks ago,I still remember the fight and the great pleasure that fish gave me,so power to his elbow,I made a point of making sure the fish was well and truly ready to swim away,as that may stick in his mind,in case he wasn't sure....
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The fella carrying a barbel up river in his net head sounds like a total idiot.
If he wanted it weighing he should have left it resting in the water and gone and asked for scales...no excuse for that no matter how decent he appeared.
steve2
Well-known member
Are there any under 60 on here? It doesn't seem like there are.
ian g
Well-known member
I'm 57 , just a kid.......................at heart
steve2
Well-known member
We have all done it at some time so don't be hard on him.
I remember carrying fish in a bucket to have them weighed in after matches. It was the rules that fish were brought to the scales.
Fish weren't always treated like pets like they are now and don't forget we are still people who stick hooks into fish.
mikench
Well-known member
I still can't get over that all fish weighed in matches years ago were dead. It seems unbelievable to me.
ian g
Well-known member
I think , you used to get a lot of pike waiting around for their dinner after the match
Keith M
Well-known member
They were definitely not dead when I fished club matches back in the late 50s, in fact any dead fish were not even allowed to be weighed in. also you could only weigh fish over a certain size in the Thames area in most matches back in those days I still have a TWA size ruler in the shed
.I don't know about matches before the war though
NB: I think we may be wandering off the main thread subject a bit
Keith
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I remember watching the weigh in of a big BAA match,the bit I was watching was at Quatford,a guy weighed in 37lb of barbel,most of them were jumping around on the dry dusty sand up the bank,a bloody disgrace,even back then...
no-one in particular
Well-known member
I don't know, not many I would think, probably not one under 20 and not one woman either I know of, no blacks yellows or gays as well as far as I can make out. Either the sport or this forum is one dimensional.
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no-one in particular
Well-known member
rich66
Well-known member
I’m 54
I don’t post a lot only to ask a question, lots of good info on FM. My fishing has increased in catch rate and pleasure since joining.
Well that is a plus point Rich,no connection to you,but I wonder if,in the modern age of the internet,that we just don't get as many thinking anglers any more,who continually battle to work out methods like we had to,read what we could and practice to make best of that knowledge,nowadays the written side is virtually gone,so this sort of forum,or medium gives a 'next best fix' scenario,people actually pay anglers to teach them,or at least lead them in the right direction,I know it has been going on for a long time,but it certainly wasn't when I was learning,I watched anglers in matches,chatted,in the end I learnt my own methods,similar to others,but mine,to suit my feeding regimes etc,I talked to a guy on the bank a few weeks ago,he fishes the pole,when I said I preferred trotting with either waggler or double rubber floats,his reply was that he couldn't get the hang of it,my mindset says I'm going to suss it out come what may,i've never fished the bolo,my venues I don't need to,if I thought it was the way I'd be on it...
I only post if I feel I can add something to the subject of the thread in question, usually relative to a style of fishing I'm familiar with, or item of tackle I own or have experience of.
I contributed to what I thought might be an interesting subject of not so well-known reels that somebody enquired about the other day. The thread went on to be a discussion about some people's retirement plans, or something similar, which is fine, but leaves me wondering why I bothered taking the time to post.
I contributed to what I thought might be an interesting subject of not so well-known reels that somebody enquired about the other day. The thread went on to be a discussion about some people's retirement plans, or something similar, which is fine, but leaves me wondering why I bothered taking the time to post.
mikench
Well-known member
Guilty as charged if you were having a dig. I'm very bad at keeping within the strict definition of a thread and doubt I will improve. You contributed to that thread about lesser known reels as did I. The digression was entirely mine in that another poster contributed who had been very quiet of late and in this Covid dominated world I asked how he was. He replied and asked another question which I responded to. That was it. It was hardly the hijacking of a thread.
Posts are meant to be interesting, germane obviously but showing a human quality . I do try and stick to the subject but often fail miserably being a flawed human being. This thread is about guests being persuaded to join the forum and to contribute without fear and to enjoy doing so. An entry in the HDYGO thread saying" today I went fishing, I caught a few and I put them back" is fine if that is all you can manage but the longevity and popularity of this thread is because of the lengthy contributions accompanied by photos and written, in an often humorous style. Each to their own however; there is no right or wrong way.
I started a thread about raising a question which, of itself, didn't justify a thread. Maybe simple comments as to the health and well being of a member should be addressed therein or in a pm. But then again maybe not. An opportunity often raises itself in a thread as a thought or idea at a tangent to the thread which in my case, could well be forgotten or not pursued , if not activated there and then.
If you feel your contribution Rob was lost, ignored or reduced in value by my digression, I apologise.
Posts are meant to be interesting, germane obviously but showing a human quality . I do try and stick to the subject but often fail miserably being a flawed human being. This thread is about guests being persuaded to join the forum and to contribute without fear and to enjoy doing so. An entry in the HDYGO thread saying" today I went fishing, I caught a few and I put them back" is fine if that is all you can manage but the longevity and popularity of this thread is because of the lengthy contributions accompanied by photos and written, in an often humorous style. Each to their own however; there is no right or wrong way.
I started a thread about raising a question which, of itself, didn't justify a thread. Maybe simple comments as to the health and well being of a member should be addressed therein or in a pm. But then again maybe not.
An opportunity often raises itself in a thread as a thought or idea at a tangent to the thread which in my case, could well be forgotten or not pursued , if not activated there and then.If you feel your contribution Rob was lost, ignored or reduced in value by my digression, I apologise.
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