There is a lot of talk that the websites are the reason the rivers are busy...hogwash. There's a huge number of anglers out there...they all talk, cellphones, facebook, pm, etc...it's not a fishing website that necessarily brings the crowds, it's people's desire to boast about their day to their buddies and then the word gets out that does it.
Just look at the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx right now...it is packed every day almost, weekends you can't even fish because there are guys at every spot and then more in between spots doing walk in wades...(I hear this from a buddy that lives on the river and used to fish it a lot)...he says it is a gong show now, ridiculous and looking like the new vedder river.
Yet there isn't even one mention of the it here at BCFR or on the other sites the last few years, let alone a report. Now those paltry 2-300 fish that river gets are getting pounded day in and day out and what was once a nice quiet little local fishery has now been ruined for those that live there and have fished it since they were kids.
I like the format of the report you posted xray, i've never felt giving up the location or river name was ever necessary either, but the fact remains nothing has ever stopped people from making such reports, and they've had similar examples to work with in the past, so I don't really see that they are going to suddenly start posting them now.
It isn't reports on websites that are creating crowds on the rivers, but it very well might be the stigma or perception that websites are the reason for the crowds that keeps people from posting reports...ironic really.
We have a lot of really good anglers on this site...they all catch lots of fish, guides, former guides, old timers, a great core of guys that have fished for a long time too, there's no shortage of material to be posted...
Now, I would like to see more reports, but in another sense BCFR isn't really like the other sites in some ways...if you look at some of them, there's a lot of guys talking about how good they are posting fish as often as they can, definitely a braggarts show, every fish is an achievement to be heralded for all to see, a little too eager for anglers who have supposedly been doing it for a long time and are seasoned vets...it's kinda like taking a hero shot of a colored up, spawning fish, nothing exceptional about it so why brag about it...low quality stuff...that's where the ego's go, and letting your ego lead you is for teenagers and guys that never grew up. The slagging, jumping on people for hook position, or glove use, or posting about the stave or what have you, so much there that isn't really all that desireable when you think about it. You could liken it to reading the province vs the globe and mail or the New York Times...I've always felt BCFR falls into the latter categories, we have always tried to reduce that garbage, limit it and put quality first. I've always felt some pride in that.
Here it seems to be more about sharing a good day or posting something with a little more quality, thus less people posting 15 different shots of 4 fish they pound over in the same spot on the same little creek each week trying to seem like some hot shot top rod, and more posting a really cool pic that turned out sweet, or of a real hog not some cookie cutter 10 lber, or their first on the fly, or that super fresh mint glowing chromer, etc...
That's quality over quantity...huge quality over what you see elsewhere, there have been some qwesome reports of late, and I think those are the kind of reports that need to be encouraged...while at the same time discouraging the negative comments, the slagging, jabs and the elitist, "I'm the best angler around, you're all a bunch of beaks" type crap.
How do we achive that...is it by changing the formula? not allowing posting in response to reports? adjusting how we moderate..?
Personally I think the most immediately effective way to encourage is make sure that core group of guys here know what we want to encourage and respect, and make sure everyone is on the same page about what we want to discourage. The thanks button works well with that idea, but I think responding to reports is also key, because it gives an opportunity to focus on the good things and weed out the bad...
Combine that with a reminder to the board of what's appropriate in responding to reports, a refresher on the posting rules so to speak, and then a little closer moderation should make those who would otherwise not post, feel a little safer to do so.
(would need to handle the pm bashing that happens too though, make it clear to the members that we will take care of that stuff if the let us know about it.)