Wow, Fishin magician has really gotten under some members skins with this one eh?
Although I could care less about whether the size of a fish is embellished or not, and I hope nobody considers posting less as a result of this thread, I do think FM brings up a valid point in that sometimes posters get pestered to post pics as proof of their catches...I agree with him that this is lame. I like to see pictures, just as much as the next guy, but I hope I never come across as doubting or calling someone liar if I am craving some fish pics, it couldn't be further from that for me. I also appreciate the angler who doesn't compromise the fish in some way just to get a pic, in some circumstances it's better to just forego the pic till next time. That speaks volumes to me. I recently witnessed an angler taking a pic of a steelie out of the allouette, it was lying in on the dirt and grass on the bank, and he took a couple pics and then released it, afterwards I found out it was a wild fish,(even if it were a hatch, it shouldn't have been treated that way if it was going to be released)...I spoke with this person at length and determined that the pics were taken for the purposes a report on the net, that was the excuse for mistreating the fish anyway...this is one example of how priorities can get out of wack so to speak...and in this I see validity in FM's point on pictures.
I made the point in one of my earlier posts in this thread, that the reward is in the fishing, not necessarily the posting. I enjoy reading the reports of members here, especially when it is obvious that they are experiencing the same joy that I get from a good day. It's great to read about other anglers experiences, especially when their excitement is obvious and transmitted through what they have written. It saddens me to think some members might place too high a priority on hook up rates so they can post to that effect, or replace concern for a fish's well being with an overwhelming desire to take a picture for proof, or even stop sharing their experiences due to unnecessary criticisms they've recieved in the past. These are points I think FM touched on in a general sense, and in a nutshell such examples show how sometimes "priorities can get out of wack". So regardless of all of the issues some members might have with some of FM's points, there is some validity there as well...
No complaining, just looking at the big picture, and seeing an important point being ignored here, and I am a subscriber who does appreciate this site and the work Rod and his colleagues do here...
my two cents,
rib