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24 on/48 off suggested that this topic might be worth a dedicated thread, rather than continuing discussion within the fishing reports. I thought that to be a good idea, sooo....
Uncleroy and Smj were commenting on why people feel the need to “solo.” Here’s what I think. There are several types of soloists. First of all, we have the clueless. These are good people who simply think hog lines are for good old boys who have fished with and lied to each other for years. Jumping in with strangers can feel as rude as leaning over the fence and ogling someone else’s backyard barbeque in progress. So, they hang back and go it alone.
Next we have the skillless. This set of folk includes the obviously ignorant. They don’t know how to anchor, back their boat, or practice basic etiquette. They smile, wave, and solo without thinking about whose trolling pattern they’re going to screw up, or how their position will affect someone playing out a fish.
Then we have the shy and self-conscious. These are fisherman who are reasonably competent but know that they will screw up big time in front of an audience. (BTW I put myself in this category. This is because I have noticed that every time I make a mistake on the water there are at least 1200 people nearby and all of them are looking at me. Who wants 1200 people snickering and laughing at you?)
A fourth group is the increasing number of us who have learned not to trust strangers anywhere, anytime. All you have to do is read ifish posts describing rude, even violent behavior experienced up and down the river. Why risk subjecting your wife, kids, or grandkids to an obscene or threatening outburst? Congregations of strangers are therefore avoided like the plague.
So what’s the answer? One thing I can think of is to post a list of do’s and don’ts for joining a hog line – or starting one for that matter. (I haven’t searched the archives so forgive me if that list is already out there.) If the list doesn’t cover things as basic as asking for permission to join, as well as how (and when) to politely refuse, it ought to.
Finally, I think everyone needs to remember the need for patience. Think of how we tend to behave when someone has to enter or leave an adjoining seat, as on an airplane or at the movies. A polite “excuse me” earns so many “forgiveness points” for jostles, bumped knees, even stepped on toes. We know and expect that there will be a moment of awkwardness, perhaps even discomfort in these close encounters. But things settle down quickly and in a matter of minutes everyone has forgotten about the disruption.
On the other hand, I have to admit that no one has ever crossed my line or knocked off a fish at the movies!
Uncleroy and Smj were commenting on why people feel the need to “solo.” Here’s what I think. There are several types of soloists. First of all, we have the clueless. These are good people who simply think hog lines are for good old boys who have fished with and lied to each other for years. Jumping in with strangers can feel as rude as leaning over the fence and ogling someone else’s backyard barbeque in progress. So, they hang back and go it alone.
Next we have the skillless. This set of folk includes the obviously ignorant. They don’t know how to anchor, back their boat, or practice basic etiquette. They smile, wave, and solo without thinking about whose trolling pattern they’re going to screw up, or how their position will affect someone playing out a fish.
Then we have the shy and self-conscious. These are fisherman who are reasonably competent but know that they will screw up big time in front of an audience. (BTW I put myself in this category. This is because I have noticed that every time I make a mistake on the water there are at least 1200 people nearby and all of them are looking at me. Who wants 1200 people snickering and laughing at you?)
A fourth group is the increasing number of us who have learned not to trust strangers anywhere, anytime. All you have to do is read ifish posts describing rude, even violent behavior experienced up and down the river. Why risk subjecting your wife, kids, or grandkids to an obscene or threatening outburst? Congregations of strangers are therefore avoided like the plague.
So what’s the answer? One thing I can think of is to post a list of do’s and don’ts for joining a hog line – or starting one for that matter. (I haven’t searched the archives so forgive me if that list is already out there.) If the list doesn’t cover things as basic as asking for permission to join, as well as how (and when) to politely refuse, it ought to.
Finally, I think everyone needs to remember the need for patience. Think of how we tend to behave when someone has to enter or leave an adjoining seat, as on an airplane or at the movies. A polite “excuse me” earns so many “forgiveness points” for jostles, bumped knees, even stepped on toes. We know and expect that there will be a moment of awkwardness, perhaps even discomfort in these close encounters. But things settle down quickly and in a matter of minutes everyone has forgotten about the disruption.
On the other hand, I have to admit that no one has ever crossed my line or knocked off a fish at the movies!
