R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
There has developed in the past few years a cult amongst both game and saltwater fishers that all fish caught must be released. It's reached the point now where the ardent C&R protagonists look down with utter scorn on those who knock the fish on the head and eat them.
My own opinion is simple. I practice both C&R and eating my game or saltwater fish. I have nothing personally against people who do both.
However I do at times get very annoyed with people who come up to me on a trout water as I am clonking a trout on the head as say: "Oh I could never kill a wonderful creature like that." Then they go home to fish and chips or steak and ale without another thought.
Then you get the guys on trout waters who take out a catch and release ticket. They are competent anglers and there you see them, landing trout after trout. The fish are bounced around in a net, often being laid on the gravel bank and the hook dragged out. Worse still, the trout is held up by the gills for a photo and then released. I have seen it guys, make no mistake.
Then all you see are dead trout in the margins a few hours later. What a horrible bloody waste. Those fish would have been far better knocked on the head and taken home.
What made me most annoyed some years ago was when one of our top coarse angling writers suggested that trout anglers carry weigh slings and unhooking mats!!!!!
What utter bolloxs.
Trout are not like coarse fish for crying in a bucket! Even grayling squirm like mad in your hands. They are like eels they are and will not tolerate being handled.
Rainbow trout are in fact the piscatorial equivalents of pheasants. They were introduced to this country as a food fish and that means on most waters they are released to be caught and killed. The turn-over of fish is what keeps a good fishery viable.
But I, of course, practice C&R quite a bit. On some "easy" waters, it's possible for a decent fly fisher to catch his limit in a very short period of time. That means he has a short day out and unless he or she buys another ticket, it's over.
Personally I do not reside in opposite camps. I do kill a few fish on most of my visits, and I eat them too. I have also a few friends who appreciate the odd fresh trout. I also release lots of fish, but they taken off the hook whilst still in the water. I do not lift them out in the net. Trout are not like tench.
As regards sea fish, I cannot ever remember releasing any, except perhaps mullet or very small specimens. Sea species brought up from deep water will not survive at all. Best eat them. Most saltwater fish are lovely grub anyway.
My own opinion is simple. I practice both C&R and eating my game or saltwater fish. I have nothing personally against people who do both.
However I do at times get very annoyed with people who come up to me on a trout water as I am clonking a trout on the head as say: "Oh I could never kill a wonderful creature like that." Then they go home to fish and chips or steak and ale without another thought.
Then you get the guys on trout waters who take out a catch and release ticket. They are competent anglers and there you see them, landing trout after trout. The fish are bounced around in a net, often being laid on the gravel bank and the hook dragged out. Worse still, the trout is held up by the gills for a photo and then released. I have seen it guys, make no mistake.
Then all you see are dead trout in the margins a few hours later. What a horrible bloody waste. Those fish would have been far better knocked on the head and taken home.
What made me most annoyed some years ago was when one of our top coarse angling writers suggested that trout anglers carry weigh slings and unhooking mats!!!!!
What utter bolloxs.
Trout are not like coarse fish for crying in a bucket! Even grayling squirm like mad in your hands. They are like eels they are and will not tolerate being handled.
Rainbow trout are in fact the piscatorial equivalents of pheasants. They were introduced to this country as a food fish and that means on most waters they are released to be caught and killed. The turn-over of fish is what keeps a good fishery viable.
But I, of course, practice C&R quite a bit. On some "easy" waters, it's possible for a decent fly fisher to catch his limit in a very short period of time. That means he has a short day out and unless he or she buys another ticket, it's over.
Personally I do not reside in opposite camps. I do kill a few fish on most of my visits, and I eat them too. I have also a few friends who appreciate the odd fresh trout. I also release lots of fish, but they taken off the hook whilst still in the water. I do not lift them out in the net. Trout are not like tench.
As regards sea fish, I cannot ever remember releasing any, except perhaps mullet or very small specimens. Sea species brought up from deep water will not survive at all. Best eat them. Most saltwater fish are lovely grub anyway.