Just about to start again...

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yorkydoodle

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I'm about to return to angling after around 7 years away.

I sold all my gear when I stopped fishing, and I've been taking the past few weeks to buy in all my stuff again and to try to sort out the exact day of my latest debut back.

I'm fortunate that I live right next to a park here just outside Leeds, and I'll be able to indulge in many an evening - and hopefully the odd day - of going after the Tench (my favourite kind of fish to go for) and the healthy head of Roach we have in there.

The only doubt I have about coming back is the nagging question of whether angling is cruel. I've heard many an argument either way, and have pretty much brought myself far enough back into the 'no' camp to feel fairly happy about renewing my hobby.

Did anyone else have any of these same doubts, and does anyone have anything to say around this question?

Good to here, anyway, and I hope I might be able to get to know a few of you...:)
 
richiekelly

richiekelly

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Simple answer is no angling is not cruel, I dare say the fish don't enjoy it but ask yourself if the rivers would have any fish without anglers.
 
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carlosd

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Welcome to FM

Fishing is not cruel so just enjoy it like you used to :)
 
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mick b

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Welcome aboard.

Once an angler, always an angler.
Moral; never give up your tackle or never sell it, keep it until you die.

Since I have been unhooking my fish in a suspended rubber net it is amazing how little they struggle, often laying in exactly the same position as when they were netted until they are returned (I don't own a keep net).


Cruelty is very difficult to define, but if you think fishing is then maybe you should consider the last hours of a cows life which is spent standing in a lairage hearing your brethren being dropped while the smell of blood hangs constantly in the air.

.
 
Derek Gibson

Derek Gibson

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Welcome aboard mate:). I wouldnt beat yourself up on the subject of is angling cruel to the fish, in the absence of definative evidence we can speculate till the proverbial cows come home, I personaly dont feel it is given the lengths we anglers go to to treat them as respectfully and gently as we can. The only other option would be not to fish at all, but in view of the foregoing that would seem to be a premature knee jerk reaction.
 
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tookadum

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Welcome back to the angling world.

As to whether fishing is cruel, well Derek Gibson (previous comment) has it in a nutshell! :p
 
hunters moon

hunters moon

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:):) welcome back and welcome to fm hope you enjoy.
to answer your question no in all honesty I don't think angling is cruel, when you think of the lengths that dedicated anglers will go-to as to ensure the well
being of the fish we catch then no its not cruel and always remember can you
imagine what our waterways would be like if anglers did not keep an eye on them.


....I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily without regret.
....Roderick haig-brown.
 
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ashes68

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ello yorkydoodle. Fellow newbie to this forum,Personally I don't think angling is cruel at all, as said previously , the vast majority of us are extremely careful with our catch and I honestly don't think fish feel pain in the same way as mammals. I've caught Roach before now with no mid section , obviously had a run in with a pike, but they're still taking bait ( no stomach to digest it, but still feeding) do you think it would be possible for a creature with anything like our ability to feel pain could do the same? I don't believe they suffer much stress either , I'm positive that once or twice I've caught the same fish again within minutes of unhooking it! Can't be stressed if it goes straight back to feeding in the same spot. Not very intelligent either, but manage to our smart me on a pretty regular basis!
 
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Tee-Cee

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I think you will have to make up your own mind on the cruelty aspect of fishing. Lots of differing opinions and no definitive answer.....much like the question of 'Do I join the Anglers Trust'....no answer apart from your own peace of mind and can you live with taking a hook from a fishes mouth.

It's only my opinion but I do everything I can for the welfare of the fish. Barbless hooks, minimal time out of the water, a quality unhooking mat and no extended photo sessions, minimal handling just to name a few. Also many new ideas on the market to help with things such a lead weights falling away if you lose fish.
Also good to carry antiseptic to treat wounds found on the occasional fish which can only help in the ling run..............

No, it's up to you and only you can decide if you can live with all fishing entails.....................



ps welcome to FM...great website and very helpful and knowledgeable members, so hope to hear from you soon!!!
 
rich4930

rich4930

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Sounds just like me mate :)

I gave up and sold my stuff about 22 years ago, largely as a result of the hardcore/punk music scene I was into at the time, also inherently enjoyed by many student vegan anti-this anti-that types, including my girlfriend at the time. So I did exactly what punk tells you NOT to do and that is, let others tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Now older and wiser, I've learned to think for myself and make my own decisions, which is exactly what the eighties band Crass wanted us to do all along! ;)

I too spent a long time debating whether I consider fishing to be cruel or not and well let's just say, in the end I decided to go for it again! But selfishness played a big role too. I'm 44 now, got kids, work in the IT branch and live a typical stressful lifestyle. I want(ed) something to balance my life and I know from experience it has to be fishing! :D
 
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laguna

laguna

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Don't listen to the Germans, most of us are conservationists at heart and believe catch and release is not cruel. Do what you feel is right and whatever your conscience allows nobody else's opinion matters anyway.

ps Im referring to Germany's stupid catch and kill policy.
 
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