Brand ambassadors

[Fredrick]

This article is a good read what are you’re thoughts

http://www.sweetwaternow.com/opinion-fly-fishing-brand-ambassadors-social-media-what-might-they-be-doing-to-your-fishery/

 

[whheff]

Excellent read. I will pass this on.

thanks for sharing

 

[flyflicker]

Good read. Thank you.

 

[DaveS]

Thanks Fredrick, it was a good read, but I almost didn't get past this:

Unfortunately, the majority of these guys (and gals) all push ethical lines and/or break the laws to get their “hero shot”.

I think that's BS. ARE there some? Yes. remember Ronnie Whateverthehellhisnamewas from the So Ho, in Tennessee? Where is he now?

Some people need the fame, but I think in the end it bites them in the buttocks. The articles does raise awareness and that's good. In the grand scheme of things, if a guy chooses to fish over spawners in open water, you can only lobby to change the regs. The regs, as they are, however may not be to protect specific fish, but instead the fish as a species/ renewable resource. I'm not real fond of flossing spawners, but if the water is open to fish, how are you going to shame guys off the water?

Another thing I was unaware of, do male brown trout actually dig the red? I was always under the impression this was done solely by females. The males were impacted largely by sparring and chasing away rival male spawners.

I like big trout as much as anyone. And who doesn't like to be able to whip out a picture of a big honkin brown to impress the ladies down at the café? But if its something your going over the line to pad your stats and inflate your ego, then it speaks to perhaps other more personal issues, that may not be so awesome.

In the end, its a nice read. It may be a problem but I don't really think its a huge problem, in terms of the future of trout management.

AS far as brand ambassadors goes... You let me know when Woodford Reserve is looking for fish porn for advertising. I'll see what I can do...

 

[ponner1us]

Eye-opening, thanks.

 

[ryansheehan]

I believe there are two very separate issues
1. The guy fished a closed area, no fishing license, no life vest.
2. The guy caught a male brown that was either spawning or had spawned.

One is illegal, one is not. The authors attempt to connect these two issues as one is just as shameful as that clown fishing a closed area with no fishing license. Ok, not even close but you get my point.

 

[moon1284]

Didn't read the article but the trout pro is currently guiding on the s holston. I was a few hours away from s holston this winter and fished there 8 or 9 days. Their dec/dep/deq (whatever called.in tn) were checking peoples rigs for beads and or lining rigs. They are illegal there and they were cracking down on it.

 

[bigslackwater]

I agree with Ryan, I think the license and trespassing issue is more shameful. Especially for someone who has their picture on the cover of a major fly fishing magazine. What does that say about the sport? It's possible that some of these people that go from state to state don't get licenses in every state. If a guy or gal is on the road fishing with a camera crew, they could rack up thousands in licenses in no time. Maybe they've figured, from a business standpoint, that it's cheaper to just pay the fine IF they get caught. THIS is the real issue and it should be called out because it's illegal and unethical. Poaching should never make the cover of a magazine period.

 

[Swattie87]

ryansheehan wrote:
I believe there are two very separate issues
1. The guy fished a closed area, no fishing license, no life vest.
2. The guy caught a male brown that was either spawning or had spawned.

One is illegal, one is not. The authors attempt to connect these two issues as one is just as shameful as that clown fishing a closed area with no fishing license. Ok, not even close but you get my point.

^This. Agree.

#1 is clear, objective, and not debatable. I'd hope the penalties in the law were enforced. (Seems like the probably were. Good for the Wyoming GF.)

#2 is a product of the game for those guys. I get it. It's easy, it's legal, and it helps pays the bills. The picture impresses a lot of people. I'm sure he gets paid for the picture, and likely an uptick in his guide business to boot from the publicity.

To many anglers, and especially the average guide client, the shot at a fish like that is what they're looking for. Those who understand and appreciate the subtleties of the sport involved, like many here, aren't that impressed. Give it the credibility of achievement you feel it's worth. Bottom line, the fight here is with fishery management to change the regs. If populations are generally not harmed by this (I'm assuming that's probably the case or they would regulate it, but I don't know for sure) then it's probably not all that bad in the scheme of things.

I mean he could have done the all of the above with spin gear right?

I've never fished with a guide before, but I have one day to fish in SW Colorado on a trip this Summer. With only one day to fish, I wanted to make sure I didn't unknowingly pick a "dud" to fish for the day, even after my research. I called a guide service and explained what I was looking for...small steep stream, cutthroats preferably since we don't have them in PA, and no one else there. I said I'm fine hiking as far as you can in a day to do it, and I don't care how big the fish are. Just want to get out in the woods for a day and fish CO and maybe catch a couple Cutts. I just happened to get their "small stream junkie" guy on the phone and he seemed legitimately thrilled. He said all of his clients just want a big fish, and most can't (or don't want to) walk from the parking lot to the section of a bigger stream just outside of town they typically fish. He does maybe one or two of these types of trips per Summer. He said to call about two weeks out and we'd comb the maps together and come up with a plan. To each their own, but I'm excited.

 

[rrt]

I think some fly-fishing "personalities" and photographers have been doing similar things for many years.

One instance I am aware of: A famous fly-fisherman produced a how-to video. It was filmed on a stream that is adjacent to a fish hatchery and that is heavily stocked with pellet pigs from the hatchery. I know this is not illegal, but it stretches the credibility of this famous ff who passed the water off as being open.

Another instance: A couple of famous photographers regularly use photos from posted, private preserve(s) in their quests for notoriety.

I guess they figure this is all right. We average folks unwittingly support them by buying the videos and the magazines where their photos are used. And, they have certainly been "brand ambassadors" for various fly-fishing companies for a long time.

 

[Dale49]

Having read the article, I think Mr. Hudson's opinion that the big fish caught by Mr. Duke was illegally caught because he did not have a Wyoming fishing license, not that it was illegal, per Wyoming regulations, to fish for spawning fish.

Just my opinion.

 

[afishinado]

Catching a trout on a redd was not illegal in this case. A lot of things aren't illegal, but would I have respect for anyone doing such a thing....no.

If this guide is really that good and deserving of respect and bookings, why can't he use pics of fish caught during "fair chase" outings.

 

[Zak]

That author is a typing contradiction. Writing an article complaining about guys taking pictures with fish only to hope that you'll read his social media article lol. love it.

 

[sarce]

That author is a typing contradiction. Writing an article complaining about guys taking pictures with fish only to hope that you'll read his social media article lol. love it.

Just my opinion but nothing in that article came across as the author seeking attention. Sounded like he got a lot of crap for calling out that guide previously and wanted to set the record straight, while also getting people to think about what they see posted on social media. I guess you think he should have written a newspaper article to be less ironic or something. It's 2018, social media is how information (and disinformation) is spread these days. It would only be a contradiction if the author also posts spawning fish for attention on social media.

The guide in question should have to find a new job after this. Clearly not deserving of the reputation he had gained to that point. I can, in a way, understand your average Joe trying to get away with fishing without a license. But guides are or should be held to a higher standard, which makes his actions particularly bone-headed.

 

[moon1284]

This is why I feel there should be a closed season during the spawn (like many places have).

 

[FarmerDave]

Free Swag?

Well, all I can say is I am not returning the box of panther martins i got for submitting a photo years ago. It actually ended up in their catalog.

Apparent the large smallmouth I was holding in one hand caused them to not notice I was holding a fly rod in the other. Either that, or it was my rugged good looks.;-)

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

"Brand Ambassador"? Don't you mean "Bro Staff"?

 

[DriftingDunn]

rrt wrote:
I think some fly-fishing "personalities" and photographers have been doing similar things for many years.

One instance I am aware of: A famous fly-fisherman produced a how-to video. It was filmed on a stream that is adjacent to a fish hatchery and that is heavily stocked with pellet pigs from the hatchery. I know this is not illegal, but it stretches the credibility of this famous ff who passed the water off as being open.

Another instance: A couple of famous photographers regularly use photos from posted, private preserve(s) in their quests for notoriety.

I guess they figure this is all right. We average folks unwittingly support them by buying the videos and the magazines where their photos are used. And, they have certainly been "brand ambassadors" for various fly-fishing companies for a long time.

I couldn't agree more with your first sentence. In your book, "The Trout at the Walnut Tree" you wrote, on page 37, the following:

"My largest trout of 1974 was a sleek 18-inch brown that I landed on a fur ant on the legendary Letort on Labor Day weekend. However, I discovered a group of spawners one October Sunday afternoon that dwarfed this fine trout: I tried unsuccessfully all afternoon to catch one of these half-dozen large trout."

 

[rrt]

I don't remember my sentence: Your memory for that is better than mine. However, I do remember these long-ago fish, which is pretty good for my fading memories. They were not on redds; they were swimming up and down over small in-stream rock dams and were likely trying to pair up with recently stocked trout (up from a private club that stocked in those days). The day after I found these large trout, a friend of mine who I had called caught one of them on a dry fly: a Letort Cricket. He was in a pool below the small rock dams, not on a redd. This occurred in mid-October, when trout spawned in those days, probably because of hatchery origins. Today in that stream, the spawning is generally done during mid-November -- the stream is no longer stocked, and the spawners are wild brown trout.

Thank you for reading my small book. I was pretty young then, and I fish much differently most of the time now, though I still much prefer dry-fly fishing during hatches than dredging, which I do a lot of.

Anyhow, the trout I referred to on p. 37 were not fish that were on redds.

(I never got to be a brand ambassador either!)

 

[DriftingDunn]

rrt wrote:
Anyhow, the trout I referred to on p. 37 were not fish that were on redds.

Of course not.

By the way, the first sentence that I referred to was the first sentence in the quote of yours that I responded to. How difficult could that have been to remember?