OK, i'm gonna stick my neck out with this one....... could end in tears but its worth a try.
This is a place where people can vent their frustration and anger at the sometimes less than desirable posts most often associated with newbies (though sometimes not).
Hopefully the perpetrator will learn from it in a reasonably quiet and sensible fashion rather than being humiliated amongst peers causing resentment, distain and all that other non productive, negative, derogatory stuff that comes from open attacks on individuals on the 'big' threads.
Just for the record, here is the world (well spearo posting ethics) according to me, chris reynolds.
There is more than enough info on this forum that anyone new to the pastime, skill (not sport for me, though 'sporting chance' is a phrase i have used once or twice in relation to spearing) or anything else you want to call it, could have and should have read! Rules, Regulations, Size Limits, Species Lists, Exclusion Zones, Law, and the majority opinion is all readily available here and anyone truly new to the sport and with access to deeper blue has no excuse.
I've said it before and i'll say it again:
Ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law!
That said, i also understand that everybody starts somewhere and that the majority of first fish will be small or even undersized due to inexperience, excitement, nerves and the want to actually put a fish on the table.
Even the forum big cheeses (shiny1, surfnspear, ukspearo, kkdavids, and all the others, some of which have stopped posting pics/stories for this very reason [sorry if i missed anybody.......fearo, flybotherer, etc]) all started somewhere and more likely than not with a fish that was sub 2lbs.......and even if they were lucky enough to get a 5lb beaut on there first go then i am sure that at some point in their early spearing days they have all got a fish back to shore and thought 'er, oops, that is a tad on the small side'. I know i have.......Gaz D will testify to that. (how are you by the way Gaz, long time no speak.......only a couple more weeks til the bass hit 'the spot').
Most of us know that if you're gonna post a picture of fish that contains a scale reference (ie: 75 gun, fin etc.) then the fish has to at least appear to be of minimum size against a measurable object.......if it does not appear legal, regardless of its actual size, then DON'T POST IT! a story is just as interesting, especially if it contains subtle clues to location without giving away the spot. (i'm NOT a fan of blatant spot naming...ESPECIALLY when its in my own back yard..................please take note east dorset residents!!! you'll only spoil it for yourself).
Most of us are adults and if someone says to me 'it was 2.5lb' it was 2.5lb, after all, what reason is there to lie? but i don't want to see a picture unless its obviously and undoubtedly of legal size. Not because i'm particularly adverse to viewing smaller, legal, fish but because i don't want there to be any excuse for some jobs worth moron to flag an issue with the law and get us all banned......oh, and i'm a bit bored of the over reaction from some members that generally accompanies any photo with even the faintest hint of borderline size issues.
As for posting pics of better than average hauls......well...........
I personally rarely get to spend enough time in the water to catch 10 fish....in fact 6 is my highest ever take in all my 12 or so years with a gun.
I may have had one or two opportunities to take more but i just don't.....in fact just the other morning i could have taken 3 or 4 bass and probably 20 4-5lb mullet but i didn't even pull the trigger (i have video footage but i haven't posted it because i'm still trying to figure out final cut pro 7, the footage doesn't do the fish size justice [still have the wide angle lens in the gopro] and podge would have a trouser tent situation! oh, and it wasn't gun mounted, i was having to hold it in my left hand.) If i came across a school of 200-300 free swimming 5lb+ bass (as i know at least one member does on more occasions than he admits) i would have no qualms taking 10 home. If i was in the shallows near a bass nursery or the like it would not be an option.
If i ever did take more than i thought i might when i set out, and i still wanted to do a write up for the forum, then maybe i would just take a pic of the best few.....cleaned up of course.
I would also like to say at this point that maybe once or twice i may have 'swapped' fish for paper. i am well aware of the law regarding this and i strongly advise people not to do it but i took the risk a couple of times in my youth and was lucky. £50 for a few bass or loosing all your gear, boat and possibly car? its your choice.................a no brainer for most i'd imagine (though fish oil doesn't run a diesel engine, which is quite important when you have 2 children and a poorly paid job.) Again i do not condone such actions, and i am not trying to justify it in any way, i'm just trying to suggest that i understand how on the odd occasion this happens. Besides, 95% of spearos wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of making any real money from catches.....its far too inconsistent.
I would also like to say that i understand the comments from some people and quite often feel they are justified but i am getting a bit bored of the same old flamewars every year and feel that this could all be dealt with in a much more efficient and effective manner without the derailment of so many threads over a fish that was 37.49cm or whatever, and the public humiliation of newbies.
we're all adults.....lets act like it.
rant over
chris.
This is a place where people can vent their frustration and anger at the sometimes less than desirable posts most often associated with newbies (though sometimes not).
Hopefully the perpetrator will learn from it in a reasonably quiet and sensible fashion rather than being humiliated amongst peers causing resentment, distain and all that other non productive, negative, derogatory stuff that comes from open attacks on individuals on the 'big' threads.
Just for the record, here is the world (well spearo posting ethics) according to me, chris reynolds.
There is more than enough info on this forum that anyone new to the pastime, skill (not sport for me, though 'sporting chance' is a phrase i have used once or twice in relation to spearing) or anything else you want to call it, could have and should have read! Rules, Regulations, Size Limits, Species Lists, Exclusion Zones, Law, and the majority opinion is all readily available here and anyone truly new to the sport and with access to deeper blue has no excuse.
I've said it before and i'll say it again:
Ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law!
That said, i also understand that everybody starts somewhere and that the majority of first fish will be small or even undersized due to inexperience, excitement, nerves and the want to actually put a fish on the table.
Even the forum big cheeses (shiny1, surfnspear, ukspearo, kkdavids, and all the others, some of which have stopped posting pics/stories for this very reason [sorry if i missed anybody.......fearo, flybotherer, etc]) all started somewhere and more likely than not with a fish that was sub 2lbs.......and even if they were lucky enough to get a 5lb beaut on there first go then i am sure that at some point in their early spearing days they have all got a fish back to shore and thought 'er, oops, that is a tad on the small side'. I know i have.......Gaz D will testify to that. (how are you by the way Gaz, long time no speak.......only a couple more weeks til the bass hit 'the spot').
Most of us know that if you're gonna post a picture of fish that contains a scale reference (ie: 75 gun, fin etc.) then the fish has to at least appear to be of minimum size against a measurable object.......if it does not appear legal, regardless of its actual size, then DON'T POST IT! a story is just as interesting, especially if it contains subtle clues to location without giving away the spot. (i'm NOT a fan of blatant spot naming...ESPECIALLY when its in my own back yard..................please take note east dorset residents!!! you'll only spoil it for yourself).
Most of us are adults and if someone says to me 'it was 2.5lb' it was 2.5lb, after all, what reason is there to lie? but i don't want to see a picture unless its obviously and undoubtedly of legal size. Not because i'm particularly adverse to viewing smaller, legal, fish but because i don't want there to be any excuse for some jobs worth moron to flag an issue with the law and get us all banned......oh, and i'm a bit bored of the over reaction from some members that generally accompanies any photo with even the faintest hint of borderline size issues.
As for posting pics of better than average hauls......well...........
I personally rarely get to spend enough time in the water to catch 10 fish....in fact 6 is my highest ever take in all my 12 or so years with a gun.
I may have had one or two opportunities to take more but i just don't.....in fact just the other morning i could have taken 3 or 4 bass and probably 20 4-5lb mullet but i didn't even pull the trigger (i have video footage but i haven't posted it because i'm still trying to figure out final cut pro 7, the footage doesn't do the fish size justice [still have the wide angle lens in the gopro] and podge would have a trouser tent situation! oh, and it wasn't gun mounted, i was having to hold it in my left hand.) If i came across a school of 200-300 free swimming 5lb+ bass (as i know at least one member does on more occasions than he admits) i would have no qualms taking 10 home. If i was in the shallows near a bass nursery or the like it would not be an option.
If i ever did take more than i thought i might when i set out, and i still wanted to do a write up for the forum, then maybe i would just take a pic of the best few.....cleaned up of course.
I would also like to say at this point that maybe once or twice i may have 'swapped' fish for paper. i am well aware of the law regarding this and i strongly advise people not to do it but i took the risk a couple of times in my youth and was lucky. £50 for a few bass or loosing all your gear, boat and possibly car? its your choice.................a no brainer for most i'd imagine (though fish oil doesn't run a diesel engine, which is quite important when you have 2 children and a poorly paid job.) Again i do not condone such actions, and i am not trying to justify it in any way, i'm just trying to suggest that i understand how on the odd occasion this happens. Besides, 95% of spearos wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of making any real money from catches.....its far too inconsistent.
I would also like to say that i understand the comments from some people and quite often feel they are justified but i am getting a bit bored of the same old flamewars every year and feel that this could all be dealt with in a much more efficient and effective manner without the derailment of so many threads over a fish that was 37.49cm or whatever, and the public humiliation of newbies.
we're all adults.....lets act like it.
rant over
chris.