Looking For Feedback On A Fundraising Idea For Stream Watch

[headscan]

If prizes are handed out is there a possibility it would fall under derbies/tournaments in the regs? If that were the case I think there'd be an extra $25 charge per person.

[loyaleddie]

Missin

I wanted to throw in my two bits. I applaud you for your efforts, and your Idea for a fishing tourney is a great one. I will gladly volunteer my time if needed. A couple of points I would like to make with respect to the organization of an event such as this, to ensure everything comes together.

 

1. This need not be a “long dong” contest (undoubtedly some will make it into such)

 

2. The idea of drawing names out of a hat to make up the teams is a good one (that way it doesn’t become a stacked deck). Yes, not everyone gets along, but it I don’t think the intent is to have everyone holding hands while fishing

 

3. I think Smitty suggested it, but this can’t be an alcohol endorsed event. The liability that this invokes on the organizers part would be huge. Not to mention public safety. I am sure the Stream watch does not need to take on such risks. I also question the maturity of those who think it should be an event where drinking is supported.

 

4. I think I had said this before we are all winners at FFC. So let’s leave it at that. Whereas, everyone donate a few bucks and we all have a good day on the bow. Let’s have a BBQ at the end and share our experiences.

 

Anywho, those are my thoughts and my offer to volunteer will remain standing

[loyaleddie]

Smitty,

 

I am confused by something you said.

 

You said the event should be fun, but if the teams were random and I drew someone I did not like how can it be Fun for me then?

 

Now onto something else, I personally think there should be no Prizes, maybe the top dog of the Event but as soon as you add a prizes into it, it then turns into something else other then a charity event as there will be people in it that don't care about streamwatch but want to be a prize winner.

 

I personally think there should be no winner (afterall we are all winners bacause we are doind something very good for our rivers) instead maybe have a raffle draw (have to buy tickets which the money goes back to streamwatch) and have some random prizes.

 

As for rules, I would throw them out the door cause this event is designed to raise money for streamwatch instead of the people in the tournament.

 

Well said dude!

[birchy]

Smitty,

 

I am confused by something you said.

 

You said the event should be fun, but if the teams were random and I drew someone I did not like how can it be Fun for me then?

 

The other points you're making are good ones.. but for this part.. all I hear is "Wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

[Smitty]

Bhurt:

 

I think your point is valid. It may not be desirable to spend an entire day with someone you don't like, so no doubt, there are some flaws with my suggestion from that perspective.

 

LoyalE:

 

No, I didn't suggest the drinking. I was merely jumping on the bandwagon, as part of the fun.

 

Oh, and btw, to answer that question in the pm... Yes, I am, if you are.

----

In the end, given a choice, It would be "safer", less risky to go for a purely fun event. No doubt about that. Focus on what's important - $ for StreamWatch.

 

Smitty

[Hawgstoppah]

Ok so someone paints 40 bright orange dowels.... 20 inches long. Team A and Team B must have a digital photo of each fish longer than 2 inches. Most fish at or over 20 inches wins... the prize? The losing team has to cook (bbq) and clean up, the supper

 

No other prizes. Random team draw, once team A and B have been set up, you can form fishing "groups" and depart for the day. There would be a set return time... at which time the BBQ and some stories could be shared (and maybe a silent auction)

 

This way it's FUN and not too competitive. Maybe ONE random draw prize at the BBQ... and the rest is a silent auction. Entry would be like $25 bucks... Just throwing ideas out here.

[Parry]

Ok so someone paints 40 bright orange dowels.... 20 inches long. Team A and Team B must have a digital photo of each fish longer than 2 inches. Most fish at or over 20 inches wins... the prize? The losing team has to cook (bbq) and clean up, the supper

 

No other prizes. Random team draw, once team A and B have been set up, you can form fishing "groups" and depart for the day. There would be a set return time... at which time the BBQ and some stories could be shared (and maybe a silent auction)

 

This way it's FUN and not too competitive. Maybe ONE random draw prize at the BBQ... and the rest is a silent auction. Entry would be like $25 bucks... Just throwing ideas out here.

 

 

I like this idea the best, except i also agree that a trophy should be made for the luckiest angler to catch the largest fish, this would be something hopefully handed down year after year. Aside from that i think it should be a random draw for teams, but as Brad had mentioned you wouldn't want to fish with someone you dont like. I agree and disagree, chances are some of your friends will be on the opposite team, and as long as a A and B fish together it would all be good. But you should also give some other people a chance, i personally have fished with few people from this bored, but have met many on the river. Case in point i ran into Brad last sunday, and wednesday. I would love to be able to fish with someone new for the day and "Network", even if it is for better or for worse.

 

Thats just my opinion, sorry if none of this even makes sense :S, ive been pretty sick and was in the hospital so the drugs are playing with my mind.

 

Dustin

[toolman]

Personally, I think MissinTheBow made the mistake of coming on here and asking for input. His intentions were good, but that has only led to a bunch of fustration and crap for him, including nasty pm's, personal attacks etc.

When I did the Streamwatch Auction, I got some great advice from Dryfly and Adc about my proposal...

They basically told me to do it the way I wanted to and not to listen to any bs from anyone. I followed their wise advice and the auction results were beyond anyones best expectations. Sure, I got a few posts/pm's bitchin', criticizing me about how I was going about it, but I stayed true to MY plan and don't regret it for a minute. So, my advice to MissinTheBow is, to do this event the way that HE wants to...Whatever his plan is, it will have my 100% support.

I've already volunteered to help in any way I can, to make the event as successfull as possible...

There will be many who will particpate, volunteer and have a great time, regardless if there is a competitive side to it or not, with money raised, donated to a cause most believe to be very important...There will also be others who will bitch, criticize, attack and contribute nothing...as usual...I say... screw em'...

[Lundvike]

I think this is good idea and I will be there pending the date.

 

I think that random teams would be best or we could do a FFC draft ranking anglers by number of posts (not that that means anything about your fishing skills) and then draft accordingly into teams of 4 either by number or allow the top x (x is the number of teams) participants draft teams from the remaining participants.

 

And we were to have prizes I would suggest a lottery system like the NHL has where the top team gets the best chance but every team has a chance at a prize.

[bhurt]

Here is my point and I hate to beat the bushes with it, but I work a extremly stressful job, running two departments in a very big box company, and then have 90% of my staff quite due to other managers.

 

Now if I came out to fish and get away from all the crap that sourrounds me on a daily basis and drew a team like BBB, Dustin and myself, I do not know dustin too well so I could say anything about him but for BBB (not like it is going to happen just using it as a example) I would probably drown the kid, and I am sure he wouldn't be very happy to fish with me either.

 

There are alot of people on these boards that I personally (not going say any names) think are idoits and want nothing and I mean absoultly nothing to do with, and will not particapate in anything with them if I have to talk or do anything with them.

 

Also, another thing that bothered me was when Steve (Hydrosphyc, my spelling sucks) said They wouldn't be holding back any secrets and be motivated to get me into more fish

This also bothered me cause I have put in alot of time and made alot of scarifies to get to where I am now, showing NEW people the basics I have no problems but to give away all my secrets to leeches that are there to find out other people's secrets is just not my cup of cake (another refernce to cake but in a diffrent post)

 

I remeber when I first started fly fishing and going out with people like MAX and TOOLMAN, sure they tok me to places where there were fish but I also went 2 months at a time with no strikes or anything, but I kept on working on it till I got to where I am now, why should someone else use a charity event for other reasons then doing a good thing for a good cause.

 

Regardless to what happens I will have to think weather I pareticapate or not, but I can guarntee that if it is a random draw for teams I will not particapate as I do not want to waste my day with someone that I could potientally hate!

[rusty]

Seriously? Secrets? On the Bow? Ok then...

 

The only thing that I think is "secret" on the Bow are the less heavily pounded access spots. Even then, many of the less traveled and less posted spots have more and more people fishing them all the time. What, you put your SJW on the bottom of the three flies instead of the top? I'll guarantee that no matter where you "think" you are now as far as the Bow is concerned, there are a great number of anglers out there who'd make you look like you were holding the wrong end of the rod with a blindfold on and one hand tied behind their back. Would you want them to treat you like a "leech", or would you want them to throw you a bone so that you could learn something new?

 

I've been fishing the bow for over 15 years, and there's not a single season that passes that doesn't show that I have way more to learn than I know. I'll guarantee that I could teach you a thing or two, and I'll guarantee that you could teach me a thing or two. That's what makes this such a great sport and such a great community - we can all learn from each other when we accept that we don't know everything. Every year I meet new people on here who've fished for a long time and it amazes me how different our approaches are. Instead of viewing these other people as "leeches", why don't you smarten up and realize that you have way more to learn than you do to teach?

 

There are a lot of people around here who've been fishing the Bow for longer than you or I have been alive, but somehow people think that because they've caught a few trout that they're part of an elite club who has some extremely exclusive knowledge. What if Toolman and anyone else who's shown you how to fish had that same attitude? Plus, to top it off, you can't put a silly internet board pissing match aside for one day to fish for a truly excellent cause? Give your head a shake man...that's just weak.

[bhurt]

Rusty,

 

Howabout you take the time and read what I had to say, I said I don't mind showing New people the basics (which is what was ever showen to me)

 

Also I paied alot of money for courses and guided trips, howabout if someone whats to know more then the basics they pay for lessons and trips which is exactly what I did.

 

Talk your *hit about beeing a elite group I am just not wiling to give away information that I done with over 300 days on the water in three years. I probably fish more in a year then you do rusty and your attitude just sucks!

 

And also when I talk about secrets (which I never said secert spots) I am talking about the way I rig up stuff to what flies I use at what period of time and what type of stage that bug is at also stuff like grain weights for lines, and so forth!

 

As you have been around for 15 years of course you know alot but really how many people helped you out with all the fine points, the thing that really got me is everyone wants a free hand out on everything which I am not prepared to do!

 

Also I learned alot from other people cause I would never complain about things, I Always netted their fish and took their photo'd, which very little people have done for me. These things have earned me what I have learned, why don't these people that want everything just handed to them do some things for other people!

 

In closing what I am saying is that I have nothing to hide nor do I profess to know everything it just bothers me when people come to a chairty event with ultramotives then raising money for a good cause. Also I never said I knew everything I just wasn't prepared to give it away for free, espically at a event that is for chairty and not just for a single persons fishing ability!

[rusty]

Look man...I'm not going to start an argument with you - there's enough of that going on around here already. Why don't you re-read what you wrote (esp the part about not being willing to fish with another angler who you might hate, though I doubt that you've met). How could supporting Streamwatch be a "waste of a day"? Huh??? You spend 100 days on the river but you can't spare 1 to support it?

 

My point is simple - we all benefit immensely from Alberta's fisheries, and here's someone who's taking their own personal time to come up with a way to raise funds to benefit all of us. Why can't we just get behind that and support that? Why do you have to find personal reasons to not support this idea?

 

You know what? I don't care what motives people come to a charity event with - as long as they come and bring their wallet and we all support a good cause. That's what an event like this should be about. See the big picture here. The Streamwatch program will do wonders for our overtaxed resources, and as people who glean an immense amount of value from them out of our $24 licence, the least we can do is get behind it full force. Kudos to Brett for taking the initiative here. Maybe you could use your "big box" connections to supply some swag for the event?

[SanJuanWorm]

I'll support this event. But I doubt anyone wants to fish close to me as im a bit of a loose caster.

[rehsifylf]

Damn - I had my reply completely typed out, then knocked the off switch on my computer. And what I had written was brilliant, really!

 

bhurt - just wanted to say that sometimes being on the same team as someone you don't like (or don't think you would like) can be pretty interesting. I was in the military years ago and we did alot of exercises and competitions where we got randomly assigned. It was a great way to develop tolerance and also to see someone elses point of view. Not saying you always ended up lifelong pals, but I have friends from those days that couldn't be more different than me. And yes - there were a few slugs thrown, but pretty rare.

 

But - I hear you on the other part of your post. I spent a long time learning how to flyfish. I enjoyed doing things myself and it would have absolutley killed me to ask someone what they were using - but that was just me (I've also never asked for directions). Don't know your history, but if it is any consolation, all of the techniques you've perfected on the Bow will likley be useless in a couple of years anyways :. When I started fishign the Bow in '95 for the first three years I never used anything other than a dark brown Elk Hair Caddis - really - and we slayed them almost every time we went out. Then the river changed and we had to learn new stuff . Anyway - I understand your reluctance to make it too easy for folks that aren't willing to try to figure some things out on their own. I usually try to give people some hints that send them in the right direction, but leave enough out so that when they get it, they can feel some satisfaction. If someone just wants it to be too easy and constantly asks "what fly, what depth, what technique etc." I usually tell them to try figuring it out themselves.

 

Regarding the competition/fundraiser:

 

If I'm in town: I'm in, regardless of what the format and rules are. I'd like to see random teams because there are lots of folks on here that I think I have different views from on various issues, and different backgrounds, but would still enjoy meeting - MTB, bhurt, and a few others to name a few.

 

Any prizes should be awarded randomly, and I don't think too many are required. Maybe go for one or a few bigger prizes. Trophies are a good idea. Largest brown, Largest Rainbow, and most team fish. Two days of fishing might be too much. Fish Saturday and have a BBQ/gasbag session on Sunday.