Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Beast on April 21, 2008, 11:24:26 PM

Title: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Beast on April 21, 2008, 11:24:26 PM
steelhead your only allowed to keep hatchery fish?

So one of my buddies caught a wild steelhead all good right did it by the "book"
any how this fish was bleeding bad the fish took the hole hook down the throat and i guess he tore something inside so DFO says to cut it loose so he did 10 minutes past and another DFO showed up with this fish in his hand and said that he found it down stream so we told him what happened and he gave us S*#t about it told us we should have kept it??? so i told him to slow down and to put it in PARK i ran to get the other DFO dude and he confirmed what had happened. no apology nothing from the other DFO dude so my Question is what should i have done.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: blaydRnr on April 21, 2008, 11:40:04 PM
that officer that told you to keep it, is a moron.
Suppose you had kept it, then had them find it in your possession? What then?  "Oh officer, I decided to bonk the fish because it swallowed the hook and was bleeding profusely".  You know what that officer is going to say to you?......"Nice Try".  :D :D :D

Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: troutbreath on April 21, 2008, 11:43:02 PM
Tough call.... with some wishy washy DFO's adding to the dilemma. Although if you fish for Steelhead long enough, the same situation with mortally wounding one is bound to happen. I go toward keeping the fish, as opposed to watching die in front of you. The current carrying it away :-\.If the DFO were right there to say let ur go Billy, well so be it.We let one go downstream and it seemed like a tragic waste. But do you risk looking like a poacher, especially at that time, as the river had a heavy CO patrol. My beater would have been confiscated and my Diawa spinning real :-\ Pro-tac rod etc.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Nicole on April 21, 2008, 11:51:44 PM
Always let the wild fish go.

Always.
Nicole

PS> was your friend using roe?
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Fish Assassin on April 22, 2008, 12:28:29 AM
that officer that told you to keep it, is a moron.
Suppose you had kept it, then had them find it in your possession? What then?  "Oh officer, I decided to bonk the fish because it swallowed the hook and was bleeding profusely".  You know what that officer is going to say to you?......"Nice Try".  :D :D :D



I agree. You're lucky that the first DFO officer was nearby to confirm your story. Otherwise it would your words against his. The regulations are quite clear; you must release wild steelhead. No buts or ifs.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Beast on April 22, 2008, 12:36:22 AM
nicole yes he was
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Beast on April 22, 2008, 12:39:45 AM
fish assassin
I agree. You're lucky that the first DFO officer was nearby to confirm your story. Otherwise it would your words against his. The regulations are quite clear; you must release wild steelhead. No buts or ifs.

he did release it thats why he gave us s**t??
funny isn't it
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: doja on April 22, 2008, 12:51:18 AM
No offense (may be true) but this story seems a little fishy. You mean to say your friend caught and mortally wounded a steelhead with DFO standing right besside him (low odds) then another one finds the dead steelhead down river (even lower odds) and then gives your friend **** for throwing it back (off the charts)?

The only way I see him giving your friend grief is if he thought your friend tried to keep the fish illegally and the first DFO didn't exist, in which good on him.

PS, why didn't he give the fish back to your friends if they were suppose to keep it?

Doja
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Rodney on April 22, 2008, 01:31:57 AM
Releasing a fish that is off-limit to anglers is not an ethical requirement, but a legal one. When an angler catch a wild steelhead, it is required to be released and he or she must do so in the manner that would ensure its survival. If it unfortunately dies after being released, anglers are prohibited to retain it and it is to be left at the river. Although it does not complete the spawning process, the dead fish would not be wasted as it becomes part of the nutrient cycle of that particular watershed.

The regulation prohibits anglers to retain a dead wild fish so it does not create a loop hole for anglers to "accidentally" kill one and keep it.

Next time, obtain the DFO officers' names when you think their decisions are questionable, so you can actually follow up afterward.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Beast on April 22, 2008, 01:55:46 AM
thanks Rodney i did get his name from the first officer and he gave me a number to call and ill be writing a letter also (like that would get far) ;)

doja: he stormed off like a 6 year old would after being told what to do ;D
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: doja on April 22, 2008, 04:23:30 AM
Writing a letter will go allot farther then phoning, BUT you must send it to the right person and word the letter very carefully so they will take it seriously and follow up on it. Ask them to respond.

IE make the letter look as if it were written by a lawyer or some professional who caries weight, be very courteous /don't threat, and let them know you were deeply hurt/offended by the poor professionalism /error and would like an apology and to know this would not happen to any one else.

Hope this helps, and to answear your question I would throw it back and hope for the best because even if it dies it will provide food/nutrient for other live creatures.

Doja
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: typhoon on April 22, 2008, 07:34:35 AM
No wonder there's no enforcement - all the CO's are standing within a couple hundred metre stretch where Beast fishes.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: mastercaster on April 22, 2008, 07:35:49 AM
I think I would have told the first CO.... Since this fish is going to die  why don't you take it and drop it off at the food bank or give it to the hatchery and they can do what they like with it.  Either that or take it out into the water, put a few big rocks on it and when it decomposes in will become nutrients for the fry.

Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Gooey on April 22, 2008, 07:57:01 AM
Only questions I have is what river was this?  I haven't seen a DFO on the vedder for 2-3 years let alone 2 in one day.

Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: typhoon on April 22, 2008, 08:43:38 AM
Thats completely irrelevant. I always find fish with with plastic baits in their guts, I have even found strips of marabou in their stomachs as well. Steelhead are stupid and will swallow any bait without thinking about it.
Right. Have you heard of anyone gut hooking a fish with a fly? It's never happened to me.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Nicole on April 22, 2008, 08:49:30 AM
I was just curious Birdman, get the bee out of your bonnet.

-Nicole

Always let the wild fish go.

Always.
Nicole

PS> was your friend using roe?
Thats completely irrelevant. I always find fish with with plastic baits in their guts, I have even found strips of marabou in their stomachs as well. Steelhead are stupid and will swallow any bait without thinking about it.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Walter Q on April 22, 2008, 07:05:59 PM
Quote
Thats completely irrelevant. I always find fish with with plastic baits in their guts, I have even found strips of marabou in their stomachs as well. Steelhead are stupid and will swallow any bait without thinking about it.


   What is so irrelevant about Nicole's question,,,,again?????? The plastic baits and marabou,,,,,did they have a hook attached to them???? Or would THAT question be irrelevant?????  Nicole's question and the following answer showed a few here a fact that many try to point out to new steelheaders when the firrst start fishing for the steelhead. And your answer about "pieces" of plastic and marabou in a steelie's tummie did the same thing. I just don't think you realized it.

   Thou a shame, wild bleeders have to be tossed back, thus Nicole's question about the roe.  I know, I know,,,,,it's not the place or time to open this can of worms,,,,,, ummm, roe, but the answer to Nicole's question, and even Birdman's comments brought light to a problem when fishing the guts.

   Personally, I have NEVER had a bleeder(knock wood) and never had to worry about "keeping" a bleeder. Of course I have never had to fish guts to catch my fish in the last thirty years. That's just me thou. I will also call BS on Birdman's comment on Steelhead "swallowing" any bait without thinking about.
Title: Re: Ethics (what do you do??)
Post by: Every Day on April 22, 2008, 07:31:25 PM
Personally, I have NEVER had a bleeder(knock wood) and never had to worry about "keeping" a bleeder. Of course I have never had to fish guts to catch my fish in the last thirty years. That's just me thou. I will also call BS on Birdman's comment on Steelhead "swallowing" any bait without thinking about.

I have never had a bleeder either (Steelhead). I use roe and shrimp a lot and even though Ive only been fishing Steelies for 2 years, none have gotten it farther than the bottom or upper lip (except one deeper in the mouth so I cut the hook out)

Secondly Steelhead will swallow anything that comes their way. I killed a fish yesterday and it had around 8 roe sacs it its stomach, 1 hook and a chunk of metal that was almost 2 inches long. It also had a peice of a rubber worm and some plastic. I sometimes wonder how these fish return to the ocean and live with a chunk of metal blocking their intestinal track?

Last but not least... never keep a wild fish. This year I foul hooked a coho (wild) while float fishing. I hooked it right behind the fin thats behind the gills. I ended up puncturing its heart and it was bleeding very badley, I cut the hook hoping the bleeding would stop and tried to revive it. He kicked away, but 3 mins later I saw him float up and go belly-up downriver. I sometimes wish you could keep the fish if somehow you had proof it would have died. Maybe take a photo or the bleeding or leave the hook thats lodged deep attachted to your line  ???