Do you consider it ethical to advertise small streams?

jayL

jayL

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By "small stream", I am talking about small, relatively unknown wild trout streams (20 ft wide or less). These are usually less trafficked. Particular focus should be placed on streams near populated areas, as that's what I'm picturing when I ask this question.

In your opinion, is it "right" to advertise or broadcast these locations, or should they only be discussed in more private venues (in person, PM, etc)?

Edit: sorry to the first voter. I mixed my "yes and no" up. If your vote should be changed, please weigh in.

If your answer is dependent on something like whether the stream is on private land, please weigh in on that as well.
 
Your poll is defective. You ask the question one way then make the answers read the other. I just voted for Pat Buchanon.
 
Jack, I edited it. Before you posted, I might add.
 
I can't edit my vote, though.
 
-1 for the good guys.
 
10-20 ft wide or less. Particular emphasis on the amount of foot traffic that it currently gets. Less = small. There are some very large rivers that I treat like small streams when it comes to posting details about the trout fishing, as I and others that fish them value the solitude and delicate fisheries, but for the purposes of this poll, concentrate on the smaller streams.
 
Strictly to the question of ethics, I have to vote yes. I do not believe it is unethical to post reports of streams. I don't do it. I don't encourage others to do it. I am selective in who I share small streams with. Do I think posting streams increases traffic? Yes. However, I feel that most small streams either have small fish that most do not care about or large fish that got that way because they are tough.
 
Not trying to be difficult, but I can't answer that question with a simple yes or no. You see, ethics are too similar to morals for me to question someone else's decision making. I can't call someone unethical/immoral because they want to share information with somebody else.
I can tell you I don't do it very often.
 
The term "advertise" is non-neutral, which affects the outcome. "Broadcast" is also non-nuetral. A better term would be "discuss."

Your use of the term "right" is also non-nuetral.
 
oh boy, here we go again!! :roll:
 
troutbert wrote:
The term "advertise" is non-neutral

I'd be willing to concede that. Then again, this is about posting reports, which are arguably stream advertisements. The goal of a report is often to enable or encourage others to go. That's advertising. Even poor reports are often designed to alert others to the presence of a stream.

"Broadcast" is also non-nuetral. A better term would be "discuss."

Disagree. The crux of the issue is broadcasting. A message board is a broadcast medium of discussion. "Discuss" would change the meaning to include non-broadcast media. The issue is not whether you discuss streams, but whether you broadcast the information. A post on a message board is broadcasting, whereas a discussion among a finite and relatively low number of people is what I feel is implied by "discuss".

I'd argue the opposite of your point, and say that "discuss" in this context is non-neutral.

I do concede that "broadcast" traditionally refers to audio or video. If you care to suggest a term that restricts the "discussion" to media that present the information to an unregulated number of people, I'd use that.

For what it's worth, books would be included in the family of broadcast discussion, so we can assume which stance you support. :)

Your use of the term "right" is also non-nuetral.

I disagree, but I would be willing to debate this more than the last one. I was restating the question. Ethical ~= "right", unethical ~= "wrong".
 
yes its ethical as long as it is not a stream the poster fishes or lives with 1 hr drive from .... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I voted no, its not alright. I make few posts and the ones I do are on well know streams, no secrets to be kept. Sometimes loose lips sinks ships. If giving a glowing report makes 100 people want to seek out this stream and potentionally ruin it I find it wrong. I like to give reports, cause I know when I was learning those reports helped me out. But I would not do so if I believed that report would hurt a gem of a stream. Lets face it, not everyone has good intentions when they go fishing. A few guys keeping their legal share on a small stream could really hurt it. What does that report acccomplish, you may have ruined a stream that took alot of leg work for you to find. I have fished alot of the Class A trout streams in Berks County. Some are amazing, some not, but I have invested alot of time seeking out the good ones, and Im not about to let someone ruin that for me.

That being said, Im not going to tear someone a new one for reporting on a stream that I wouldnt. To each his own. Trying to change someones minds of the net it pretty hard. Just my 2 cents

Andy
 
Well I certainly wouldn't call drawing attention to a stream unethical. Its kind of neutral ethically from my worldview.

I have committed this faux pas on occasion, when I think a resource is underutilized.
 
Not right now i don't cause of the low water and low temps , it's just too hard on em as it is , but earlier in the year for someone who i can tell is really hungry then YEAH i do.
 
Greg,

Your use of 'faux pas' implies that you feel that posting about such streams is a violation of a FF social norm. Is that accurate?
 
osprey wrote:
Not right now i don't cause of the low water and low temps , it's just too hard on em as it is , but earlier in the year for someone who i can tell is really hungry then YEAH i do.

Osprey,

Me too, to both.

But telling someone you know is hungry is way different than posting the info for all to see. I help plenty of people in a private manner.
 
JayL wrote
Greg, Your use of 'faux pas' implies that you feel that posting about such streams is a violation of a FF social norm. Is that accurate?

Yes. Some folks (perhaps a majority) feel very strongly about this topic and try to shout you down if you don't share their viewpoint.
 
You're right Jay , i gotta say something right now and give with it an apology when i posted the information the fellas gave me at the "Feathered Hook" gave me for sunday of the jam , including Treaster run if i shouldn't have i'm REAlLLy SORRY. If nothing else respect when someone else helps you out with info without writing it in the sky AMEN
 
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