Its strange really how obsessed we get over what are basically hobbies, or indeed how emotional we get about pets. I do have a lot of compassion about animals and its broken my heart when I`ve lost pets in the past. Because of the type of work I do, I also care about people, particularly if they have genuine problems and are vulnerable and unable to fen for themselves.
A few years ago, I was privillaged to fish an exclusive carp water, I`m well known for my pranks and jokes, I caught a large carp, had my photo taken with it posing over it in my Monks Habit with a knife and fork in my hands. The carp was on an unhooking mat and was only kept out of the water for the time it took to take a normal photograph. I sent the photograph for publication and was amazed by the offence I had caused, in that I was taking the Pi** out of a carp. That wasnt my intention of course, as I`ve always been game for a laugh and considered it an harmless enough prank. It did however make me realise how sensitive and involved some people can become within the sport and indeed at what level of sensitivity they feel towards their quarry.
The same can apply for the genuine people who join many of the anti angling groups, they have a genuine believe that we are causing fish great pain and misery and without doubt it is diffilcut to justify sticking a large lump of metal in a fished mouth, under the name of sport and enjoyment