Just curious...what is a "beak" I have heard the term used a few times on this site and another??
A "beak" is anyone who is not fishing like the way you are fishing.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
vedder a gong show?no, this is where the true gong show is! ![Tongue :P](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/tongue.gif)
This is my contribution to keep people off the river.
![Grin ;D](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
Okay,I am wearing a bullet proof vest like The Obamas' getting ready to be shot.
Don't worry. Marco, Chris and I have skin thick enough on our faces that it is already bullet proof.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
And people wonder why less fishing reports are being posted?!
This seems to be a common statement whenever a disagreement arises in the fishing report. In reality, only a small percentage of people (just like in the "real world") will always be negative. In this case, one or two repliers out of more than ten. My take on this is, why would I stop participating because of a few individuals, unless I am insecured?
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
We had a lengthy discussion yesterday while fishing about whether I should include the questioned photograph in my write-up. In the end, we agreed that it should be included. It is a good story, perhaps a good lesson, which will be remembered and talked about for a long time among our peers. When these stories are published on the website, I am fully aware of the public scrutiny that may generate from time to time. Some maybe valid, others maybe initiated by
personal resentment, so I and many others have learned to pick and choose whose advises we should absorb.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
For every person who disapproves, hopefully there are ten people who appreciate the stories, which intend to excite people so they would get out and enjoy fishing as much as we do.
Like many other issues in sportfishing, the questionable action in this story falls in the grey area, which is clearly demonstrated in the follow-up discussion. The duration of the entire event was perhaps less than 10 seconds. Marco, like myself, is not a perfect being.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
If anyone can always make a sound judgement in a split second, he or she would have my highest respect.
![Grin ;D](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
For most of us common beings, mistakes take place from time to time. In this case, the mistake is that the fish got away instead of sitting in the oven right now.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Should Marco apologize for doing what he did? Not in my opinion, because I would probably have done the same thing, only with my other two limbs as well.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Fish that we intend to keep are lost from time to time, it's part of the game. If this fish actually did not make it back in the water, we would not even be discussing this.
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=18945.0Noticing that the fish's head was covered with blood, I wanted to rinse it and have the photo retaken. I brought the fish to the water and washed the blood off. Suddenly it wiggled and slipped away from my hand. Sensing freedom, it gave itself a good kick to several feet from shore!
Panic broke out on shore. I picked up my landing net while the fish swam slowly in circle on the surface. After a few attempts, I managed to push the fish back to shore with the landing net. I then grabbed the fish and it slipped from my hand again! It, again, gave itself another quick dart away from shore! This time, even further away, unreachable with the net.
I grabbed the spinning rod and began casting over it, hoping to use the spinner to... ahem, push it back. At this point, Marco came over to see what the heck was hapening. He then grabbed my other spinning rod so both of us were now trying to hook this little fish on the surface while Robj held the landing net, preparing to net in case it swam back to shore. After a few minutes, the unthinkable happened. The fish sank!
"It'll resurface..."
Yeah right!
![Cry :'(](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/cry.gif)
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=16074.msg156742#msg156742I gradually worked it to a slow slot where the slope is not as steep. A quick look for the adipose fin showed nothing, it was a hatchery fish!
I slid it up the beach and pushed it up a bit more with my hand. Just when I kneeled down to grab its tail, it flopped a couple of times and tumbled back into the drink! With the lure still in its mouth, I frantically got up and played the fish a few more seconds before the dreadful pop!
Shocked by what just happened, I stomped my feet and screamed while Luke gave me the "I can't believe you just did that" look. I looked across the channel, Lew was chuckling after witnessing the entire event.
Deflated, I sat down and replayed the entire thing in the head.
It is the hunting instinct within us, which is why most of us go fishing in the first place. If it was illegal, then the tune would be sung differently in the story. Comparing this to actions that are deemed illegal only weakens one's argument. A simple disapproval being voiced is good enough. We can agree to disagree when it comes to how we conduct ourselves morally until new laws are introduced. The reality is that sportfishing will always have a negative impact on our natural resource and we do our best to minimize it. No educated anglers would purposely harm a fish by kicking or gaffing it with no reason, which is obviously quite different to this scenario.
Perhaps some have misread...
![Grin ;D](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
Marco panicked and began kicking the water like a peewee soccer player, attempting to keep it in the shallow water.
It'd be silly to keep arguing at what actually took place while one side bases its argument on a photo while the other side, who was present at the event, defends.
If someone couldn't laugh at the end of this fiasco, then a visit to Dr Phil maybe required.
![Wink ;)](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
The three of us laughed at the misplay, but obviously it could be put out of context by some.
Ethics can be discussed until the sun dies and an agreement will still not be reached. I suggest that everyone should start talking about the fish that I killed instead.
![Grin ;D](http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/Smileys/default/grin.gif)