I hope the wheretofish website would be contained to commercial fisheries and wouldn't be the start of publishing what could be lesser known, favourite and hard earned spots of people on the world wide web. Done right it could certainly be an asset to helping people find fishing but it could have the potential to ruin a lot of quiet places....! It's not only responsible folk that have access to the web You hear a lot of complaints about busy rivers and the likes since they started being advertised on the internet, I can only imagine the annoyance the regulars find in having their spots suddenly descended upon by the bus loads.

This is not intended as a knock on the writer of this,but having read it,thought it very relevant,to a few threads of late and worthy for an interesting DEBATE.

I find it hard to believe that as an angler myself that I am not allowed to find out about "the secret spots" .I fully understand what is being said and agree with it,that I wouldnt want wild spots destroyed by bus loads,but again we are not all that way inclined and we all have the right, just like anyone to fish,unless we own the fishing.

Then on the other hand its ok for commercial fisheries to have the anglers,which is what we have said all along,that they take the pressure off the wild parts of fishing.

But when I read it,it just said to me,"them and us",Not the way I like to think of anglers or my fishing.Its available to all and down to choice of what YOU want surely.

As I say its not a slur on the writer,but it did just make a point which is often denied,but reading it,maybe it is true.Confused? not anymore.

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Kevin

Jasus Kevin you have my backing

Kevin I would rather dig my eyeballs out with a teaspoon than tell you where I fished today. I turned a big trout three times today at the head of a pool and no way would I tell anybody.
You can call it what you want, an old saying comes to mind. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me"

Brian

Was it one of them silver kippers?

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Kevin

Nope it was a pellet Pig

Brian

Shame on you

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Kevin

As an angler, of course you are allowed to find out about the 'secret spots' for yourself. All it takes is to do a little research, get off your bahookie, go for a hike/drive and go fishing on a water you know very little about.

I see no difference in severe annoyance factor between a good wild water being named on the internet and is suddenly very busy and a guy on a stocked water hooking a fish and, suddenly, everybody on the water is within 20 yards of him thrashing the water. A common complaint on these fora I believe.

In both cases, there is plenty of water elsewhere, it is just that these people can't be bothered to find where the fish are on their own initiative. Simply comes down to lack of imagination and effort, a trait very seldom seen in those that go looking for 'secret spots' for themselves.

In a Scottish context, most wild waters, like commercial fisheries, can be found advertised on the internet or in Bruce Sandison's book, yet, in general, they are not heavily fished. However, catch a good fish on one and name the location on a fishing forum and the water is suddenly very busy.

As I stated previously, this is simply down to laziness and lack of imagination of the angler, not because there are stocked waters near by taking the pressure off of wild places.

I'm not confused either, and that's why I very seldom name wild places where I fish.

Cheers

Ardbeg

Kevin, as the writer of that it was not meant to be "them and us" at all.

The river I wrote about was the Clyde and I will point out I am not a regular nor have fished the river for a long period of time but I have spoken to regular anglers who have fished it for a long time. How often do you hear about the "clyde's downfall is its own success" and it gets constantly advertised etc etc drawing more and more people there. I do not have a problem at all with people wanting to fish (i'm one of them!) but it's just one example of what internet exposure does.

Going outwith the fly fishers (hopefully most are sensible ) you get the buckie brigade reading post on the internet, you just have to see some of the rubbish left around - that ruins places no question. As far as right to know, yes of course everyone does but that was not my point. It wasn't people don't have the right to know, it's just that there's some magical places people find that couldn't sustain any angling pressure at all. There are fishing places that friends won't tell each other

As Ardbeg says, if you had spent time researching, exploring and what have you, you find your spot, rarely fished, great fish and then one day you come along and there another there. Fair enough. Then another, and another etc etc..... I just want to illustrate the POTENTIAL for a problem, not that there neccessarily will be one!

And the commercial fisheries thing, surely the idea is to be known and attract as many anglers as possible

Hopefully that clears things up a bit, in no way what-so-ever meant to say who can and can't know about fishing spots - but rather what maybe should and shouldn't be posted for anyone to see

Could'nt agree more.Before you know it the undesirables will be down at the river trying to catch our beloved broonies with blobs and boobies.

You are allowed to find out about the secret hotspots but will have to get off your @rse and find them through hard work. Which everyone else has had to do

The alternative is to find out from a few fishing buddies who trust you, but you will also have to bring something to the table yourself.

You get nothing for nothing.JB

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