Corporate days

When ever you look at certain trout fisheries websites and advertising literature you will notice that they have what are called corporate days.

What this generally means is a form of "bonding session" amongst the sales and management staff where you have a meal, a few drinks together, and then go out fly fishing.

I've been out on a few of these days in the past and generally there has never been a problem.

Except on one occasion.

We were visited by the big boss from UK who was a fanatical fly fisher. I and several others were invited to join the directors on this particular weekend which was booked at one of South Africa's most exclusive trout fisheries, set about 180 miles form Joburg in an exquisite valley in the Eastern Transvaal Drakensberg.

I had fished this water as a guest previously and knew of it's reputation.

We arrived on the Friday evening and many drinks were sank as well as sumptuous fare.

We all met the big boss who was an old Etonian, then living in Scotland.

The following morning at breakfast, It was announced that there was to be a fly fishing competition that day. The winner to get R1000.00. It was to start at 12 noon and to end at 7.00pm that evening. The winner had to have caught the most trout.

I immediatly went into catching mode and dissappeared to prepare my gear. I knew which patterns worked and tied a few quickly in the tackle room.

Then my immediate boss - the Sales manager found me and knowing of my reputation, took me aside.

"Look here my mate" said Eric, "Don't go and win this competition for crying out loud - or you will lose your job."

"Why for goodness sake?" I asked Eric.

"Because Mr. ...... is regarded in Scotland as one of the best trout and salmon anglers in Britain - he has written books about it."

"Yes I know that" I exclaimed to Eric, that's why I want to take him on. And anyway I'm just a junior rep (I was 29 years old at the time) and he will beat me anyway"

To cut a long story short I caught 29 trout and walked off with the R1000.00

The big boss was very upset. He only caught 2 fish and his casting was atrocious. And I told him so.

I was fired two weeks later, no reason given.

Watch out for corporate days on trout fisheries.

good on ya mate up the revolution i once had a girlfiend (i know what i spelt) who at the start of summer and with my previous expolits of dawn till dusk summer fishing said its me or the fishing this summer . i had a great summer with lots of fishing the girfiend was last seen with suitcase in hand heading back to her mothers

what a great life
dave mc fluffchucker

Tell me about it Dave, the story of my life.

Some people just don't see an opportunity to better themselves when it's right in front of them.

'Expert' or not, if someone can out strip you in a competition by that amout surly the sensible thing would be to invite you back out , with a meal and a few drinks included to show the 'expert' how to improve their technique?

Wasted opportunity on his part Ron.

I've done the corporate day thing but never wit such results....29 trout in a day is superb.. What size were they. I've probably caught that amount of trout on a Yorkshire moreland beck in a day but comined weight was probably 6lb!

It was in South Africa Rich on a stillwater water that is overstocked. The fish are fed each day with pellets.

They went up to 5 lbs. In fact the 5 lb brownie you see in my picture came from a water about 10 miles away from this place.

By the way Rodney if you want to really upset someone, especially someone in an high position who has power over yourself, tell him he or she is incompetent.

The shes get the most upset.

One of my problems is the fact that I am too outspoken.

I have forgotten the numbers of times I have stood up at the end of a presentation by the MD of the company I have been working for and said: "That is the biggest load of utter crap I have ever heard in my life."

And then walked away and written out my resignation.

Funnily enough my boss doesn't like being told she's incompetent or her management and people skills aren't worth sh1t. Not been sacked yet, I think she likes me )

Must be great to watch though Ron, and how many colleagues agree with you but keep schtum )

Yeah well Rodney, I sat down the other day and tried to work out how many companies I've worked for in my life.

It's over 40.

And do you know I never had a bad reference from any of them.

Been made redundant from one and been fired from two. The rest I left on my own accord.

When I was fired on the one occasion, I told the MD that I had been fired from better companies than his before.

)

40, are you counting the contracts you've picked up as a self employed contractor?

I've only been with 4 companies (including my current job) but then you've a few years on me. Redundency, personal injury and a tw*t of a boss have been the reasons for moving on.

another put down for the self important is:

"When I respect your opinion, I might ask you for it"

or

"When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you"

No Rodney. I did loads of stuff on the side.

And I've thrown a few inkwells across MDs desks in my life.

On one occasion I poured a glass of beer over the MDs missus.

Ha, well the thing is they must have learned from experiences like that Ron, 'cause the big guns don't mingle with us workers anymore. We have all sorts of pseudo middle management to take our abuse, they also take on the 'god complex'.

Have a look at Dilbert in the Daily Express.

It's spot on.

Take the NHS for example, it is riddled with imcompetence from the managers.

There was an ad in our local paper for a

"Ethnic Minority Social Outreach Divisional Organiser" by the NHS. It pays ?32 a year and wanted only people from ethnic minorities to apply!!

Shades of the South African Aparthied policy here - talk about blantant racism, I never thought I would see the like in this country. And a total waste of public money.

?32 quid a year ill paint my face and wear a turbin for that kinda cash

mcfluffchucker

Couldn't agree more Ron, we've become a laughing stock, if you want any company to employ you these days your chances are increased immeasurably if you happen to be from a minority group of some sort be it race, creed, sexual preference or religion.

Then of course you can complain about your treatment by other members of staff (preferably higher graded members) as being discriminatory and have your life made more comfortable rather than go to tribunal as the company doesn't want to loose face as well as incur an almost guarenteed fine.

Dave we could do it jobshare, what hat/turban size are you?

Sorry Dave, I forgot to put the K in after the 32.

Yes this is all very true.

Some time ago I worked with a bloke who was an Eastern European immigrant. He couldn't speak English very well and he was totally incompetent.

Now I have nothing against any race or creed. By crikey I have worked with every colour, creed and persuasion you can name in my life. Let's have true equality for goodness sake.

But the true evil exists today on forms printed by the bastards in the UK Civil service.

When I returned to the UK in 1994, I had to re-register with the DSS otherwise I wouldn't have been able to work here.

And I was born here.

The form I had to fill in was full of racist shit. I told the bloke who ran the DSS in Sheffield that I was not going to answer those sorts of questions, not when Nelson Mandela had spent 27 years of his life in prison fighting such crap.

No you know why I truly hate and detest the UK civil service. The whole lot should be shot. By crikey would it lessen our tax burden

You have to be a certain type of character to work in the DSS Ron, granted they don't produce the bureaucracy and mountains of booklets buuuuut some of the guys and girls in there love their job, they enjoy the terror and power they can excert over an individual, I've seen and heard some horror stories.

"Let's have true equality for goodness sake."
Sadly I don't see it ever happening, things are going down hill rapidly after joining the European community and thanks to the do gooders in Brussells we can look forward to further decline as only the offenders have human rights and liberties.