GrahamM
Managing Editor
- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 9,773
- Reaction score
- 1
The biggest problem with John Bailey is that he is being watched closely by the anti-angling mobs. He is the most quoted angler on one of their websites, simply because he provides the most and the best quotes from their perspective. For that reason alone he should be extremely careful about what he writes.
For instance, not so long ago I took him to task about writing about the stress that fish feel when being lifted from the water. And I don?t mean lifted from the water and taken to the bank for a photograph, but simply lifted and held above the water. He said all fish should be unhooked while still in the landing net in the water. Any other way subjects them to too much stress and trauma.
My argument was that if the mere act of lifting them above the water caused them stress, then sticking a hook in them and hauling them, obviously against their will, to the landing net, was indefensible.
The bottom line of which is that we don?t have a leg to stand on in any debate with the antis, or anyone else who asks us to justify catching fish, if the mere act of lifting them from the water causes stress and trauma.
John Bailey, as much as I admire him as a wordsmith and a photographer, is not doing fishermen or the fish any favours.
For instance, not so long ago I took him to task about writing about the stress that fish feel when being lifted from the water. And I don?t mean lifted from the water and taken to the bank for a photograph, but simply lifted and held above the water. He said all fish should be unhooked while still in the landing net in the water. Any other way subjects them to too much stress and trauma.
My argument was that if the mere act of lifting them above the water caused them stress, then sticking a hook in them and hauling them, obviously against their will, to the landing net, was indefensible.
The bottom line of which is that we don?t have a leg to stand on in any debate with the antis, or anyone else who asks us to justify catching fish, if the mere act of lifting them from the water causes stress and trauma.
John Bailey, as much as I admire him as a wordsmith and a photographer, is not doing fishermen or the fish any favours.