Big PA Brown

foxtrapper,
I have a lot of respect for your position regarding this subject. In fact, I would prefer someone with your viewpoints on the matter, over someone that is not as concerned about damage that photographing a fish does. While I tend to agree with it, I do not like the phrase that the fish are tougher than you think, because it bolsters the notion that you can do as you please when handling them. I tend to disagree that photographing your catch is a new trend to the sport. I've seen plenty of old photographs in books of fly fishermen with their catches, and I'm sure there are countless other pictures taken "back in the day" that you simply will never see, because it was not easy to share them.

I do think two things have evolved regarding fish photography. The first being technology. With easy access to quality, small, digital cameras and ease of use, it is much simpler to take a quick shot of a fish and release it without any more damage than the simple act of catching the fish. Especially with a deep bag net that eliminates taking the fish out of the water and give the fish recovery time as you prep the photo. You see more of these pics due to sites like this, and the simplicity of downloading the photo and sharing it with people.

The second change is the view regarding catch and release, most of the older fish photos, I've seen are dead fish. The catch and release mentality has come a long way in the last 30 years and it is only getting stronger!!! Which, we all agree is great for the sport. I think its come a long way in Europe as well, but from what I understand, they are still behind us with regards to this. Heck, that is were the sport was born.

I am and always will be a photo taker. It is for both the benefit of those who enjoy the photos and me, personally. I don't do it for immediate pats on the back, and my feelings are not hurt if no one looks or cares about the photos I take. I do it for the crappy mid winter days, when I can go back through the threads and day dream about fish caught and times shared with friends on the water. I also use the old reports for reference for future trips regarding, what I may have saw or caught a couple years ago in the same location. I have learned a lot about best practices in handling fish for photography and I share that whenever, I see someone mishandling a fish.

P.S. Regarding earlier posts in this thread about Krayfish. I only got to meet the guy once in person, (to exchange a gold fish) but he has been top notch in terms of helping people on this site.

Regarding the OP... dang that is a nice fish...I wish I caught it :)
 
You know how to find out if someone is up tight about fish photos?

Don't worry. They'll tell you.
 
PennKev wrote:
You know how to find out if someone is up tight about fish photos?

Don't worry. They'll tell you.
Click to expand...

Similar to a vegan. They out themselves
 
3wt7x

Good points.
 
I'm thinking that we should probably create a sticky thread with a fish handling best practices for long term sustainability model. This way we can leverage the inclusive diversity of the enterprise and really focus in on our core competencies, all the while incorporating the benefit of next gen technologies. Limiting the amount of touch points will clearly be a focal point of the model and allow us to hit the ground running, and realize the most rapid return on investment.


I'd also suggest we form a "Fish Handling and Photo Taking" cohort that should meet quarterly to stay ahead of the curve on this front, and keep in touch with the pulse of the industry. Along with a compliane sub-cohort to ensure regulatory compliance to the best practice/core competency model, and attend an annual Compliance Summit. Members of these cohorts can also serve as mentors to our up and comers and touch base with them for input.


We all know the long tail that an exception in fish handling best practices creates, even from a 5,000 ft viewpoint. From there we can further drill down and circle back to the impacts at the fish desk level. There's clearly some logistics and red tape to work through, but if we start with the low hanging fruit as outlined above, I believe we have may have hit on the solution for success.


...I hate it when we make fishing sound like work. It's really windy today too.

 
PennKev wrote:
You know how to find out if someone is up tight about fish photos?

Don't worry. They'll tell you.
Click to expand...
not so much up tight as knowing at a glance when things don't compute---leaving this fish aside and speaking in generalities some have been around enough[oldies] to see when something is suspect or we are looking at a healthy fish ----
if we have reason to believe the former the question becomes why post it.
 
Swattie87 wrote:
I'm thinking that we should probably create a sticky thread with a fish handling best practices for long term sustainability model. This way we can leverage the inclusive diversity of the enterprise and really focus in on our core competencies, all the while incorporating the benefit of next gen technologies. Limiting the amount of touch points will clearly be a focal point of the model and allow us to hit the ground running, and realize the most rapid return on investment.


I'd also suggest we form a "Fish Handling and Photo Taking" cohort that should meet quarterly to stay ahead of the curve on this front, and keep in touch with the pulse of the industry. Along with a compliane sub-cohort to ensure regulatory compliance to the best practice/core competency model, and attend an annual Compliance Summit. Members of these cohorts can also serve as mentors to our up and comers and touch base with them for input.


We all know the long tail that an exception in fish handling best practices creates, even from a 5,000 ft viewpoint. From there we can further drill down and circle back to the impacts at the fish desk level. There's clearly some logistics and red tape to work through, but if we start with the low hanging fruit as outlined above, I believe we have may have hit on the solution for success.


...I hate it when we make fishing sound like work. It's really windy today too.
Click to expand...

You missed KPI, metrics, synergy, collaboration. There probably should be a standards body formed, maybe ISO, or something else. We'll need communities of practice, centers of excellence, but we can rely on PAFF to provide the subject matter experts.

There might be a marketing opportunity here, for marrying corporate buzzwords to fly fishing, although some say we've already jumped the shark.
 
I'm just hoping this leads to a shift in paradigms.
 
Big fish, little fish, red fish, blue fish.

The eyes are the window to the soul.

When viewing grip and grins or softer fish porn I always look at the position of the eyeball. If its looking down, the fish is freshly out of the water. The longer the fish is stressed the more the eyeball begins to look like a dead mackeral eye. Looking straight out as if to say, enough already, I am dying here!

That is all.

Oh and the OP appears to have removed the photo from their hosting site.
 
When you get older you will wish you took more pictures of loved ones than of fish.
 
foxtrapper1972 wrote:
When you get older you will wish you took more pictures of loved ones than of fish.
Click to expand...


Or, you know, spending more time talking to loved ones than yammering away about nonsense on internet forums.
 
pete41 wrote:
not so much up tight as knowing at a glance when things don't compute---leaving this fish aside and speaking in generalities some have been around enough[oldies] to see when something is suspect or we are looking at a healthy fish ----
if we have reason to believe the former the question becomes why post it.
Click to expand...

See that is the thing. So many see a drop of blood and assume the only conclusion is that theres been a murder. (Relax it's a metaphor)

It's one thing to comment on a pic of a fish laying on the ground, covered in dry grass and bleeding from the gills. It's another thing altogether to draw conclusions from a pic in which the fishes eye is pointed the "wrong" way or to attack someone for taking more than one picture of a fish.

Some forget that there are those out there who still get quite a thrill from catching a nice fish and want to have something to remember it by and, yes, show off. It seems too many are jaded and have forgotten that joy or are so hell bent on pushing their own C&R agenda that fishing has become just a pulpit from which to preach. Perhaps too some are just jealous that there are others who not only make time to fish but catch good fish. The pictutes of their success being an easy target.
 
"It seems too many are jaded and have forgotten that joy or are so hell bent on pushing their own C&R agenda that fishing has become just a pulpit from which to preach. "
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Or they've just realized there is some magic still left in just spending time on a stream without a need to document or brag or share.
 
If anyone one is killing the magic of it, it is you and only for yourself.
 
PennKev wrote:
If anyone one is killing the magic of it, it is you and only for yourself.
Click to expand...


^+1

You (Foxtrapper) criticize, worry and stress so much about what everyone else is doing or not doing, it takes away the joy and fun of the sport.

Go out and enjoy fly-fishing the way that pleases you most, and let everyone else do the same.

There's plenty of water and fish out there for everyone to enjoy in their own way.
 
Swattie87 wrote:
I'm thinking that we should probably create a sticky thread with a fish handling best practices for long term sustainability model. This way we can leverage the inclusive diversity of the enterprise and really focus in on our core competencies, all the while incorporating the benefit of next gen technologies. Limiting the amount of touch points will clearly be a focal point of the model and allow us to hit the ground running, and realize the most rapid return on investment.


I'd also suggest we form a "Fish Handling and Photo Taking" cohort that should meet quarterly to stay ahead of the curve on this front, and keep in touch with the pulse of the industry. Along with a compliane sub-cohort to ensure regulatory compliance to the best practice/core competency model, and attend an annual Compliance Summit. Members of these cohorts can also serve as mentors to our up and comers and touch base with them for input.


We all know the long tail that an exception in fish handling best practices creates, even from a 5,000 ft viewpoint. From there we can further drill down and circle back to the impacts at the fish desk level. There's clearly some logistics and red tape to work through, but if we start with the low hanging fruit as outlined above, I believe we have may have hit on the solution for success.


...I hate it when we make fishing sound like work. It's really windy today too.
Click to expand...

All of this is really going to require some out of the box thinking.
 
I know if they had the equipment back when I started fishing-[mid 40's {1940's} ]they have now you bet I would take a pic and post it to my computer of any fish I wanted to remember. To me,living in montana in my prime,that was 4 pounds or better.In the East it would be any thing exceptional. Also I might post some here- No harm ,no foul -go for it.
It is intentional deceit that raises the hackles and that only-we are honorable men and fishermen [oxymoron ?]...hey,we never stretch the truth,visually or otherwise so please don't attack us for the sniff,sniff posts.
 
Nice fish! A real trophy wether bread fed, wild or stocked. It doesn't matter. To bring a fish of that size to the net is a task most here don't have to worry about. I do not ever post pictures of anything (fish, deer, furbearers) on any forum. The backlash is not worth it. Plus, the "spot burning" that follows is even worse.

I have witnessed electrofishing studies on my local waters that have left me speechless. The potential for big trout like this are there. I have put a few in the net myself.

What I find ironic is the crowd that applauds a brookie too small to fit in the angler's hand has total distain for a fisherman to snap a photo of a fish that could spend it's life side by side by with largmouth bass on their home turf.

Good fish regardless.
 
Sorry i didnt get a chance to reply to any of this, i've been busy with my almost 3 year old taking him out fishing.

Surely he's going to be ruined in life because of my semi flat bill, my love for taking pictures, my sun glasses and the waders i choose to wear.

I guess i should come to expect nothing less from the old regulars here.. it's been the norm ever since i've heard about this place

Some of you self admittedly only get to fish a handful of times each year, you really need to get out and get off this forum. Trust me it will do you good. (just don't take any pictures you know, for safety sake)

I take more pictures of my kid then i actually do of my fishing pictures even after fishing 3 times a week.. That doesn't make me better at picture taking, or a better angler, or better at anything. It's what i like to do..

Whether its pictures of bugs in the stream ,

pictures of the fantastic scenery out in Wyoming on my trip in March,

or a good ol' brookie stream with the boy in Lycoming County.. (there is that boy again, just getting in the way of my fishing and my life)

I think i'm doing it just fine, but i guess i'm not the judge and jury... although i do find it ironic the time and effort DKile puts into this page asking to share pictures, stories, stream reports etc.. and anyone who does gets burned at the stake.. Just my observations from being here long enough to see it happen over and over and over again

Have a great day everyone.. Lets work on being on the same team. We have enough outside issues coming after our sport and tradition, we don't need to fight among ourselves.

 
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