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But its not to stop anglers fishing for Salmon just from taking them, if a fish is healthy I believe it should go back but I suppose old habits are hard to break.
There are a number of issues, really. Firstly the number of bodies with an interest in bossing anglers about, exploiting their organisational weaknesses.
Regarding killing salmon there are two main factors to consider:
1. The tradition in places like rural Wales of fishing for the pot. The purchase of fishing rights is expensive, and, where there is a tradition of catching fish to eat, fisherman may vote with their feet, opening the way for canoes and the miraculous appearance of barbel.
2. Fresh run salmon according to current lore do not have a great chance of surviving the battle against treble hooks and the difficulty netting. It has been said that a careful gaff would be kinder. As the fish weather into kippers they become tougher, but a bar of silver can be delicate.
I spoke to a distraught chap one spring eve who had returned his first only to watch it go belly up. I pronounced salmon fishing as morally indefensible, even though I do it myself, this made him feel worse of course, making a pleasant end to my evening.
You might have no time for tradition but if three quarters of the 200 members you need leave your club you might find some modicum of time n'est pas?
Current lore is a learned and knowledgeable source that I have no wish to name.
Pike are not salmon and yes trebles are being eased out of use slowly.
Not practical to use a pike net in the salmon swims, you need it on the back too, to cover the ground and then, of course, getting a salmon in the net in a roaring current on a 15 foot rod is not easy.
I was talking salmon so will leave the barbel aside, other than my earlier rather facile acknowledgement of the vast amount of propagation of that species, and one not impartial to salmon eggs.
Your bit about barbel shows you in your true colours, I will allow this to die now as I don't want to get involved with someone that has those views on barbel to that end I will place you on my ignore list.