Venues.....PMs???

Andy you are quick and well done for inserting the xxxxs i had to look twice, you did it has i was posting

Thanks but I shouldn't have to. Our members have a responsibility to the forum and their fellow members. A set of directions, be they copied or not, can't be allowed to stay. I might be speaking on behalf of MBA here but I don't imagine he'd have been thrilled to come on and find that. If it had been a set of directions to all the best fishing in my area, I'd have been livid. Anyway, they're gone.

....Regards....Andy....

I think and its a personal thing this there are a couple of types of info that people ask for:-

the general request for things like info on a venue permits access etc one of the more common ones i see is for (feel free to remove it if you like Andy as im using it as an example) Windermere. big water most get lost on there which is fortunate considering some of the 'anglers' i see fishing these places
now the people who ask about this will either be genuinly wanting basic info on it to then go and do more for themselves indepth, or anglers who have no idea so wouldnt know what questions to ask in the 1st place

the specific request about a strecth of river/drain/ swim on a lake.
these fro me tend to sound like the instant brigade and questions along the lines of...
on meat pie bay on windy whats the best ...........

i think the naming of waters is not the biggest problem we have its when fish get bandied about, everyone knows there are pike in water 'a', but when someone sticks a decent pike up on a forum or in the press that is when it goes downhill.

an example of how to post pike can be publicised without detrimental effects can be seen in this months P&P where Ian (banjo) has a low 30 and the background is from a railway photoshopped in (this pike has been captured several times over the past few years and is still healthy, just goes to show with some TLC they can survive repeat captures)

does it count as a 30 for me now as i caught it a few years ago at a lower weight?

hi guys ive mentioned venues on forum so sorry guys wont happen again pms only

LOL....there is something in using your noggin. Telling everyone you had a good day on Windy or Lomond or something isn't exactly giving the game away. Take Lomond. There's 24 miles of Lomond and it's surrounding banks, so unless you actually mark the spot with an X, nobody will be any the wiser.
A small stretch of canal though, is a completely different matter. There's only so much bank and so many fish and any travelling angler following a set of directions will be able to work out where to fish on sight, or the worst could happen and some less than savoury characters will turn up and simply line every square foot of bank with set-lines and take anything that comes along.

Why am I explaining this?.....the rules are there.....follow them.....

....Andy....

After reading an earlier post on this section, I was horrified to realise that I had made the post with specific areas to fish at.

I want to publicly apologise and let it be known I have edited my original post.

Sorry guys

It's going to happen and it'll happen again, more than likely with new members than old and myself and Andy can't be here all the time, so it's simply a case that we all take responsibility. If you've posted specific info. change it, if the mods haven't taken note, make them aware or as a last ditch resort, just post something like...

"Replies by PM thanks...(see No Venue Policy)...the moderators"

As Noddle has already pointed out, some venues are simply massive and it's probably not going to do much harm saying you had a great weekend on Loch Awe, for instance. It's the biggest loch in Scotland and it's clearly visible on any map. Due to it's sheers size and the fact it's run well, it can probably look after itself but when specific are given to very small stretches of rivers, small waterways, canals, pits, quarries, unknown or quiet or unmanned waters, then some care has to be taken.
The other waters that can be mentioned are the commercial types that advertise themselves on the web already. Again, these waters are manned so the noddies and troublemakers can't just turn up and start fishing unchecked.
It's all about discretion, care and some thought towards your fellow anglers and friends. Before anyone posts information about a venue, just ask yourself...

Can the water take pressure?
Is it manned?
Will the person who showed ME the venue, appreciate ME telling others about it?
Do I really have the right to potentially cause harm?
Will I/they be annoyed to find beer cans, fires and Bar-B-Cues all over my/his/her/their favourite swim?

It's also a case that if you simply do not know what the repercussions may be, don't guess.

You get the idea. Just use your heads.

.....Regards....Andy....

Wise words Andy, this forum is the most friendly and helpful in my oppinion so because of that we can sometimes give too much away, but if we are all aware, and when someone does slip up we sort it out then thats all we need to do.

my original 'too specific' post was made before I was aware of the 'no naming' policy. earlier in this post I have stated how I am for the ruling to protect our sport and our beloved quarry. I don't want people thinking I am hypocritical.
when I was made aware of the policy and read why it was being put into place I had forgotten about my earlier post and it wasn't until reading a comment on this post that I realised what i'd done.

that's why I made the apology.

Well done Lefty, a genuine mistake.

Well done for spotting and changing your post Lefty.

When the venues issue blew up I went through the earlier posts and edited them. I must have missed one or two. I'm not going to flog myself or anyone else for it. This forum started very quietly last August. Since then a small, friendly and helpful forum has developed with all the thanks going to you guys (and girls MBW).

I was a little naive at first in thinking we could chat about where we were fishing. I now know that we can't. It's a shame, but totally understandable and the VAST MAJORITY of anglers on here understand too, once they have been made aware of the no venues policy and the reasons why it is in place.

Thanks and a big self pat on the back to you all for making the forum a pleasure to visit and, very occasionally, moderate.

Andy Webster

i've learned from your posts, it has helped me catch more pike. it is a good forum no one argues on here, not like others i've seen.
and no one rips the piss out of me. even tho am scottish .
i never knew the forum only started last year .
well done to the mod's

Thanks for your kind words Greg and I am glad you are putting fish on the bank. We seem to have found a niche that no one else has managed... non abusive forum discussions... amazing!

Now, before we get too pally on here, did you here the one about the Scotsman, the Scotsman and the Scotsman.......

Andy Webster

This is certainly the friendliest fishing forum i have been on, and the most informative. Its the people who make it what it is, including the moderators. The forum where Andy Macfarlane is a Poach & i am a Lamb is the next best, for me.. There are going to be small differences of opinion but that's life!

This is very active for a small forum, compared to the others, also, which is an attraction.

I quite enjoy the PAC one, too, there have been a few altercations on there i have discovered but its a pretty tight ship

See now this is my biggest point of contention with forums. I've been friend and enemy of the SAME person on different forums, without actually realising. I did actually try to be Andy Macfarlane everywhere but on the odd forum, it was a lot of hassle starting afresh, with a new name. Luckily, I still carry the old 'Poach' or 'Poachmeister' banner on most forums, or sign off as ...Andy..., so everyone knows it's me they're talking to. I know maybe 10 people who have different names on different forums and it's a blinkin' pest trying to keep up, especially when they don't sign off with the same sig or name. One minute I know them well and the next minute they're almost strangers.
The only one's I had real problems changing names with were the one's that would have lost all my past posts. It was down to the forum provider how I went about things but to lose some really long and drawn out posts was too much to bear.

...Rant over...lol...Andy...

Andy Webster wrote:Thanks for your kind words Greg and I am glad you are putting fish on the bank. We seem to have found a niche that no one else has managed... non abusive forum discussions... amazing!

Now, before we get too pally on here, did you here the one about the Scotsman, the Scotsman and the Scotsman.......

Andy Webster

thay were for everybody, no jist you . i am on a sea fishing forum and the going on's there put me right off. also on a motorbike forum, have been for 6yrs, but the crap that gets thrown about when thay find out where i come from aint good, some wont answer posts just because i'm a scot. no crap like that here.. thank goodness

i only go on a couple of sites logged on,like this one i watched a while,see if i like it,see other peoples comments ect,weigh it up before i join.there ar loads of sites an yes a lot of dirt,two faceness go;es on.luckly this site as none.i am for one like a bit of banter,take the mick ect but allways try to see the otherside first an see if they are ok about it.

That's really what we've tried to create here though. A stress-free, family-orientated, friendly forum that anyone should be able to read and feel free to add to, without fear of serious arguments, criticism, 2-faced comments or any of the negative behaviour found on various forums already.
A few folk have asked why they can't say this or say that and all I can say is, we're not that forum. Some might say we're missing something that other forums have but they don't have a lot of the positives we have here. Besides, when it comes to that kind of forum, there are dozens already. If people feel they want to have a fight or swear or tell someone what they think of them, by all means feel free to do that elsewhere but it's not going on in here.
At the end of the day, this is Andy's forum and he can run things how he pleases but I reckon he's established a good framework for a forum that many other forums could and should learn from. Myself and Andy have had to do very little actually with regards to what kind of place this should be. He was quite clear at the very beginning about what he wanted and it's required very little in the way of policing, which is something you all should be proud of.
On balance, I think we're doing very well so far. I'd like to see more women and kids in here, along with more members but I hope it continues. Numbers will come with time.

....Regards....Andy....

This is exactly why this is my fave site/forum.

Andy and Andy do an excellent job and everybody on here is friendly.

Yeah, so there's a bit of banter but it all seems friendly. As you say Andy, if people want to p1$$ and moan, argue etc..... then go elsewhere to do it. This is not the place for it.

I always recommend this site to people (although only one person has signed up, gavin1928 ) because of the level of atmosphere and the friendliness of it.

Long may it stay this way.

well said Lefty!!
lets keep this site to freindly banter only?

It doesn't have to be sickeningly chirpy Jeff. Friendly banter is OK as long as it's not X-rated. You have P&P for that...

....Andy Pandy....

P&P?

Pike & Predators. Be careful in there mind. It's not for the faint-hearted.

...Andy...

Andy Macfarlane wrote:Pike & Predators. Be careful in there mind. It's not for the faint-hearted.

...Andy...

This is very true, Andy. Been on there myself for a gander...

I love P&P

its the old time family atmosphere