How much for your morals?

[Carp Angler]

Will people sell or promote anything to either gain exposure or money?

A quote from the Haiths/Supercatch site reads as follows...
"Any carp angler worth his salt will not need Ken or Haith's to tell them that carp find all bird foods particularly appetizing and a quick glance through our product range should convince you that we have a vast range of products that are guaranteed to have carp queuing up in your swim. Or as Ken Townley said, "At last, here is a range of particles, groundbaits and ingredients at sensible prices that you can afford, baits that may even transform your fishing as never before."

Now the crunch, have any of you read the Beekay Guide To Carp Baits by Ken Townley, written in 1998?
Under the particle section there are several quotes I'd like to share with you all.

"Apart from using a few kilos of cooked maize from time to time when fishing in France, I have not used a particle bait for nearly ten years and quite frankly I doubt if I shall be tempted to do so again. The use of mass baits, pellets, ball pellets and groundbaits in conjunction with well formulated boilies is a far more effective method of catching carp than the use of particle baits.
Frankly I am pleased that the widespread use of particles has lost its popularity."

Am I being over-sensitive or is this just someone with no moral stance whatsoever contradicting himself to gain some sponsorship and money?

 

[Paul Williams]

No Rik i don't think you are bieng over sensitive, we would all like a bit of buckshee gear if the truth be known but hopefully for the right reasons.
Incedently have you noticed that maggots have been invented for catching carp in all the mags just lately.....if only we had known eh mate...)

 

[David OLoughlin]

I've been known to expose myself & I'm cheap but apart from yourself Rik, no-ones given me any tackle. (Not even Bennetts & I paid for that!)

 

[Mike Fidler]

Oh dear, you found him out! Rik, these guys have a living to make and if you looked hard enough I'm sure we could pull all of them up for promoting/giving their name to different products and statements over the years which are totally different from the current thoughts and products. I wonder which reels Matt Hayes uses now he is a 100% Fox etc...

 

[David Will]

My fave quote by a 'carp expert' was 'In high summer boilies are not as effective as other times, now is the time to get onto particles ,personally I do not because of my association with a bait company'.
Now that is either the most honest thing ever written in a Carp mag or the biggest load of xxxxx ever.Take your pick.
As far as bait companies and those employed I think morals do not enter the equation.

 

[Paul Williams]

What about the guy who changes his T shirt 3 times with a big carp.....all displaying different bait companys.....none of which caught the fish!!!!!!......like everything in life there are boundries....the desperate will cross them!

 

[Murray Rogers]

How about the number of rigs which are accredited to an individual. In Fred Bullers book on monster Pike he shows a few things which would open a few peoples eyes today, like PVA, hair rigs.
My father tells me he was using leaded fly line to deck the rig back in the 60s. Is there much being used today that somebody has not already had a go at?. What rigs or tactics does anybody know of that are unique (maybe)

 

[Peter Morton]

Will you get into bed with me for ?5000000 said the tackle baron to the specialist?
YES YES YES!!!!!!!!
How about for ?1?
WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM?
We have already established that,we are just haggling about the price!!!!!!!!

 

[Andy Nellist]

Its a fact of life that blagging,hype and fashion are used to sell a lot of fishing gear and bait. This forum provides a great opportunity for anglers to sort the wheat from the chaff !

There are no absolutes in angling, what leads to success is the correct application of a methods/tackle/bait etc in particular circumstances. The ability to get it right through research,intuition or experience is what leads to consistent sucess. Most anglers fail to realise that relying on tips (many of which are blag or hype) is not a shortcut consistently good catches.

Who invented what and when is of historical interest but what is really of use to anglers is knowing how success was achieved in a particular set of circumstances so that they can learn from what has been done before.

The true angling greats of the past have been successful anglers who were able to share their methods and experience in a way that other anglers copuld really benefit from them.

 

[Murray Rogers]

I like the idea of fashion hype in fishing Andy. It must of cost Warren a small fortune.
He was wearing his favourite 'named' leiderhossen on Friday and it still clashed with the boat.

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

Was i wearing that, Hmmm cant remember now!!!

 

[GrahamM]

Most sponsored anglers - and I really mean MOST - use the gear and bait they're given by their sponsor.

They do this for two reasons:

1. Becuse they like and believe in the gear or bait they've been given.
2. Because it's free.

They're two reasons that 99% of us would follow given the opportunity, including me.

And changing your mind about something over time is not the exclusive perogative of women. We blokes are allowed to that as well.

I've changed my opinion about all sorts of things over the years, and I hope I continue to do so as I try different things and listen to other angler's views.

I think I'm a better angler for it.

Maybe I'm naive too. And I'm certainly not particularly cynical.

 

[Andy Nellist]

Murray

Back in '94 Warren used to turn up at the water you are fishing now in his suit straight from work and go out in that and bait up.

Now theres an idea.... Versace Fishing suits the ultimate in fishing garb.

Graham

Sponsorship makes a great deal of sense provided that the endorsement retains some objectivity. The complaint about sponsorship is that some "names" will endorse anything for money.

Providing honest appraisals and information about new products/baits etc like the cyrrent article on the new Shimano baitrunners is useful. Indeed Rik himself plugged game-on rods a short while ago.

In order for the reader to determine the objectivity of the writer it helps if any sponsorship is revealed.

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

Just been down the lake in shirt, tie n trousers, set up, put the markers out, shot off to see a customer and am just on me way back down. Just popped home to put on fishing clobber-Versace suit!!!

 

[GrahamM]

I agree that there are some anglers who will endorse anything if the pay is right, but I think the anglers who do that soon get sussed out, and then everything they endorse, genuinely or not, is treated with suspicion.

It's not a good idea in the long run, for the angler or the sponsor, if they want to be treated seriously and with respect.

 

[Kevan Farmer]

Graham has written exactly my feelings on this subject. If celebrity A pushes a particular bait, for example, and makes glowing claims for it then other non-sponsored anglers will try it. If that particular bait turns out to be either no better or perhaps even worse than similar baits on the market it will be dropped. This in turn leads to the company getting a bad name together with that particular angler. Which in turn means the angler loses his sponsorship and the company turns to somebody else - hopefully this time with a better product. The same thing happens if an angler is paid - probably in free bait or equipment - but he does not use it. The company will drop him or her. Now I believe this must at times be detrimental to the sponsored angler - perhaps Graham would comment on this point.

If an angler sponsored by a company is told "Here, try this super duper new line" he is obliged to do so. What happens if the anglers catch rate goes downhill? The company get a report back - and hopefully act upon it sensibly - but the angler is still supposed to try upgrades to that line until is right. This sort of thing can make or break an anglers reputation. There could also be pressure by the company involved - they are a business remember - to make statements intimating that this new line is the bee's knees. I honestly think this is what happens most of the time. We are perhaps lucky nowadays in that most developments are for the better. I wonder how many 'names' hanker after using a favourite old rod though but are duty bound to use the new product from their new sponsor?

 

[Philip Inzani]

I think Jim Gibbinson sumed it up best when he wrote we are all hookers at heart and just haggle about the price.

At least (some) writers now try and explain that they have sponsership/consultancy deals and then readers can use common sense to sort it all out.

 

[Carp Angler]

My point was NOT about sponsorship or commercialism in general, I was making the point of someone being so anti something that it bordered on fanatacism.
Yet when a freebie or money comes up, they are then making the suggstion that this can change the face of your fishing.

His view on particles has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other, if someone's view is middle of the road and then they move one way or the other then that, IMHO, is acceptable.
But to suggest that these baits are harmful to the carp and then to try to get you to buy them smacks of selling out.

Someone mentioned that I have previously plugged my new Game-On rods, I paid the same price as everyone else for those rods, had they been given to me, that would have been mentioned in the review.

I have previously been offered bait deals and sponsorship but have turned them down because I was happy using the bait/items that I was currently buying.
If someone offered my cheap/free items that I was currently using, then of course I would accept, I am only human.
But to have such a massive change of opinion is what I find abhorent.