So How Are We Doing Here Really?

[Ard]

I just visited a very well known forum which focus's on Spey rod fishing. There are 15 currently active threads 12 of which are Classified Posts. Yep, I said 12 out of 15 threads are people looking to sell something...……….

I'm going to take a stretch here and say that I think that this is the most active fly fishing forum on the internet. I also would venture to say that we have more actual fishing related content than any other site. 12 out of 15! I've been seeing this sort of daily content there for some time, this is not a one off situation but the norm.

So thanks to all who take the time to post stories about fishing trips.

Thanks to all who attempt to sort out some new members casting issues.

Thanks to all of you because you are what makes this so darn good!

Ard

 

[robinfick]

Even though I stay in South Africa, I find this a great site with a wealth of information. After more than 50 years of fishing, I still learn something new and love the independent reviews by members and the assistance they give when info is requested.

 

[dennyk]

Ard and guys, thanks for a great forum. As I have said before, this is the only forum I'm a member of and I have no need to look elsewhere! :thmbup:

Denny

 

[wthorpe]

thanks to you and others who run the forum!

 

[silver creek]

Thanks to Ard and the other mods for being the glue that holds this forum together!!!!!

 

[spm]

Agree with all previous posts; members and mods here are great. I also belong to several other forums and a couple are fairly active, but not like this one. This is the only forum on which I am active.

I'm sure it's been said before, but a forum, regardless of the topic, is only as good as its members.

Well done, all!
steve

 

[Ard]

I knew when I wrote the opening post that this can be seen as patting ourselves on the back. Actually I have came close to pointing this out for quite some time, allow me to say why that is / was.

Although we have a Spey sub forum with multiple topic relater threads within the sub forum I still visit the original Spey rod forum on the web. The reason is pretty simple, the majority of our members use traditional single hand fly rods and so goes the majority of topics on our forums here. Many of the posts into our Spey threads are in regard to Switch rod acquisitions and appropriate lines for same. My own experience with these rods is quite limited right down to only having cast with 4 different makes of Switch rod. Because of that there is little I can offer by way of advice due to the huge array of these rods & lines on the market today. So I snoop on the other forum to see what might be up for discussion there.

For some time now my snooping has revealed very little in the way of content and that's a change that has crept over that site through the past 6 or 7 years. This posting I made has nothing to do with disparagement of another forum just stating what I see. While we have our share of this rod vs. that rod threads we still seem to have many active discussions about fishing as a whole. We talk about everything here and that's what keeps things lively.

What really sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb is the number of classifieds I see there. You can interpret that however you may but to me it says slow down when buying more and more tackle. We can only use just so much and personally I haven't found the rod or reel that led to my catching more and better fish regardless of brand

 

[chechem]

Ard, thanks to you and others who help make this the most active and productive fishing forum.
Why?
1. Lots of people visit regularly;
2. Even though the same topics come up commonly, most posters are polite in answering;
3. Novice fishermen seem comfortable posting questions;
4. The forum isn't dominated by sales;
5. There is plenty of entertainment, thanks to those who post pics and videos...

Thanks for all you do! Please fell free to add to the list.

 

[Hirdy]

G'day Ard,

Like Robinfick above, I'm never likely to spend much time fishing in the US, but I enjoy many of the discussions on this particular forum. There are some very knowledgeable people inhabiting this community and I've learnt a great deal from those people over the years. I'm happy to give some of that information back to the community now that I know a few more things than I did when I joined.

I'm also a member of other forums. There are a few around the world that continue to offer wisdom and entertainment long after others have fallen away. There are an Aussie saltwater forum, a British-based casting forum and another US-based saltwater forum that I visit daily. Facebook has killed off the others I used to enjoy.

I hope this forum continues to proper. For a bunch of Seppos, you guys are pretty special.

Cheers,
Graeme (From Down Under)

(Any Aussies here will know what a Seppo is. It's meant in fun - don't get tight about it. )

 

[Editor]

Just to say I heartily agree with the sentiments from both sides in this thread. We have a great bunch of members and always have, obviously willing to share generously of their time and knowledge. On the other side we have benefitted from a sterling group of moderators over the years that have steered this community perfectly, creating a forum that scores of anglers continue to sign up to every week because they can see that is such a great place to be and hang out for a while while sharing or learning.

Thanks to you all - now let's go fishing!

Best regards,

Paul

 

[tcorfey]

I attend several forums but this one is definitely the most active, the moderators are excellent and people are generally very cordial and helpful. Thanks everyone!

 

[el jefe]

Ard, you and your fellow moderators and editors should pat yourselves on the back. Or stand in a circle, and everybody pats on the back the guy or gal to his right.

I peruse other fly fishing related forums, and frequently get references to them when I do a Google search about some rod or reel or other item. I even check in with some regularity on a fiberglass fly rod and ultralight fly rod enthusiast's site, but I have not bothered to join them. When the latest post on some forums that are on the first page of the thread list are over a year old, you'll come back to this place, because the energy here is constant. I question if there are more than a half-dozen active threads on some of those sites. If I check in monthly, there will be enough activity of interest to occupy me for an hour or so, but that's it.

So pat away, my friends. Just don't injure the rotator cuff on your casting shoulder.

 

[brownbass]

This forum is the best one I have found on the web. You can ask questions and get the kindest and most helpful responses from fellow members. The moderators deserve a good bit of praise for setting up the forum. The members deserve praise for being generous and informative and sometimes humorous.

Bill