I understand that assessment.
"Plenty of people report long grinds with very high stats, and quick grinds with low stats." If I knew that was being reported in equal measure I'd agree with your assesment.
It seems that those people are the expected RNG outliers. The people I'd expect to be reporting. Super lucky, & super unlucky. Geared up and got expected results? Why report?
If you are keeping formal tally, chalk me up for BiS gathering + Spinach quiche = a short run on OPs fish. (5 Heatwaves)
Is it possible, with the Ninja anecdote that due to gear, one's gathering was maxed out regardless of food? If you have min gathering to hit gold ore, you start at about 70% chance to hit it. As you raise gathering your percent goes up till you reach a wall at 95%. If you're gear get's you to 95% gathering food has no further effect. Could that be a plausible explanation for the results of the Ninja test?
