How To Get Friends To At Least Like Natives

When I started keeping natives, my friends scoffed a little, saying that native fish were dull colored, boring, and oversized and useless fish. Anyways, once they saw my smart little LMB and the living jewels that were my pumpkinseeds, they relented, saying they sort of looked like some South American cichlids . Anyways, how did your friends react when you started keeping natives? Did they nod and say "That's cool.", or did they go all like, "Why in the world would anybody keep WILD fish?"

I've always just let the fish speak for themselves

For the most part... Any fish species appropriate for the aquarium is someone else's "Bait".

Keep that in mind

Todd

Well, seeing as most of my friends are ecologists, they thought my native fish were cool right off the bat.

But really, it doesn't matter. If you think they are cool, that's what's important. It doesn't matter what they think.

I know, but it's differen to them, and they somewhat jokingly say stuff like, "So, how are your BASS going?" I don't know, my friends are just annoying, I guess.

I printed a couple photos of our local darters here near Chattanooga and brought them to church. I simply asked people where they thought these fish come from and I got answers like china, africa, south america. When I told them it was from the creek down the road you should have seen the faces. You have to show them the beauty of what is around them. Most people do not even know what a darter is much less the beauty of them and that they probably walk right by a creek on their walks that are full of them. Most people are not going to be struck with a photo of a Large Mouth Bass sorry. Bring them some dazzling photos of some of our more beautiful fish and I gurantee the jokes will stop.

I do bird watching as well and one of my coworkers when I lived in Canada thought I was pulling his leg when I told him I saw some beautiful wood ducks in the morning comming to work. He did not believe me till I brought him the book and proved it to him. One christmas I recieved a package for christmas and inside was a little wooden duck and the note inside stated "still enjoying those wooded ducks". People just do not know the beauty around them.