Who Qualifies To Give Angling Advice

[Steve Walker]

It also depends on who is asking what. I've enough experience of most types of angling we have in the UK that I reckon I could usually point a raw beginner in the right direction to catch a few fish, whatever he's fishing for. I'd have to pass on salmon and sea trout, and would probably not advise on static deadbaiting for pike, but I've done a reasonable bit of most things. There's a huge difference, though, between what a jack-of-all-trades can tell you and what a specialist knows, and the more you narrow it down, the more valuable the knowledge gets. Local knowledge, the sort that starts with "usually, when I fish this swim I..." is the most valuable sort, and can be hugely useful even if you are a much more experienced angler than the person giving it. The downside is that sometimes you learn more by figuring things out yourself than you do by being given one of the answers.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Local knowledge, the sort that starts with "usually, when I fish this swim I..." is the most valuable sort, and can be hugely useful even if you are a much more experienced angler than the person giving it. The downside is that sometimes you learn more by figuring things out yourself than you do by being given one of the answers.

 

I normally find that's the worst kind, unless the angler sems to know his stuff. Most of the time it's noddies who wouldn't know a roach from a rudd.

 

"Tench? What are they?"

 

"Aye mate, the pike in here are massive!"....(shows length of around 30 inches....or a jack)

 

"Aye mate, they go to 20lbs"....(let's quarter that for a start and go from there)

 

"There's a mine-shaft in there".....(mine shafts everywhere I find)

 

"My mate's Dad's Uncles' pal from next door, who stays just up the road from my Auntie Jean, the one with 2 Staffies, caught one last year and it was 6 pounds".....(really?....that sounds like pure cobblers)

 

"Aye mate, we put hunners (100s) in there 2 years ago but dunno if there's any left".....(so useless then?)

 

And so on a so forth........locals.........hahhahahhaahahahhahahhhhahahahahaha. Pure dirge IMO.

[Anderoo]

I've been off-line for a week so I'm not sure who you're sniping at Watertoad

 

Me I think, on a topic recently I said something like 'you can't fish for them for 3 years without learning something' and then offered some advice, for what it's worth. Others made snide comments and offered no advice, and others who should be able to offer better advice than me kept quiet and didn't post anything.

[davedave]

Isn't it a good thing that people chip in freely with topics? Not only so that there is a fresh perspective on things but also for those that make incorrect comments can be corrected. Many a time on here i have said things i believed to be true because someone had told me or whatever, and being corrected helped me learn.

 

Personally i think anyone should put their two cents worth onto topics.

Edited June 12, 2011 by davedave

[Steve Walker]

I normally find that's the worst kind, unless the angler sems to know his stuff. Most of the time it's noddies who wouldn't know a roach from a rudd.

 

Ah, yes, you have to see through the Billy-Bullshitters and the idiots, true. Finding out from the carpers where they've had most trouble with tench, though, or having a chat with the bailiff or one of the old boys about what flies are catching and where or just sitting and watching someone who you can see knows what they are doing can be very useful. Even if you're sitting there thinking "if he shortened that tail he'd be hitting those bites", you still know how he's getting them!

[Renrag39]

Dave, you've got an echo, does this explain your forum name?

 

Renrag

 

Spoilsport, you edited it!

Edited June 12, 2011 by Renrag39

[davedave]

Dave, you've got an echo, does this explain your forum name?

 

Renrag

 

Spoilsport, you edited it!

 

It keeps doing it! It must be something wrong with my pc, bloody annoying though!

 

And no thats not the reason for my name

[Jeffwill]

From running a fishing club and dealing with a varied mix of anglers my experience tells me:

 

Some people are more willing to learn than others.

A few anglers shout loudly and almost always know far less.

Some anglers because they are older incorrectly think their views are more important.

Some members will actually be very good anglers and would be gutted if they stop learning..

 

When I coach kids I tell them if they learn one little thing each time they go fishing they will end up an expert.... starting with teaching them to plumb the depth, feeding the spot and float fishing accurately, skills they can take with them anywhere. (Kids want to catch big fish straight away by legering, the fishing rags and carp brigade encourage them and sadly kids judge their fishing skills / knowledge by the size of fish they catch).

 

Usually fishing starts by getting out in the countryside, away from the rat pack, simply enjoying the outdoors and catching a few fish. Some anglers later may want to target specimen fishing and its usually then that people become very focused as they see themselves as "elite" anglers. Within this "elite" you will inevitably get jealousy / derogatory remarks from time to time.

 

Best to ignore them and continue posting helpful replies to those that want to learn and improve their fishing.

[Anderoo]

To answer the question, who is qualified to give angling advice - anyone who has relevant personal experience.

[Brian Carragher]

Theres only one person qualified to give advice

 

The person who never ever blanks when he goes fishing