Re: ELITISM IN ANGLING

yardie28 said:

one thing that annoys me, if you see someone fishing and ask them what they caught, i get i'm only after Carp, pike etc it really frustrates me. 

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Couldn't agree more with this yardie28 - what they should say is "I've caught nowt".  It insinuates that they would have caught had they been fishing for another species - and the other species are easy and not worth fishing for.  I'll give an example...the 'ready made' carp man (not all carp anglers are in this bracket bet there a a growing number) who's reply is along the lines of "I'm only after carp" as if hes some sort of elitist as the thread suggests.  He's got Korda this, Nash that - everything he does is what he has read in a magazine or seen on a free DVD.  I'd love them to try and set up a Drennan Blue waggler & fish on the drop...he'd not have a clue!
 

As Greg does I consider myself an angler...and I am on the bank for one reason - to enjoy myself!

Fishing these days has become too 'tarty' for me...either way it doesnt stop me going finding the quietest stretch of river I can find and having a wander with a rod, reel, few bits in pockets & a out of date loaf.

Re: ELITISM IN ANGLING

 I think your right Greg but is it how we look back at it. I remember when I was little I always got the feeling that people looked down on me but I never let it bother me because I was happy. We couldnt afford to do alot of things but I was always out doing some thing. Now that I can afford to do alot more I would choose coarse fishing every time because the people you meet are genuine and arnt up their own behinds. Dont judge people by their appearance only on there actions.

Coarse fishing has fragmented in to little sub groups which could be veiwed as elitist where as game fishing has progressed very little if any at all.

Re: ELITISM IN ANGLING

Elitism has never bothered me,although Greg I do agree late 60's and early 70's when I first started driving to river venue's without the old man in tow I did come across " your not allowed on here" I think this was more my age than an elite class thing being only seventeen, but I always smoothed the way after talking to them.As you say it's sort of getting that way with some course/carp/barbel and syndicate groups, but if they do look down their noses at me because i'm not a tackle tart with a truck full of needless named gear and clothing its not going to bother me one jot. I fish for pleasure and any fish caught are a bonus even if i'm on a river and mainly wanting chub or barbel on the day.  

Re: ELITISM IN ANGLING

ALLROUNDERGREG said:

deerstalker said:

Elitism has never bothered me,although Greg I do agree late 60's and early 70's when I first started driving to river venue's without the old man in tow I did come across " your not allowed on here" I think this was more my age than an elite class thing being only seventeen, but I always smoothed the way after talking to them.As you say it's sort of getting that way with some course/carp/barbel and syndicate groups, but if they do look down their noses at me because i'm not a tackle tart with a truck full of needless named gear and clothing its not going to bother me one jot. I fish for pleasure and any fish caught are a bonus even if i'm on a river and mainly wanting chub or barbel on the day.  

That is the way of the angler and if you catch a few fish you consider it a good day you do not go fishing with a taget weight in mind but these days many do I do not know what is is like up where you live but walk in any tackle shop in my area and the walls are plastered with photos of fish but only fish of certain sizes if it does not hit the mark it does not go on the wall. Some of them even have a league chart for the biggest carp ect..

I dont think there are many of that type of tackle shop in our area , although we once called in at one in Cheshire [on the way to the Dee]where there was a group of carp men all chatting to  what we concieved as the owner who seemed to be good friends, we actually picked a few items and all the time we were ignored not even a "just let me know if you need help" we put the items on the counter wallet in hand, they were still chatting and only seemed to notice us when I put my wallet away and turned for the door, TOO LATE was my departing comment. No wonder tackle shops are in decline.

Re: ELITISM IN ANGLING

"Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the most elitist angler of all". -"That would be the pleasure angler; he would pour the most scorn of them all".

"Well Sir, I only fish for carp because it is the fish that gives me the most pleasure and catching a 30lb would give me even more pleasure and I get a lot of pleasure from using these methods". 

"But I am different Sir, I fish for any species for they all give me pleasure, I do not have a favourite fish and I enjoy all methods, therefore I am superior to you"

Le agent provacateur.

But, you see the danger, Maybe , if the carp angler took more time to explain why he fishes the way he does and that could apply to all anglers. Maybe they would look less like elitists. At the end of the day, all anglers are pleasure anglers and do it in the way that gives them the most pleasure. But, I digress as I know some will look down on others. Perhaps elitism is unavoidable. Look at communism, it was supposed to rule out elitism and it became an elitism never the less.