Waveney One
Well-known member
Am I alone in saying that it horrifies me what goes on in some of our tackle shops?
Recently I was in one of my local tackle shops when a chap came in making enquiries. Apparently, his young son (8) had shown an interest in going fishing. He was making his Dad's life hell with the pestering []him to go fishing. I was earwigging I have to admit as I am a PAA coach and the shop has a stock of my business cards in the shop.
Anyway to cut a long story short, the guy had once seen someone catch a pike and had been impressed so he wanted gear for pike fishing. I couldn't believe it when the assistant started showing him, pike rods and big pits. I know he has a living to make but I felt I had to step in and make a point.
I asked if he or his son had ever fished before, No.
I asked the shop assistant what the cost of a 42" net and handle with an unhooking mat and a set of forceps and wire cutters would be. About ?80 was the reply, I think at his prices it was more. I told the prospective customer that was a minimum of additional gear he would need before he went fishing for pike. I asked what the price was of a small landing net, a spool of 3lb line and an elasticated whip, a few floats, a disgorger, shot and hooks would be. About the same he said, actually it was cheaper.
I explained to the customer that he could possibly go pike fishing for week and not catch one, but if he went to the right places locally he was almost guaranteed catching small carp and roach. I explained that it was dangerous for both the pike and the angler if he wasn't taught how to handle them properly. I said that for a small boy, a 2 ounce roach was as much a prize as 5lb pike. Once they had the basics sorted and discovered the joys of fishing they could progress to pike or specimen fishing of some other type. The tackle dealer would make his sale of pike gear then and in the meantime would have made a lot sales, for a float rod and reel, a leger rod and reel, maybe even a pole.
It concerned me that there was a man who had never fished before and who was going to be sold the wrong gear by tackle dealer. In a couple of months he would probably have all the gear that he had bought on e-bay. He and his son would never take the sport up properly. Finally, the tackle dealer could have lost a life time customer for a quick sale.
Funnily enough, I am still welcome in the shop as after the customer had left (with his 2 whips etc.), the shop assistant and I had a long discussion about the topic. He agreed that selling the pike gear would not have been the best move he had made that day.
I am sure that a lot of tackle dealers out there will tell me it doesn't happen but it does. It seems to me that a lot of them do not think very hard before making a sale.
What do you guys think?
Recently I was in one of my local tackle shops when a chap came in making enquiries. Apparently, his young son (8) had shown an interest in going fishing. He was making his Dad's life hell with the pestering []him to go fishing. I was earwigging I have to admit as I am a PAA coach and the shop has a stock of my business cards in the shop.
Anyway to cut a long story short, the guy had once seen someone catch a pike and had been impressed so he wanted gear for pike fishing. I couldn't believe it when the assistant started showing him, pike rods and big pits. I know he has a living to make but I felt I had to step in and make a point.
I asked if he or his son had ever fished before, No.
I asked the shop assistant what the cost of a 42" net and handle with an unhooking mat and a set of forceps and wire cutters would be. About ?80 was the reply, I think at his prices it was more. I told the prospective customer that was a minimum of additional gear he would need before he went fishing for pike. I asked what the price was of a small landing net, a spool of 3lb line and an elasticated whip, a few floats, a disgorger, shot and hooks would be. About the same he said, actually it was cheaper.
I explained to the customer that he could possibly go pike fishing for week and not catch one, but if he went to the right places locally he was almost guaranteed catching small carp and roach. I explained that it was dangerous for both the pike and the angler if he wasn't taught how to handle them properly. I said that for a small boy, a 2 ounce roach was as much a prize as 5lb pike. Once they had the basics sorted and discovered the joys of fishing they could progress to pike or specimen fishing of some other type. The tackle dealer would make his sale of pike gear then and in the meantime would have made a lot sales, for a float rod and reel, a leger rod and reel, maybe even a pole.
It concerned me that there was a man who had never fished before and who was going to be sold the wrong gear by tackle dealer. In a couple of months he would probably have all the gear that he had bought on e-bay. He and his son would never take the sport up properly. Finally, the tackle dealer could have lost a life time customer for a quick sale.
Funnily enough, I am still welcome in the shop as after the customer had left (with his 2 whips etc.), the shop assistant and I had a long discussion about the topic. He agreed that selling the pike gear would not have been the best move he had made that day.
I am sure that a lot of tackle dealers out there will tell me it doesn't happen but it does. It seems to me that a lot of them do not think very hard before making a sale.
What do you guys think?