the V-word

[pete41]

Once and once only I took someone to one of my secrets spots.That was after knowing him for years and his giving multiple promises not to say a word to anyone about it.
Next time I went there he was already there with 3 [THREE] buddies.
Fool me once....................
can't believe i put a period at the end of the line of dots..lol
However since valley,white clay and others in that area are really exercises in exercising,the more the merrier.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

From what I understand, the "official" policy is, its at the discretion of the poster. We went through a fairly big spout this winter on the boards and the spot burning folks were told by the mods to pretty much STFU, and that the sharing of information is encouraged on this site. It was getting pretty ridiculous, to the point where people were afraid to post stream reports and stuff for fear of SP backlash. People were being accused of spot burning streams that have been written about for decades upon decades.

That being said, most people try to be wise about mentioning stream names. If a stream can't handle high pressure, etc., publicly posting about how you nailed 30 trout in an hour on that stream probably isn't the best thing. If a friend takes you to their secret spot, coming on here and outing it is just disrespectful. I think most of us get that. If a newbie asks questions about streams that are better off not being mentioned, PMs are the preferred way to share information. Scolding people, especially new posters who may be new to the sport, is tasteless in my opinon.
I think "respect" all around is the official policy.

 

[Foxgap239]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
Serious question .. what gives with all this spot burn stuff?

Seems some guys get defensive abt spot burning and others are more than happy to discuss locations. Believe me I have no secret spots but got reamed once for asking a question. I just moved on and didn't answer but kind of felt that some questions are off limits.

Is there a policy and/or 'secret' code of conduct on the board?

The simple answer is "NO". There is no code and no off limits questions although there are a few on here that believe there should be. They then try to intimidate people like us into not posting for fear of their wrath. That said, you have to remember we almost always have more lurkers than members viewing the site and we should be cautious about what we write in open forum. We should not be giving information to those who give us nothing in return. PM is the better way to go. I can tell you that most members I have ever contacted via PM with a sensitive topic question have been more than generous with the information. Just use your own common sense and ignore comments that ream you.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Thanks for the info gents and realize that it is just in poor taste if someone takes you to "their spot", and/or notifies you abt their spot and then post abt it, is in poor taste. It is up to the one who took you to decide if he wants to reveal it or not.

OK, newbie question but since it is discussed in this thread .. "If a stream can't handle high pressure". Besides h2o temp which would keep me off the trout anyhow; what exactly does that mean? If the h2o temp is in the low 60's how would I know if a trout stream could handle high pressure?

publicly posting about how you nailed 30 trout in an hour on that stream probably isn't the best thing.

Don't think we have to worry abt that with me right now

 

[JackM]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
OK, newbie question but since it is discussed in this thread .. "If a stream can't handle high pressure".

Generally this means, in the mouth of he or she who utters it, that they don't like to have a lot of company on the particular stream. It can't handle pressure from you, but it can handle it from them....

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
OK, newbie question but since it is discussed in this thread .. "If a stream can't handle high pressure". Besides h2o temp which would keep me off the trout anyhow; what exactly does that mean? If the h2o temp is in the low 60's how would I know if a trout stream could handle high pressure?

This is a very personal thing. Fox pretty much nailed things in his post above. I'll try to clarify it further, but keep in mind - it's only my own personal opinion.

IMO, we're talking about streams that hold wild fish. I don't worry about stocked fish that much - the PFBC can just make more. However, there are lots of streams that get stocked that also harbor wild fish, so just because a stream is on the stocking list, that doesn't mean the wild fish population should be just "written off".

Wild fish populations may or may not be able to handle lots of fishing pressure - depends on the stream, and circumstances. A small stream with only wild fish deserves extra care (usually). Harvesting fish may or may not be a good thing as well, but overharvesting is typically a bad thing.

Keep in mind, the typical PAFF member will likely excercise caution, and have respect for the resource. They're not the ones I'd worry about. It's true that people lurk here, and use this site for a roadmap of where to harvest fish. Once information about stream "X" is posted on open forum, anyone can Google that information up. Offering up free information to people you don't know, have never met, and have no idea of their intentions is a recipe for abuse of the resource.

To summarize my opinion - sharing is a good thing - but only if you "trust" the person you're sharing with. Everyone has their own interpretation of sharing, and we all have to decide for ourselves what we're willing to share. If I know the person, or have discussed their intentions, I'll share pretty much anything my own personal comfort level allows. Sharing via PM allows you to choose who you share with. Posting on open forum shares that info with anyone and everyone. The choice is yours, and yours alone.

H.A.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

H.A wrote

It's true that people lurk here, and use this site for a roadmap of where to harvest fish. Once information about stream "X" is posted on open forum, anyone can Google that information up. Offering up free information to people you don't know, have never met, and have no idea of their intentions is a recipe for abuse of the resource

There Ed .. I see what you wrote

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[docsab]

Heritage- thanks for your post, as well as the posts by Jack, Fox and Squatch

To veteran members of the board I'm sure these considerations are obvious, but to a newbie like myself who just started FF a few months ago and has never participated in a fishing forum before, it has been enlightening.

As a newbie, you are encouraged to "ask anything", so it is a natural inclination to immediately ask, "where is the best spot on stream XYZ to fish?". The repercussions of a seemingly innocent question like that are not immediately obvious.

Seems like the last few posts would be useful sticky for all newbs to read in the beginner forum before wandering into flame territory

 

[afishinado]

Good posts by Sasquatch, Fox and Heritage Ed.

We have a diverse group of members on here. Everyone has an opinion and certain sensitivities. Whether one agrees or disagrees, everyone's opinion should be respected.

The long and short, sharing is encouraged, but use your judgement when posting, as stated in the posts above.

If you have something meaningful to share, okay, but taunting and picking at the scab of a wound is not the right thing to do. Respect your fellow PAFFer.

 

[TimMurphy]

JackM wrote:

Stagger_Lee wrote:
OK, newbie question but since it is discussed in this thread .. "If a stream can't handle high pressure".

Generally this means, in the mouth of he or she who utters it, that they don't like to have a lot of company on the particular stream. It can't handle pressure from you, but it can handle it from them....

Dear Jack,

Ain't that the truth!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[The_Sasquatch]

JackM wrote:

Stagger_Lee wrote:
OK, newbie question but since it is discussed in this thread .. "If a stream can't handle high pressure".

Generally this means, in the mouth of he or she who utters it, that they don't like to have a lot of company on the particular stream. It can't handle pressure from you, but it can handle it from them....

That hurts Jack. More about what Heritage Ed said about the dangers of harvesting on certain streams.

 

[PoconoPaul]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
Serious question .. what gives with all this spot burn stuff?

Seems some guys get defensive abt spot burning and others are more than happy to discuss locations. Believe me I have no secret spots but got reamed once for asking a question. I just moved on and didn't answer but kind of felt that some questions are off limits.

Is there a policy and/or 'secret' code of conduct on the board?

StagMeister,

I think the general stream (no pun intended) of thought on the subject (spot burning) is being, I think, discrete about where (exactly) you fish.

That said there seems to be varying criteria in what one would consider spot burning - at least from my observations thus far.

As an example, Valley Creek - everyone whose anyone knows of Valley Creek and as I said yesterday, there are no secret spots on Valley. That water has been fished top to bottom by hundreds of fisherman. Generally speaking though it's not a big draw - you won't encounter too many days when there are more than may 5 or 10 fisherman the whole length. So to me mentioning Valley would not spot burning if I were asked.

Now on the otherhand lets say you discover a prime wild trout fishery somewhere out there in the wilds of PA where the brookies are long as your arm and there more fish than you can imagine. For some naming this stream might be considered spot burn. Or maybe you find a certain stretch of a stream where all the good fishing happens and you name the spot (detailed description, how to get there) some would consider that spot burning.

Needless to say I think it's just a protective mechanism to prevent non-regulars from finding good to great places to fish - those that troll the board just for these purposes.

I say the best policy is simply not mentioning exactly where you go if you are worried about it getting over fished and use PM if you trust the person asking for tips.