So I went fishing last week to a day ticket fishery. Took the wife so needed somewhere with toilets and cafe to keep her happy. Usual type of place, carp mostly but all the others there as well so suits me catching roach bream etc.
Alls going well catching tiddlers, swinging them in, unhooking and dropping them back in. Along comes the bailiff. " see that net" pointing to my landing net on the ground. I'm thinking surely it's not too small but no. " make sure you use it to land and return the fish" . I apologise for not using it and carry on fishing.
Now maybe 1or2 fish might have been better landed with the net but they probably only went 8oz at most and all the others were tiddlers. As I am a guest of the fishery I do as told and use my net for everything. It's not easy landing a 1oz fish in a net and releasing is even worse, have to double check to make sure he actually swam out of it.
I appreciate that the fishery doesnt want its fish damaged but when they're small I don't see what harm I'm doing. After all I've just stuck a hook in its mouth, held it in my hands and dragged it from its natural environment.
Also the fishery holds matches where the fish are dropped into keep nets in a similar manner to me returning them to the water.
I think I fished in an appropriate manner for the size of fish I caught.
What's your thoughts on the matter?
Alls going well catching tiddlers, swinging them in, unhooking and dropping them back in. Along comes the bailiff. " see that net" pointing to my landing net on the ground. I'm thinking surely it's not too small but no. " make sure you use it to land and return the fish" . I apologise for not using it and carry on fishing.
Now maybe 1or2 fish might have been better landed with the net but they probably only went 8oz at most and all the others were tiddlers. As I am a guest of the fishery I do as told and use my net for everything. It's not easy landing a 1oz fish in a net and releasing is even worse, have to double check to make sure he actually swam out of it.
I appreciate that the fishery doesnt want its fish damaged but when they're small I don't see what harm I'm doing. After all I've just stuck a hook in its mouth, held it in my hands and dragged it from its natural environment.
Also the fishery holds matches where the fish are dropped into keep nets in a similar manner to me returning them to the water.
I think I fished in an appropriate manner for the size of fish I caught.
What's your thoughts on the matter?