JOIN THE TEN PERCENTERS

Starlo applies the “Pareto Principle” to fishing, and explains how you can lift your game, improve your catch rate, and join that so-called “elite” of highly successful anglers who consistently seem to catch more and bigger fish than the rest of the mob… The good news is, it’s not even all that hard to do!

The “Pareto Principle’ —also known as the 80-20 Rule —is a concept frequently quoted by economists and statisticians. This “rule” asserts that, on average, 80 per cent of all outcomes will result from 20 percent of inputs. In other words, in a business, 80 percent of sales are likely to be generated by just 20 percent of customers. In an orchard, 20 percent of the fruit trees will tend to produce around 80 percent of the annual crop. On a sporting team, 20 percent of the players will account for roughly 80 percent of the points scored across a season… and so on.

Obviously, results in many real-life instances don’t precisely fit this mathematical 80-20 model, but it’s amazing how often they end up being very close to that mark, especially over time. The ratio may be more like 70-30, or it could skew the other way and be closer to 90-10. But the bottom line is that a relatively small proportion of inputs or participants involved in any endeavour almost always tend to produce an outsized result at the other end.

So, what’s this got to do with fishing? Well, quite a bit, as it turns out!

I’m sure you’ve heard the claim that 10 percent of the recreational angling fraternity catch 90 percent of the fish? This is very much an example of the Pareto Principle in action, and I believe it’s also an accurate assessment of the true situation out on the water.

Catches are not evenly spread amongst participants. A relatively small number of individual anglers consistently land more and bigger fish than their counterparts.

Non-fishers and casual danglers tend to talk a lot about “luck” when it comes to explaining this sort of disproportionate fishing success, and there’s absolutely no doubt that “chance” (another term for luck) can play a significant role in one-off captures, and even in streaks or runs of good fortune. But, as with any form of gambling, these statistical variations inevitably flatten out over time. That’s why, in casino parlance, the house always wins. In the end, luck runs out.

The genuine “ten percenters” of fishing aren’t lucky. They’re simply good at what they do, and they also tend to put in 20 percent more effort than the rest of the field (there’s that Pareto Principle at work again!). As South African-born golfing legend, Gary Player, was fond of saying: “The harder I work, the luckier I get!” (American founding father, Thomas Jefferson, wrote something very similar a couple of centuries earlier, so it’s not a new concept.)

You probably know some of these fishing “ten per centers”. You may even be one yourself. If you’re not, I’m sure you aspire to join their ranks — otherwise I doubt you’d be reading this! The good news is that anyone can become a fishing ten percenter. It’s not a genetic trait inherited at birth, nor some sort of magical power gifted to a few fortunate recipients by a fairy’s secret touch. Instead, it’s mostly the product of trying a bit harder!

Big golden perch can test your knots!

Mulloway are often the province of the ten percenters

Tying better, stronger knots; checking hook points and changing or re-sharpening them as necessary; catching your own bait instead of buying it from the servo; re-spooling or topshotting reels more frequently; test-swimming lures and tweaking their actions and buoyancy to suit specific situations; examining the stomach contents of kept fish… these are all examples of the sorts of increased inputs that produce disproportionately large outcomes. Remember: 20 percent in, 80 percent out!

Lots of casual fishos — I often call them “danglers” — are perfectly happy to prop their rod up on a forked stick, lie back in a comfy chair and crack a can of their favourite beverage while waiting for a foolhardy fish to find the slowly-thawing prawn skewered awkwardly onto their rusty, blunt hook and anchored to the bottom with a massive sinker. More power to them! They’re outdoors, and they’re having fun. But they won’t become ten percenters.

On the other hand, if you’ve stayed with me this far, you’re either already a ten percenter, or you’re keen to become one. If so, you’re also one of those people I’ve dedicated my life as a fishing communicator to helping. Teaching people like you to fish smarter, catch more and have fun doing it is what motivates me, gets me out of bed in the morning, and keeps me excited and engaged about the passionate pastime that has shaped my life.

In the early days, I achieved this aim of helping others to become ten percenters through magazine articles, how-to books, and on-stage presentations at shows and expos. Later came TV programs, videos and DVDs. But nothing stands still. The world of communication is constantly evolving. Today, magazines have all-but vanished, and few people bother reading books. YouTube has largely replaced videos and DVDs, while streaming services are fast taking over from free-to-air TV. For many, social media is the new fishing club. The internet is everywhere and all-pervasive. It’s a brave new world, and those who fail to evolve get left behind and are quickly forgotten.

The author with a lovely fly-caught salmon

I made the decision a long time ago not to be a dinosaur stuck in the tar pit, or an angry old man yelling at the clouds. I may be well into my 60s now, but I don’t waste my time bemoaning the loss of the “good ol’ days” (even if there are things I miss!). Instead, I embrace the new and appreciate the flexibility and reach offered by modern technologies. Truth is, it has never been easier to speak directly to the people who most need your help than it is in today’s hyper-connected world. We are each but a mouse-click or a screen tap apart.

With this in mind, I clearly see the next phase of my life-long role as a fishing communicator, educator and entertainer lying squarely in the digital world. I’ve already embraced YouTube, and viewers seem to be loving my content (the channel is called “Starlo Gets Reel”, if you haven’t yet discovered it). Now, I’m moving into the field of on-line courses and webinars and these also look like being popular. Some are free, while others carry a modest fee. If you’d like to find out more about these resources and receive notifications when new ones drop, scan the QR code hereabouts.

We live in an era of churning disruption and ceaseless change. This can be daunting at times, especially for older people like me. But it’s also incredibly exciting. These days, if you want to learn something new, or sharpen a skill you already have, it’s incredibly easy to find help. Sure, some bits of advice are more valuable than others, but as Fox Mulder famously claimed on the “X-Files” TV show: “the truth is out there”. I’d love to help you find it.