Pox Doctors Clerk
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:13 pm
The Pox Doctors Clerk.
I remember watching Neil Armstrong stepping on to the Moon with my family at a neighbor's house (we didn’t have a TV) my grandfather didn’t believe it, he was born in 1899, in his lifetime from horse & cart to space travel was too much, the world was changing at a pace he could not comprehend.
Somewhere along the way from then to now angling changed in a way that I find difficult to understand.
Since time immemorial fishing and hunting was a secretive and socially low profile sub culture, we went about our pursuits without fanfare or seeking recognition and were happy enough with the self-satisfaction of catching a fish or bagging our target, enjoying the outdoors, sometimes with a companion, sometimes alone, never with a crowd.
Fishing has somehow become a spectator sport.
At first it was books & magazines, and they were a good source of information and entertainment, purchased and read by those who were interested. They undoubtedly encouraged people to fish and inspired anglers to try new things. I was inspired to try lure fishing after reading an article by Vic Mcristal in the Australian Outdoors magazine while waiting at the barbers for a short back and sides. I caught a Flathead on a silver Wonderwobbler, purchased at that very barber shop, a lure that I still have over fifty years later.
Then came TV shows, at first they were raw and basic with little or no product placement or sponsored advertising, just blokes catching fish, names that were only known to other anglers like, Dyer, Florence and Calcutt. These were “specials” and had limited exposure that didn’t attract the general viewing audience.
I can’t recall when but celebrities then appeared on our TV screens fishing, ex footballers and other sport stars that relied on their prior achievements to attract an audience, the wider viewing audience started to tune in and were inspired to have a go at fishing, or at least watch their sporting heroes do it.
It didn’t take long for the corporate world to see that there was a quid to be made in angling, TV networks, tackle wholesalers, boat, car, clothing and camping equipment suppliers all got on the wagon.
There are so many fishing based programs on Australian TV with manufactured celebrity hosts it is by far the largest reality TV genre on our screens. Even more than cooking shows!
Angling is no longer a secretive or low profile sub culture, the wider community is exposed to lots of vision and images of people fishing for fun.
This also attracts new participants and inspires anglers to try different things and pursue new species or visit exotic places like the NT.
I cannot criticise this growth in participation, it was inevitable given the advancement in communication, add to that a healthy economy and a community with disposable income and endless products to buy.
It’s no surprise that hunting based reality TV in Australia is virtually non-existent. There’s plenty of DVDs one can get that are well made with great production values, information and entertainment, however the TV Networks are not showing them, killing animals for fun is not deemed to be marketable to the wider community viewer base and sponsors don’t want to be associated with a “blood sport “obviously catch and release does not happen in hunting.
The strong message used in the majority of TV fishing is catch & release; this is presently being accepted by the viewing public as OK, they only see bloodless successful releases.
My concern with this change into a spectator sport is the ability for all this vision and exposure to bite us on the arse.
It is entirely possible that some time in the future catching fish for fun will be demonised by animal rights extremists like the RSPCA, PETA and others, there are anti fishing/hunting lobby groups already active in Canberra.
They will have a significant amount of material available to them from this reality TV and other media that can be edited and presented in a way that could be used to justify their position to the wider community that don’t fish for fun, the vast majority of people.
Then there is the vision that does not make the screen, the blood and dying fish that don’t swim away after being fouled hooked in an eye or gills bleeding or suffering barotrauma. When the animal rights people get hold of that footage, fishing for fun could come under fire.
Perhaps it’s time to return to a little more secretive and low profile pursuit of our outdoors pleasure.
Turn down the ego a bit, sharing our achievements with the wider media should be done with respect for the pastime of fishing (it’s not a sport) and others who participate with regard for its content and who might see it. Ask greyhound owners how they fared from their 15 minutes of fame, the wider community generally looks at them with distain.
I’ve heard the statement “if it wasn’t for the sponsors this would not have been possible” made by every MC and winners of every fishing comp I have attended.
I wonder if they are referring to the profits made or the prize in their hand or the actual fishing. I’m sure the corporate sponsors want people to think it is the fishing, we have all seen the advertising; this comp won by this lure, sounder, line, reel etc.
Pop used to refer to the Pox Doctors Clerk, a spruiker dressed in garish clothing attracting attention and drumming up interest, usually for a dodgy reason. There is no shortage of PDC’s around, most are unaware they have been recruited as PDC’s, they are just trying to blend in with their peers or gain some form of ego based recognition, after all it’s on the TV so it must be OK.
Be wary of the corporate involvement, and marketing of our pursuit. After all their only in it for the money and if it turns sour they will drop it like tobacco support. As for recognition those who seek it rarely legitimately achieve it.
The future is unknown but we can influence it a little.
I remember watching Neil Armstrong stepping on to the Moon with my family at a neighbor's house (we didn’t have a TV) my grandfather didn’t believe it, he was born in 1899, in his lifetime from horse & cart to space travel was too much, the world was changing at a pace he could not comprehend.
Somewhere along the way from then to now angling changed in a way that I find difficult to understand.
Since time immemorial fishing and hunting was a secretive and socially low profile sub culture, we went about our pursuits without fanfare or seeking recognition and were happy enough with the self-satisfaction of catching a fish or bagging our target, enjoying the outdoors, sometimes with a companion, sometimes alone, never with a crowd.
Fishing has somehow become a spectator sport.
At first it was books & magazines, and they were a good source of information and entertainment, purchased and read by those who were interested. They undoubtedly encouraged people to fish and inspired anglers to try new things. I was inspired to try lure fishing after reading an article by Vic Mcristal in the Australian Outdoors magazine while waiting at the barbers for a short back and sides. I caught a Flathead on a silver Wonderwobbler, purchased at that very barber shop, a lure that I still have over fifty years later.
Then came TV shows, at first they were raw and basic with little or no product placement or sponsored advertising, just blokes catching fish, names that were only known to other anglers like, Dyer, Florence and Calcutt. These were “specials” and had limited exposure that didn’t attract the general viewing audience.
I can’t recall when but celebrities then appeared on our TV screens fishing, ex footballers and other sport stars that relied on their prior achievements to attract an audience, the wider viewing audience started to tune in and were inspired to have a go at fishing, or at least watch their sporting heroes do it.
It didn’t take long for the corporate world to see that there was a quid to be made in angling, TV networks, tackle wholesalers, boat, car, clothing and camping equipment suppliers all got on the wagon.
There are so many fishing based programs on Australian TV with manufactured celebrity hosts it is by far the largest reality TV genre on our screens. Even more than cooking shows!
Angling is no longer a secretive or low profile sub culture, the wider community is exposed to lots of vision and images of people fishing for fun.
This also attracts new participants and inspires anglers to try different things and pursue new species or visit exotic places like the NT.
I cannot criticise this growth in participation, it was inevitable given the advancement in communication, add to that a healthy economy and a community with disposable income and endless products to buy.
It’s no surprise that hunting based reality TV in Australia is virtually non-existent. There’s plenty of DVDs one can get that are well made with great production values, information and entertainment, however the TV Networks are not showing them, killing animals for fun is not deemed to be marketable to the wider community viewer base and sponsors don’t want to be associated with a “blood sport “obviously catch and release does not happen in hunting.
The strong message used in the majority of TV fishing is catch & release; this is presently being accepted by the viewing public as OK, they only see bloodless successful releases.
My concern with this change into a spectator sport is the ability for all this vision and exposure to bite us on the arse.
It is entirely possible that some time in the future catching fish for fun will be demonised by animal rights extremists like the RSPCA, PETA and others, there are anti fishing/hunting lobby groups already active in Canberra.
They will have a significant amount of material available to them from this reality TV and other media that can be edited and presented in a way that could be used to justify their position to the wider community that don’t fish for fun, the vast majority of people.
Then there is the vision that does not make the screen, the blood and dying fish that don’t swim away after being fouled hooked in an eye or gills bleeding or suffering barotrauma. When the animal rights people get hold of that footage, fishing for fun could come under fire.
Perhaps it’s time to return to a little more secretive and low profile pursuit of our outdoors pleasure.
Turn down the ego a bit, sharing our achievements with the wider media should be done with respect for the pastime of fishing (it’s not a sport) and others who participate with regard for its content and who might see it. Ask greyhound owners how they fared from their 15 minutes of fame, the wider community generally looks at them with distain.
I’ve heard the statement “if it wasn’t for the sponsors this would not have been possible” made by every MC and winners of every fishing comp I have attended.
I wonder if they are referring to the profits made or the prize in their hand or the actual fishing. I’m sure the corporate sponsors want people to think it is the fishing, we have all seen the advertising; this comp won by this lure, sounder, line, reel etc.
Pop used to refer to the Pox Doctors Clerk, a spruiker dressed in garish clothing attracting attention and drumming up interest, usually for a dodgy reason. There is no shortage of PDC’s around, most are unaware they have been recruited as PDC’s, they are just trying to blend in with their peers or gain some form of ego based recognition, after all it’s on the TV so it must be OK.
Be wary of the corporate involvement, and marketing of our pursuit. After all their only in it for the money and if it turns sour they will drop it like tobacco support. As for recognition those who seek it rarely legitimately achieve it.
The future is unknown but we can influence it a little.