Fishing Elitism

[Jeremy87]

I look up to anyone who excels in there particular field of fishing. I look down on anyone who is so narrow minded to think that their particular form of fishing is the "best". I have prefered methods and practices but if the fish are bitting on another technique then i'll swap over. Elitism is not always a bad thing. It's easy to tag someone who is into pricey practices as an elitist, because in many ways they are, always looking for the latest and greatest or something that will give them the edge. But similarly someone can also be elite at using a handline from a jetty through pure skill.

If your after a rush then i can't recommend bowhunting highly enough. I only started last winter but i can tell you you are never as alive as when your putting a stalk in on an animal. Moveing when it moves, getting so close to it you can smell it and finally making the kill. And even in archery there are different groups. The target archers think hunters are Neanderthals, (the hunters doen't care because they no they are and doen't give a shit). The recurve shooters dissaprove of compounds because they are too accurate and then pretend that recurves are still better. And then you have the purist hunter who shoots a trad bow with wooden shafts and feather fletches. Each to his own, i shoot target aswell but not competitavely (not enough time, bows too powerful for comp regs etc etc) and enjoy all aspects of it. Deer are the ultimate challenge, I had a rusa doe completley matrix an arrow from 30metres last winter that was spat out of my bow at just under 300fps, now thats a challenge if i've ever seen it.

[NAGG]

Nagg maybe you missed this as i stated i dont care how much people spend on their outfit. I base a good angler on consistent good catches. You seem to imply in your posts that guys with less tech or cheaper gear or use bait arent possible to catch decent fish and that just because some of you own a more technical reel you are a better fishermen. There is no mention about ability or experience its all about the gear you own. And i got the impression you were referring to yourself with the title of your thread cause there is quite a few of these or in your thread when you refer to Alvey users and bait fisho's.

Wizard The or are in relation to other recent threads that I've expressed an opinion on ..... or have been topical ( alveys , Etecs , drop lining ..... Hornets of which many know I own one ,,,etc) ...... Sorry but you are off the mark on this one
The list is just predominately examples .... of what I have heard over the years

Now just to clarify a few things as you have jumped to some conclusions!
Importantly ...... I dont look down on anyone's gear or on the person because of the gear they use ! ...... I fish with people that use some very basic or old gear (they are mates) ....... I occasionally fish the stones & I drag out a 650 star drag alvey to fish the wash for pigs (rock blackfish) or a old ABU7000 to fish for snapper ( both with bait)
With regard to baitfishers ...... I said nothing ..... But I did say that I admire people that fish with artificials ( I see it as more difficult ..... & a skill level that impresses me) Hell ... last weekend I fished jetties with lures for bream (left the Hornet at home) ...... & then changed to soldier crabs when conditions didn't suit lures! - - - - Come May .... i'll be fishing for Yellowfin at Bermagui ( cubing & live baiting) ....... note what I said about blackfish purists ...... I love watching them fish with their avon royals , long rods , perfectly weighted floats & weed for bait
At what point did I denegrate anyone that does not use high tech gear! Yes I do & will always try to buy the best gear I can ( I'm like that with most things in life ..... I'll rather go without ... till I can afford what I really want!)

Now .... Ability! I can fish ! (ANSA sportfishing masters) ....... ........ More importantly I've fished for many different species using many techniques & styles ( from trout on fly through to Marlin/sailfish on lures/switchbaiting ...... snapper off the rocks to LBG to jigging for Kings etc etc) Now I predominately fish for bream , bass & barra on lures and trout on fly ....... I'll also do a Game fishing trip or two!
Maybe that will clear things up a little .......
Cheers
Nagg

[NAGG]

I would be the world's worst fisherman..and I don't care..can afford virtually any tackle if I wanted to..what I treasure is the time out on the water with family and friends..relaxing..the fish are just a bonus...ok, I will be elite cos we always have a few bottles of wine on board to go with the prawns and salad for lunch.

& life will be good!

[snelly1971]

Wizard The or are in relation to other recent threads that I've expressed an opinion on ..... or have been topical ( alveys , Etecs , drop lining ..... Hornets of which many know I own one ,,,etc) ...... Sorry but you are off the mark on this one
The list is just predominately examples .... of what I have heard over the years

Now just to clarify a few things as you have jumped to some conclusions!
Importantly ...... I dont look down on anyone's gear or on the person because of the gear they use ! ...... I fish with people that use some very basic or old gear (they are mates) ....... I occasionally fish the stones & I drag out a 650 star drag alvey to fish the wash for pigs (rock blackfish) or a old ABU7000 to fish for snapper ( both with bait)
With regard to baitfishers ...... I said nothing ..... But I did say that I admire people that fish with artificials ( I see it as more difficult ..... & a skill level that impresses me) Hell ... last weekend I fished jetties with lures for bream (left the Hornet at home) ...... & then changed to soldier crabs when conditions didn't suit lures! - - - - Come May .... i'll be fishing for Yellowfin at Bermagui ( cubing & live baiting) ....... note what I said about blackfish purists ...... I love watching them fish with their avon royals , long rods , perfectly weighted floats & weed for bait
At what point did I denegrate anyone that does not use high tech gear! Yes I do & will always try to buy the best gear I can ( I'm like that with most things in life ..... I'll rather go without ... till I can afford what I really want!)

Now .... Ability! I can fish ! (ANSA sportfishing masters ....... basically 10 different species caught that weighed equal to or greater than the breaking strain of the line .... ie 1kg bream on 1kg line) ........ More importantly I've fished for many different species using many techniques & styles ( from trout on fly through to Marlin/sailfish on lures/switchbaiting ...... snapper off the rocks to LBG to jigging for Kings etc etc) Now I predominately fish for bream , bass & barra on lures and trout on fly ....... I'll also do a Game fishing trip or two!
Maybe that will clear things up a little .......
Cheers
Nagg

I couldnt give a stuff what other rec fisherman do or catch, everyone to there own i say, There is no way that i would ever be interested in fly fishing but, each to there own...What does get my attention, is ..... from other rec anglers is critisism when it is not warranted or they are just too stupid to see the real facts......

I love bottom bashing, trolling, and my Favourite....yep...Drop Lining.....Maybe not a sport to some, but it does require great skill and patience....

Mick

[MY-TopEnder]

Some very good points made in this thread so far, but probably the best one so far was Gregs comment. It doesn't matter if you're a tournament angler who's crap is sponsored or a 14yo kid with a $20 department store combo... its about being out on the water enjoying yourself, having fun with family and friends and if the fish hit the decks then added bonus.

I myself am guilty of giving into the hype surrounding bream fishing and the must have G.Loomis rods and high end Daiwa reels... and I'll rush out to buy the new lure thats taken the market by storm. Cmon, how many people will own up to buying a Rebel Pop R and throwing it at whiting because a DVD told you it could be done?

I'll admit, i'm a sucker for marketing... heck its half of what I do for a living is marketing.

When I recently made the decision it was time to buy another boat, I looked at the big flashy glass things with casting decks and so on, but you know what won out in the end for sheer enjoyment, functionality and ease of maintenance... an old open tinny.

Sure I've got a tackle box with more moneys worth of soft plastics and hard bodys than i care to think about, and for some stupid reason i spent $600 on a rod. It will get used for sure... i bought it for the purpose of fishing, and thats what i'll do... but at no point do I think any of it will make me a better fisherman.
Come this winter, i'll be using the expensive graphite rods and whiz bang reels but that'll all be while i have a baitholder hook on some mono rolled up round an Alvey reel... with some chook gut or a raw prawn soaking out the back because it bloody works.

In terms of my respect for other fisho's... I respect anyone who is willing to get out there and enjoy themselves... be it catching Marlin from a 40ft blackwatch or whiting from the bank. As a general rule, all fisho's are equal in the sence that we share a common goal. Enjoyment, Quality time with friends and family, Making use of the wonderful country we live in (albeit that the EPA want to prevent that) and possibly bringing home a feed of fresh seafood for the family. (EPA also seem to want to prevent that too).

Why don't we harness this emotion we all have for proving your worth as fishermen and channel it into a worthwile cause? Forget the bickering at each other about what gear is better, and focus more on WHY you fish. You do it because you love it. The guy standing next to you with $1000 worth of gear spends $980 more than you not because it makes him feel better, but because he loves fishing and that is his way of showing it. If we don't start showing some emotion about how much we love to use Moreton Bay, it may just be too late.

Submissions to the state government close on the 7th of March, so stop the petty bullsh*t arguing and put that emotion into a submission to save what makes us all equal... enjoying a day on the water with our families wetting a line.

Sorry to harp on a bit there about the bay guys but SOMETHING needs to be done.

[FNQCairns]

How about fish eating elitism Currently sitting here with my late night snack of 2 sandwiches, each with a near inch thick slab of coral trout, bit too much butter and some pepper

cheers fnq

[NAGG]

How about fish eating elitism Currently sitting here with my late night snack of 2 sandwiches, each with a near inch thick slab of coral trout, bit too much butter and some pepper

cheers fnq

Would that be like Coral trout Vs Flathead or Smoked Salmon

Cheers

Nagg

[aussiefool]

For me elitism is something we give to others. I'm personally at a place in life that I don't care what an other person thinks, uses or the type of fishing he/she dose.
I love most type of fishing from rock hopping to fishing outside in a boat. I have never fly fished nor do I personally want to.Yet I can understand and respect those that spend all day wading just to sight and cast to one fish. Same with fishing the Tweed river, I sold my little boat because I personally got no enjoyment out of fishing the river yet good on the blokes that do... (lot of good reports come from "Breamnut"and others)The only blokes that get up my nose are the ones that ask me for advice and the say that is a waist of time. Oh well too bad for them as I will give anyone who asks any tips that work for me weather not not they want to use it, it's up to them but don't rubbish me if it doesn't work
Aussiefool
Andrew

[kingtin]

Anyone who thinks a mixed grill consists of lamb chops, steak, bacon, sausage, mushrooms. and other chunks of meat is a tosser. Those in the know, such as myself and the deckie, know that it consists of stingray flap, catfish flank, whaler steak, and shovelnose fillet

If it weren't for the likes of me and the deckie, you snapper seekers, whiting whittlers, and pelagic poachers would catch only fish that you refuse to eat.

Me and my beloved are the gamekeepers of the ocean, keeping down the vermin so that snobs like you lot can chase your upper class game. Give thanks to The Verminator and his crew.

[Shagga]

None of it matters because in the eyes of the fish we are all equal.

[preso]

G day Nagg.I fished for the elusive (Spotted Mountain Carp) for 20years . Went hunting for Hares, Ducks etc tanned and prepared pelt, made my own flies. I do admit to making and using nymphs on occasion. I only ever practised catch and release.
The last time I fly fished we had some visitors coming so begrudgingly kept a few for the table.
Three of the four that I kept had smoke butts in thier gut . Makes you wonder about all the skill, art and effort involved.

ELITE. BULLS##T. Its all just fishin.

Cheers John.

[LeeannP]

There will always be elitism as some people just have to be better than everyone else.... in their own minds that is

Flyfishers look down upon lure casters who look down upon bait fishos.

Gamefishermen look down upon people that fish the drains (estuaries)

Gamefishermen who use lures and baits look down upon fly fishos that catch marlin on fur and feather.

People with $1800 spinning outfits look down upon those who choose to use an $89 combo when fishing for bream.

Fishing is my only vice so I tend to spend my money on quality gear which will last a lifetime. Even though I have some pretty flash gear I will also pull out the Alveys on the beach on when whiting fishing

[preso]

O'h, anyone need some fly gear!

[NAGG]

Along with elitism , I can also see "Tall poppy syndrome"

Nagg

[Jimbo73]

Nagg i dont get it. In this thread you say you use a Alvey for black fish. But in the other thread Alvey vs Steela you say you hate Alvey's ,and that you cant cast one straight . So which is it? I can understand why some people spend alot on their fishing gear,sure there is some top quality stuff out now, but i dont see a need for it with the way i fish and treat my gear and i never once said my cheaper gear will do the same as the dearer stuff. But i get a feeling from you and some others that you think everyone else isnt as good because some of us dont own the latest tech in tackle and the tackle you own makes you a better fishermen IMHO .Forgive me if im wrong.I know there is better gear on the market then mine and give your gear a season or two and it will be out dated aswell . But for the fish i target' rivers and creeks and dams' my gear does the job and im happy with it and i dont see i need to buy top shelf stuff to target bread and butter species.But if thats what you like, fine ,just dont think your a better fishermen because of the gear you use. I dont just look for the cheapest gear i can find. If you know what to look for when your buying a reel you can feel whether its weak or strong with a few little tests before you buy it. Ive bought reels and rods that ive had for years ,cost around 100+ or - ,caught s#@tloads of fish and never a problem with them. But i dont go on saying my reels and rods are so good, all you guys dont know what your missing. Reality is i dont give a s#@t about my gear as long as it works. I just love fishing full stop.