Unacceptable practice?

[Titus]

I have noticed a couple of recent threads and articles where fish are hung buy the hook for photographs.
One of them is in the help with species thread where a tommy ruff is left hanging the other is on the Popes diary where an unidentified Australian spices is photographed hanging by the lip.
My question is how big does a fish have to be before this practice is deemed unacceptable?

 

[dangermouse]

Yeah it`s not something I like to see and it was my first thought when I saw the photo of the ruffe. In fairness that pic was taken by a novice, someone who has only been fishing 6 weeks, so he probably doesn`t know any better. A polite word in the thread or in a pm would probably see an end to the practice, by him at least.

 

[Judas Priest]

To be honest Titus I find the whole thing distasteful. To stand there like a grinning goon whilst the fish, any fish, is left hanging just for a picture is wholly unacceptable. What if we did that with carp barbel roach etc can you imagine the outcry.
Respect for your quarry is for all fish not just those we deem deserving of it

 

[captainbarnacles]

Match fishermen have been swinging fish in for decades and no body seems to mind , personally i think anything over 2 oz is too big.

 

[stillwater blue]

I'm sure I'm not the only angler that swings smaller fish of all species to hand whilst fishing. So whilst I find a pic of a swinging fish a hint dis-tasteful I would be a hypocrite to condemn it.

 

[Judas Priest]

There's a huge difference between swinging a small fish to hand and posing in that manner just for a photo. Next barbel I catch I'll put a photo up with the same pose and we'll see the condemnation flood in.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I'm not a fan of seeing pike held by the gills , maybe it does no harm

 

[richiekelly]

Although it may look as if they are being held by the gills they are being held under the chin which does give some control over the fish.

 

[terry m]

Pike properly held by the chin offer less risk to the fish than if held in the normal fish cradling way.

 

[cg74]

I have noticed a couple of recent threads and articles where fish are hung buy the hook for photographs.
One of them is in the help with species thread where a tommy ruff is left hanging the other is on the Popes diary where an unidentified Australian spices is photographed hanging by the lip.
My question is how big does a fish have to be before this practice is deemed unacceptable?

I personally don't see a problem with Steve holding what is essentially a 12oz flatty, which I'm guessing are not really any different to our flounder, plaice, dab etc - Hard bony mouthed.
That and it was probably caught on a hook somewhat bigger than we'd use for catching roach of a similar size - More than likely a size 2 to 1/0. Suggesting to me that damage incurring from the pose is highly unlikely.

Now this pose does make me wince, though it is common practice in the USA:
http://hot100tips.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Largemouth-Bass.jpg#large mouth bass

In answer to your question, it depends on many factor; the physical toughness of fish's mouth, where exactly is the hook located, what size hook is being used and ultimately is the fish going to be returned.

 

[Titus]

My post was not aimed at anyone in particular, the question I asked was, "how big does a fish have to be before this practice is deemed unacceptable?"

If you consider that whatever the size of the fish is it normally lives in a weightless environment and when it is taken out of the water it is subject to gravity then it is obvious that its skeleton is being asked to do something it has not evolved to do, ie support it's body weight.
As the skeleton is proportional to the size of the fish it is logical to assume that if it is wrong to display a heavy fish this way then it is also wrong to display a light fish this way as the proportional weight on the skeleton is the same.

Incidentally the same argument can be used for chinning a pike without supporting the body and is the reason why tailers, which suspend the fish by the tail, have been banned in game angling where catch and release is practiced.

 

[Paul Boote]

I dunno. Anglers sticking hooks in fish. Whatever next?

No unhooking-mat for dabs, gobies and flounders?

No "Excuse me whilst I kiss this guy / carp / barbel" (Sorry, Jimi).

Wot a bad example (Grrrrr!).

I'm so faux outraged (not to mention Swivelization-threatened) that I'm not renewing my subscription to the Weaver Fish Trust.

Right. That's that out of the way. Back to real life and real fishing.

 

[jacksharp]

We all swing tiddlers in and net anything that we deem to be a danger to the rod (or the fish).

I don't often agree with Das Boote, but if we really gave a sh!t about fish welfare we wouldn't be angling for them would we?

 

[Paul Boote]

Don't know who you are, Jackie Boy, but do be aware of just who you appear to be trying to wind up and /or take on. Watch your apropos of nothing at all, personal side-swipes - proper Anglers are above them; they just fish and don't snipe and politick.

 

[rains]

Nah i just fish with an marlin boat rod and 500lbs briad i can catapult them out

 

[jacksharp]

Don't know who you are, Jackie Boy, but do be aware of just who you appear to be trying to wind up and /or take on. Watch your apropos of nothing at all, personal side-swipes - proper Anglers are above them; they just fish and don't snipe and politick.

A pantomime Dame by the sound of it, with gross delusions of grandeur! I don't give a monkey's if you've fished in the Queen of Sheba's jacuzzi for sand sharks, you still persist in posting pompous rubbish, and me, well I'm just downright irreverent!

 

[dorsetandchub]

A pantomime Dame by the sound of it, with gross delusions of grandeur! I don't give a monkey's if you've fished in the Queen of Sheba's jacuzzi for sand sharks, you still persist in posting pompous rubbish, and me, well I'm just downright irreverent!

I'm irrelevant. Could we be related? I think we should be told.....

 

[jacksharp]

I'm irrelevant. Could we be related? I think we should be told.....

Separated at birth and brought up, unaware of each other's existence, you in your country seat and me in my pauper's hovel. Nice to meet you bro'.

 

[dorsetandchub]

Willy Russell - Blood Brothers


Now, I don't want you to worry - I still have my socialist principles, in my 40 acres!!

(There's no 40 acres but I AM still a Nye Bevin boy.)

If you're not a liberal at 20, you've no heart - if you're not a conservative at 30, you've no brain - Winston Churchill.

I care about people too much, at 47, to tread that particular well known path.

 

[Paul Boote]

A pantomime Dame by the sound of it, with gross delusions of grandeur! I don't give a monkey's if you've fished in the Queen of Sheba's jacuzzi for sand sharks, you still persist in posting pompous rubbish, and me, well I'm just downright irreverent!

No sonny, you are just one of a long line of fishy online warriors looking to take a pop. As I said to a moderator here about them as a breed last week, if they could only control their outbursts, there would be none of this silly mud-slinging and nonsense. But no, it makes them feel so-o-o-o-o-o good, feel a somebody for a brief moment. Pathetic.