Article

Pioneers and Conformists

Although we don't always recognise it, there’s room for improvement in so many areas within angling. As for the baits we choose to use, many anglers refuse to look beyond the next boillie, maggot, caster, or chunk of flavoured meat, etc, as they search for that next rod-wrenching bite. They know these baits catch so why should they experiment with anything else?

Perhaps these anglers could be accurately described as conformists; those amongst us who refuse to look beyond what the next angler is doing – as if effected by tunnel vision. Any effective developments made by the true pioneering anglers and the conformist again conforms to what he does best; he naturally follows suit.

Conformists can be divided into two types. Category ‘A’ being the nice, friendly, happy to get on with it without moaning type. These people love their fishing; often in all weathers, whether they catch or not. They are often fun to be with and sociable.

Category 'B' is a complete contrast to type ‘A’. Often competitive toward fellow anglers, B’s constantly moan. They are prone to resent the successes of others and in many instances believe the closed season on rivers should be lifted. Rarely are category B’s happy, except on those occasions they are posing with a big fish that’s been captured by countless anglers before them.

Seldom do B’s recognise the time and effort spent by the pioneer of the latest tackle innovation, trick, bait, additive, etc, or even the stretch of river that they themselves just so happen to be fishing. On the rare occasions that such recognition is acknowledged, the true B’s habit is to disregard it by saying something like: ‘If I had as much spare time as him/her I’d probably have thought of that myself.’ Alternatively: ‘If I was on the bank as often as him/her I’d catch just as many big Barbel as he/she does!’ Sound familiar?

I cannot speak for everyone possessing a pioneering spirit but, from my own experience, B’s also rapidly condemn those occasions in which the pioneer is unfortunate enough to experience a run of bad luck. The B's may then retort something like: ‘All that time wasted when ‘I’ told you it wouldn’t work.’ Of course, he may well have a grin on his face the size of a fat builder’s ‘crack’ as he spills such a statement.

What B's don't realise, however, is that true pioneers derive most of their pleasure from possessing the inclination to try out new things - whether they are successful or not. Each success they may be fortunate enough to experience is merely the icing on a cake that's made purely from the ingredients of inclination, trial and error, disappointment, satisfaction and, perhaps most important of all to those possessing a pioneering spirit, nonconformity!

Do you possess a pioneering spirit, or are you a category 'A' or 'B' conformist?