Morning fella

 

Morning Derek ( ticker )

Fish Catch Photos/ Reports...ACause for Concern?

I personally don't think there is anything to worry about. The forum goes through thee patches of apparent in activity at this time of year. People have other things in their minds especially those with families and young children.
Old members go, new members join and the forum changes continually.
I'm sure that within a very short time things will change again and there will be a plethora of reports pictures and stories of "the one that got away" for everyone you enjoy and take part in.

In this modern era of multi media and social media platforms people will come and go along with the input they make to forums such as this.

Happy hooking everyone. Looking forward to reading about and seeing your tails from the sea shore.

 

Good morning Not so,

I appreciate your opinion but am concerned that genuine catches like the Tope at the Knap, for instance, was the subject of disbelief and unpleasant rhetoric despite the fact that the angler who caught the fish has been proved to be well and truly genuiine. I know that I personally would be aggrieved in similar circumstances if my veracity was questioned and I feel for the angler.

Best regards,
Derek (Ticker)

 

Hi Derek.
No that isn't the way genuine anglers should act towards each other and I share your dismay that it occurred.
Unfortunately open forums such as this attracts a variety of individuals.
I myself have had a ligation of "photo tampering" leveled against me. ( which I obviously disproved )
I think we just have to accept that some will always doubt the good fortunes of others. I put it down to them being or feeling inadequate with their own meagre efforts.

 

I think photos of fish are great , but it’s up to the individual if you believe it or not , the same as news paper reports . This is a picture of a massive bass I caught believe it if you want to 🤔🤔

 

Half a pound?

 

It is a worry for the forum, and has been sited as major reason for members stopping doing reports all together. I don't do a lot with photographs, more often fish preservation in formost in my mind. My reports have been crypticly called into question because of their lack of photographic evidence, and has made me feel why do I bother. My slant on it if the angler is that desperate to gain recognition that he has to digitally alter photographs he must be pretty desperate. He cheating us and more so himself, no differently than the guy that joins a queue in a comp with a fish that he hasn't caught.

 

You don't need to doctor or manipulate a photo at all to produce a false reputation of a fishes size. Basic knowledge in photography is all that's needed, an old black and white box browny can be used to make a fish look far bigger tham it truly is.

As a photographer myself, when I mention certain facts about peoples images I often see on here its simply because it's true (not jealousy). I haven't said there's a problem doing this, its something every fishing magazine have posted on the front of each magazine to draw people into parting with their cash in the search to hopefully one day get those same catches. The thing is most people are already catching those same fish.

A couple of things happen when someone uses their mobile phone on its wide setting up close to a strap of a hound. Suddenly a 4-5lb fish looks like an 8-10lb or even bigger depending how wide the lens is and how close the photographer gets. The depth of field with modern phones makes the fish and the person behind look very sharp and in focus, so disguising the fakeness of the image.

What can't be faked are the big fingers, hence why you will see so many pictures with fingers hidden as much as possible from the picture. Another thing that can't be faked is the girth of some of these fish around the tails. However those can easily be adjusted in photoshop or other photo editing programs.

So is this wrong ? well that all depends on the reason for doing it in my opinion. If you have sponsors and want to help promote sales, well that's just like any advertising product you can think of from women's make-up to the next car.

If I get a good sized fish it gets measured on the brag mat so I can backup the size with a photo if people want to question it. Something like the yellowfin I caught two weekends ago was measured in front of 5 other people (not by me) and I mentioned that size because the fish looked bigger than the 1,640cm because of the phone and angle that was used.

This picture of a mug represents a fish and hasn't been moved at all in either of these pictures, all I have done is move my phone closer in the second shot and cropped the first.

 

How a fish is handled for a photo should be in a decent supportive way in this day and age. If not people should be prepared for a bit of criticism and take it onboard for the welfare of the fish and the way anglers are represented.

 

Im not getting involed too much in tickers thread for likes and agreement off his mates and followers!
But!😀 my main moan when "good reports" and they are good interesting reports
come up! is the safety and health of a 45lb fish being handled from all sides pictured put in a sling for weighing!🙄who made this stupid idea up!"some div that made good money out of it🙄 this is all time consuming for the poor fishy! It dosent hold its breath and smile mind! while in a frightening alien environment! Its actually suffocating 😴

 

Some (!!) people probably think I'm a bit weird, but these days, I only ever measure a fish to check it's legit to take for the pot or if it's unusually massive, and never weigh them. A quick photo with the rig + weight will indicate size to most experienced anglers. The reason? I have come to the understanding that numbers, whilst obviously essential in things like science, have elsewhere become things to inflict stress upon one another of us. Money is the best example of the phenomenom. We happily existed for millenia without it. Competing over numbers explains why we are in the deepest trouble **** Sapiens has yet faced (because some people can only see their self-worth in numbers), and is the wrong way to treat the natural world around us. Better to just appreciate it for what it is. i'll shut up now!

 

I think that the bloke who caught the Knap Tope should have held it with his arms straight and out in front of him , for that Bigger look Strike a pose Vogue .

 

What strange creatures us humans are.
Some people read about a fishes capture and see a picture, then moan about how it was taken and doubt its authenticity.
Others then read their comments and moan about the moaners. ........
how bazaar ! !

Let's all just go fishing post our catches and enjoy the success of others . Does it matter if a fish is 2lb or 20lb. Whereever it was caught it was still caught.
How many of us ( none I would say ) can honestly say that no fish has ever died by our hands no matter how carefully we have been.

And on that note I'll say no more.
Happy hooking everyone.
Notso ( Keith )

 

At least we're not seeing photos of anglers standing next to piles of dead fish any more like we did years ago.
If I take a fish photo I like to leave something like a lure next to it for scale. I don't carry a tape measure and it's a handy way to estimate the length when you get home. But as that cup and lap top photo shows that can fool the eye. I'm sure most of my fish are bigger than my camera claims.

 

You wont need a sling for your fish fishless thats a fact!🙄😅🐟

 

When you belong to a club and are a competitive angler like myself every fish i catch and post a report of is weighed on officially calibrated scales .....as anglers we are often our own worst enemies and if we are not careful the demise of our sport will gather pace as more of the" poor fishies hurt "brigade get on our case ......fish are food ....otherwise we are a blood sport .....treat fish humanely and listen to your conscience ....all the rest is just noise ....

 

Good morning members,

I very much appreciate each and every post on this thread and the honest and interesting presentation of all the different views. Myself, ,I like looking at other anglers catch pictures but must admit occasionally, inevitably one pic comes along that sponsors doubt but I keep my thoughts to myself.

Best regards,

Derek (Ticker)

 

Who would have thought the forum software would blank out the first clause of our latin name? But it did!!

 

Good morning Derek (ticker)

As the main body of text was added to your original post. ( for whatever reason ) I would like to reply to one of your comments .....

what sanctions, if any, would be considered appropriate by the forum if the suspect is unequivocally proven guilty? Transparency is paramount to ensure continuity of confidence in what is being published.

In my opinion ....
No sanctions can be taken by the forum. That would amount to censorship. ...
The admin of this forum do filter out certain things like bad language and nudity via an editing application. This is done automatically and can sometimes be over zealous as in the case of this example ...

Competing over numbers explains why we are in the deepest trouble **** Sapiens has yet faced

The validity of photographic content and what is actually written is down to the individual to present correctly and the reader to either believe or not.
I don't think that should ever be part of the administrative remit.

 

Good morning Derek (ticker)

As the main body of text was added to your original post. ( for whatever reason ) I would like to reply to one of your comments .....



In my opinion ....
No sanctions can be taken by the forum. That would amount to censorship. ...
The admin of this forum do filter out certain things like bad language and nudity via an editing application. This is done automatically and can sometimes be over zealous as in the case of this example ...



The validity of photographic content and what is actually written is down to the individual to present correctly and the reader to either believe or not.
I don't think that should ever be part of the administrative remit.

Here here

 

Good morning Keith (Notso),

My mention of forum was not intended to be taken as administartive, but action by the ordinary members when faced with a deliberate attempt to pull the wool over their eyes,

Best regards,

Derek (Ticker) ,

 

Good morning Keith (Notso),

My mention of forum was not intended to be taken as administartive, but action by the ordinary members when faced with a deliberate attempt to pull the wool over their eyes,

Best regards,

Derek (Ticker) ,

Hi Derek (ticker)
There is only one "sanction" one member can take against another and that is to hit the " ignore " button.

 

I have a problem with taking photographs of fish out of the water if they are to be returned. Damage to the gills and skin during the time a fish is out of water varies with species, I wonder how many fish apparently swim away undamaged and then die later on to the effects of rough handling and exposure to air. The problem with taking photographs as I see it is the time taken to achieve a good photograph. Photographs are not proof of capture. On the rivers I fish for sea trout and salmon, taking fish out of the water has a detrimental effect and as a result, I do not take any photographs unless there is someone with me who has a camera, with the fish remaining in the water. Another problem with taking a flash photograph in the dark is the detrimental effect on the fish's eyesight. If I do kill a fish for food, I take the photograph at home for my own personal record. I cringe watching videos of fish being displayed out of water for minutes at a time and then released to die.

 

So what are your views on enticing a fish to eat your baited hook maybe 150m off the beach. Pulling a hook into its mouth and fighting with it till you get it into shallow water. Where it then thadhes around till you can pick it up and remove the hook before it can return to it natural habitat.
Or maybe more appropriate to you. Hooking a fish that has to both fight you and possibly a strong river current. With every chance of it finding a snag or tree root to lodge itself. There to either struggle till you can release it or worse still snap your line and end its days tethered and forotten.

Just asking.......

 

I remember many moons ago a regular poster on the main forum posted a pic of a tope he had caught only for another member to recognise the pic as one lifted from google images .... when challenged about this he disappeared never to post again ......cheats never prosper ...

 

Good evening members,

As much as I agree with and enjoy your discussions on fish welfare, I would appreciate it if you would return to the original topic. Rouge mullet your recent post describing how by challengeing the perpetrator forced his disappearance from the angling scene is exactly the action I would consider as a Anglers "sanction" against an erring poster. Thank you.

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek)

 

Good morning members,

In their different ways the posts submitted so far seem to express their concerns and disilikes of posts that distort the truth of catches and particularly deliberately doctored photos, with the suggestion of one successful way how anglers can deal with a phony poster. Basicly I guess 99.9% of the angling fraternity are truthful in their submissions and their results, even including the big thumb strategy, but the ease of access to and the technology available in this day and age is sufficient to be aware and browse any photograph with some diligence.

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek)

 

Morning Derek (ticker)

I do share your concerns that about the odd rouge post or photograph but do believe 99% of posts are in fact genuine. However just because someone or a group of people don't believe something is true , doesn't make false. To suggest that the believed perpetrator should be hounded off the forum would I feel be a mistake.
In the case of the "knap tope" ( which incidentily is a true and honest capture ) the captor wasn't the one to post the picture. Are you suggesting that the original poster should have sanctions leveled at him for posting a picture some people have critiicied.

( on a personal note. This is an open forum , once an original post has been made the path it takes often wavers from the topic that is down to the "members" to either follow or not )

 

Good thread this one Derek

My input on this one is I personally wouldn’t read too much into some of the photo shopping that goes on through social media it’s just banter between friends most of the time.

As for hiding venues I have to admit I’m guilty of this with a few spots mainly because I like to have my select marks that I know I can jump on when the tides and conditions are right without having to wade through rubbish and other problems associated with more “well known” venues

As for posting pictures I’ll always try and pop a few pictures up on my posts even if I want to try and keep the venue under wraps this has more to do with the fact that I find posts more interesting with a few pics… If you’re clever with the angles you can still have a good photo with your catch without getting every landmark available in the picture.

Matt

 

Unfortunatley this and a lot of forums are just used as an information database and a lot of people are to selfish to post even a written report without pictures. But thats the world we live in today. I for one post pictures but even then people try to guess and namedrop the marks (ffs). I have maybe 3 marks where i know i can fish in peace without getting crowded out or wading through peoples rubbish and i will do my upmost to keeps these marks as quiet and clean and possible. Most the marks have very little parking and if everyone knew them youd never get to fish there.
Tightlines everyone 🤟

Also agree with the above a lot is banter between mates and when someone outside the loop reads or looks at these jokes people take offense. My advise is do not rely on other people, do your own leg work and if you want information ask and speak to people vet involved. Dont just read and take everything at face value.

 

Good morning sewinwrestler,

Thank you for your post.and share your enthusiasm for trying to keep within the boundaries of the the core thread title, all posts are interesting if they are processed without rancour or bad feelings. Everyone has an individual opinion which is always welcome !

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek)

 

Thanks. In the interests of lowering the stress on fish to be returned to the water and on myself when unhooking a fish quickly, I use either a de-barbed circle hook or a standard long shank de-barbed/barbless hook with one of those red WD40 plastic tubes perpendicularly bound on to the shank to prevent a deeply hooked fish.

 

Good afternoon spyderweb,

Thank you for your post and the tips you use to help prevent damage to the fish when unhooking. Good ideas worthy of implementation on a wider scale. Well done S.W.

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek)

 

I have no idea what has happened, my username is sewinwrestler and my previous username was spyderweb on different fishing forums. How these two names have appeared is a mystery to me. I have had computer problems of late and I suspect that my previous username has surfaced and crossed over into this forum.