Introduction
Having spent a few years posting on Angling forums I have come across three distinct types of poster: a) the newbie, b) the know it all, and c) the seasoned angler.
Most of us evolve through two or three of these stages during our fishing life although some would deny it. Some stay at the first stage all through their fishing life, others go straight from stage 1 to stage 3, missing stage 2 altogether, but most of us evolve through all three of these stages at some time or other.
I missed out on the first stage, only because Personal Computers weren’t around when I first started fishing, but I certainly have or remember having some of the traits of the other two stages of forum’ites.
So lets have a closer look at the three basic types of forum’ite:
Stage 1 – The Newbie
This type of forum’ite has recently decided to try fishing as a hobby. They are eager to catch any fish at all and are willing to absorb as much information as they can.
They often have a fairly limited knowledge of fishing tackle and have an equally limited purse to buy it with; so they are usually looking for some honest advice on what tackle to buy on a fairly limited budget, together with some sound advice on where to use it.
Their first posts usually start with ‘what’s the best all-round rod for fishing canals?’ (Or something along those lines). They also post questions like ‘what’s the best bait for carp?’ or ‘what’s the best method for catching barbel? ’ or ‘what type of reel is the best for fishing lakes?’.
Although they have heard the word ‘watercraft’ they don’t yet fully understand what it means and still think that watercraft is a thing that floats on the surface.
The lucky ones have a father or uncle who fishes already and who can take them out fishing with them; however this sadly is not always the case.
They usually end up going fishing with some friends who convince them that real anglers only ever fish for carp, with 2 rods, buzzers, bedchair, and a bivvy and then fall asleep dreaming of the big carp that they once saw adorning a photo in a magazine.
After spending months sitting next to static-damaged rods they end up disillusioned and give up the sport altogether. However the lucky ones who went fishing with more able anglers stick with the sport and progress to the next stage having actually caught a few fish including some carp and other equally worthwhile fish species, but all on the correct tackle.
Stage 2 – The know it all:
This type of forum’ite needs constant reassurance that they know everything about angling and is constantly trying to make a name for themselves on the forum citing huge imaginary fish they have caught.
They often reply to posts saying such things as: ‘The best bait for carp is’ or ‘The best method for barbel is’ or ‘The fixed spool reel can do everything that a centrepin can do and better even when long-trotting on shallowish streams over undulating stream beds and submerged snags’ (if they actually know what long-trotting is) and are often ridiculing other participants who dare to disagree with their restricted views.
They don’t often ask for others views or for help as there is nothing that they don’t know already and they would hate to let others know how little they really knew because they think it would be a weakness.
Watercraft? they have read somewhere that it may have something to do with were a fish lives.
They frequent well known swims on artificial commercial fisheries where the banks are even or well used swims on popular stretches of rivers lakes and canals. They don’t know why these swims produce and don’t really care as long as they continue to produce fish and where they can impart their seasoned advice to others whether they have asked for it or not.
They often cite a list of imaginary fish as long as your arm that they have caught, together with an even more unlikely list of their targets for the coming year.
Stage 3 – The seasoned angler
Seasoned anglers only post when they have something to add to a discussion or want to congratulate someone elses success, or to describe an exceptional days fishing that they have had or to give honest advice to both newcomers to the sport and to other seasoned anglers, and to ask for others views and ideas about something that they are interested in.
Watercraft is a valuable asset to them and they know a great deal about their quarry and where it can be found and why. They can usually recognise where their quarry is likely to be by instinct developed over many years of observing them.
They recognise that they will never know-it-all and they know that as soon as they think they have found the answers to a problem something will happen that will seem to throw some of their ideas into the wind; but this is one of the things that makes angling so absorbing for them.
They never seem to get annoyed with other posters on the forum even when the posters are obviously talking rubbish and will often be the calming force when a dispute erupts between two opposing posters.
They will often specialise in a particular type of fishing or species of fish at different stages of their angling career but will still retain the respect for other fish and their devotees and know that each species of fish has it’s own merits when caught on the correct tackle.
Although still welcome; targets no longer play such an important part in their life and as long as they can still catch plenty of quality fish in idillic surroundings they are usually very content.
They will usually avoid the well frequented day ticket waters and prefer the more secluded club waters or stretches of streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes that they have discovered away from the fray.
They sometimes have a strong dislike for the modern trends of using multi-rod carp rigs for river fish like barbel and chub and would much prefer rolling a bait using their finger to indicate a bite, using their trusted centrepin. Or trotting an Avon or stick float along a streamy glide.
So what type of Forum’ite are you?
Tight Lines
