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[KLX]

Over the years i have gone from bonker(teenager), to strict c and r(20-33yrs) with the odd fish taken.

But lately my ethics are evolving and i really have to reflect on what the purpose of C&R fishing is...in then end i can only come to conclusion that i am harassing wildlife, no matter how much care i think i am taking with released fish.

I spend alot of time outdoors, not just fishing, and i see the sensitivity of the environment in different ways. I don't really think the politics of a C&R fishery is helping in any way to save our species.

For me, i am determined now to only fish if i plan on harvesting viable species and only when i need the food. I will stop when i take what i need or my limit. That being said, i will continue to fly fish only simply because i enjoy it most and it offers the greater challenge.

Just some words to maybe make people think and to express my unsolicited view on our 'sport'.

Not meaning to offend, just provoke thought.

[Sam Salmon]

I don't really think the politics of a C&R fishery is helping in any way to save our species.

Did you mean the species as in fish or species as in human?

In either case you're right-humans are destroying the world as fast as they can and most couldn't care less-they have money as their god and the natural world be damned.

In fact some of those people post on this forum.

[marmot]

Uh oh, PETA got another one!!!

Like anything I think common sense comes into play..you wouldn't catch and release fish while they were spawning or under any other sort of duress.  Other than that until it's proven that it is harmful I wouldn't sweat it too much.  How many times have you caught the same fish two or three times in the same outing...?  I think fish are quite resilient as long as you are handling them properly.

That said, last year I sat out of the coho season because to me it just felt better to leave them alone to do their thing.  

You should think about your argument though.  If you are only fishing when you NEED to harvest fish, you should hang up the rods altogether.  It's very unlikely that you would be able to spend less going out on a fishing excursion than to just zip to the store for a can of tuna.  Lets face it, you enjoy it, and that is why you fish....the food is a bonus.  

Also think about what C/R fishermen have given back to the sport in terms of fighting for the protection of fragile ecosystems, education, etc.....   not saying that we deserve to catch fish, thats not the point, rather that without C/R fishing we'd have far less fishermen out there and far less support for the fish in the long run.  Same goes for retention guys too.  People usually only care about things they are involved in directly.

I've thought about it in the past too but there are positives that I don't think you are considering.  I do agree that the politics surrounding C/R are a mess and in their current state don't address a lot of issues such as retention of wounded fish, fishing after retaining your limit on a harvest species etc.  As well I don't think DFO does enough complete shutdowns of at risk fisheries.  There are a lot of conflicts that arise between ethics and the law that haven't been well thought out in this arena, in my opinion.

[coho killer]

It's a good argument but im gonna continue to catch and release fish because its the best way to fish

[the carp]

KLX, I respect your views and feelings on our sport. I do however wonder, if you decide yo harvest a steelhead, or a coho for that matter, in your quest for a supper fish if you encounter a wild fish you will have to release it. Does that not blow your c/r views to pieces? Just curious, i think you might have to quit fishing and purchase your supper fish from the market.

[dereke]

Also think about what C/R fishermen have given back to the sport in terms of fighting for the protection of fragile ecosystems, education, etc.....   not saying that we deserve to catch fish, thats not the point, rather that without C/R fishing we'd have far less fishermen out there and far less support for the fish in the long run.  Same goes for retention guys too.  People usually only care about things they are involved in directly.

  Completely agree,  we need as many eyes to watch our waters as possible.  Without this its another forgotten water source that gets destroyed by development or damming etc.

[Scott]

KLX, I think this is a great discussion question and has been one that I have been pondering for awhile.  Why do I fish?  If I was to answer this question honestly I would have to say because I enjoy the challenge and process of catching a fish.  Part of me wants to have fish for dinner as well.  I am after hatchery steelhead because they taste good.  I do not see a difference between catching a hatchery fish and buying one from the store.  In both instances, these fish are caught and abused, which I think is okay because I like my fish and chips just like I like my McDonald hambergers and Keg steaks.  Eating meat is contributing to the process of slaughter, which I am personally okay with.  As far as catching a wild steelhead when hatchery were targeted, this complicates the matter.  At least when you buy fish from the store you eliminate the possibility of catching a wild.  So in that sense, buying from the store is better, but I think if one holds the position that C&R is a form of fish abuse, and desires to have a consistent ethic in regards to the fair treatment of fish, they cannot be a fisherman.  Just because catch and release fisherman help replenish the stocks (which was a good point above), that good that they do does not nullify the bad that is inflicted on the fish when the hook penetrates their mouth and they are forced to fight someone who doesn't intend on keeping them.  To be consistent, that person would have to give up the rod and strictly help replenish fish stocks.

[work2fish]

I think sport fishing has many more positives than the alternatives of commercial netting, or fish farming, regardless of whether it's C&R only or a personal harvest situation.  People that fish are more likely to care about thier rivers and water ways, it's good for you physically and mentally, and sport caught fish are going to be cleaner and fresher than any other method of obtaining fish (unless you don't handle your catch with care).  It's still possible to abuse the resource by wasting your catch, harrassing spawning fish, or disturbing redds etc, but the abusers are more liekly to be the same jackasses who litter and pollute regardless of what activity they are doing and the same people who figure driving 16 million cars in canada has no effect on the enviroment.

Overall sport fishing is going to have less of an impact on the resource than the other methods that currently harvest from it.  Some people like to call sportfishing a zero rent activity since there is no direct rev from selling the fish, but that only applies if the social and heath benfits are ignored and given no value.

We're the top of the food chain, and until we live in a star trek world where we only eat synthetic proteins or a truely vegitarian diet, isn't it better to be more in touch with the food we eat, and how it is harvested than blindly picking it up in the super market? I know the majority of what I eat consists of locally grown produce, wild/hatchery fish, with locally raised beef.  Still a lot of "bad" or non-eco friendly food in the diet, but it's still more similar to what my grandparents ate, than the typical processed and industrial crap of my parents generation.

Put it this way, any of the fish you see in the market was taken in a way that's out of touch with the enviroment, probably killed/wasted a significant number of other fish in bycatch, or in the case of anything farmed used 3 times as many pounds of wild fish for every pound of farmed fish produced.  Heck look at the marketing of some products, the "dolphin safe" moniker is used to boast that they no longer kill flipper when harvesting that canned tuna sandwich.

So long as these other presures are on the resources I have no personal moral objections to sports fishing them, provided the fish I catch and keep or C&R are not endangered but are sustainable.

[salmonsturgeontrout]

"Also think about what C/R fishermen have given back to the sport in terms of fighting for the protection of fragile ecosystems, education, etc.....  " Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it makes you sound like those that catch and keep fish don't do anything. Just to clarify I dont catch and release on an ongoing basis, if its a clean fish and want to smoke one or bbq one I'll keep it, and yet I do give back to the fishery. I am taking a stream keepers course and have made plans with my work to do rehabilitation work on a local creek and do some invasive species removal as well as some other projects pertaining to helping the environment and my community. Just because someone performs C/R does not mean they do great things for the environment, I have witnessed some that are worse than those that keep fish.Now I am not saying C/R do not do great things, as they do, but keep in mind others that do not perform C/R still do great work, and performing C/R does not make someone an "elitist", everyone has their personal choice to keep or release a fish much like they have a personal choice as to wether they help or hurt the environment they live and fish in.

[Wulff Man]

KLX, i appreciate the thought, and the conversation. Whether one agrees or not, your position should be respected. i myself have taken a similar journey and though i both catch-and-eat and catch-and-release, i do at times feel conflicted in both cases. Perhaps there's no objective standard that can be well defined, but the more it is discussed the better off it will be for everyone.

[fish321]

It is still a little cruel to hook a fish drag it around and torture it for a while then let it go for no other reason but for personal enjoyment. I think the general public would be far more accepting of fishing if we went killed the first one we caught and took it home to feed the family. Fishing is a blood sport no matter how you look at it. But it is something I accept and will continue to pursue.

[yamadirt 426]

I love to scare the crap out of fish, give them a big kiss and then let them go. Its a hobby. I kill the odd one.

[marmot]

"Also think about what C/R fishermen have given back to the sport in terms of fighting for the protection of fragile ecosystems, education, etc.....  " Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it makes you sound like those that catch and keep fish don't do anything. Just to clarify I dont catch and release on an ongoing basis, if its a clean fish and want to smoke one or bbq one I'll keep it, and yet I do give back to the fishery. I am taking a stream keepers course and have made plans with my work to do rehabilitation work on a local creek and do some invasive species removal as well as some other projects pertaining to helping the environment and my community. Just because someone performs C/R does not mean they do great things for the environment, I have witnessed some that are worse than those that keep fish.Now I am not saying C/R do not do great things, as they do, but keep in mind others that do not perform C/R still do great work, and performing C/R does not make someone an "elitist", everyone has their personal choice to keep or release a fish much like they have a personal choice as to wether they help or hurt the environment they live and fish in.

It's not that you're reading too much into it, you aren't reading enough!!...right after that i said "same goes for retention guys too".  Believe me, if a stock is healthy, I have no problem retaining   We're on the same page ....I agree completely with your post.   

[aquapaloosa]

I have notice an evolution with me and some of my some of my friends.  Back in the day we could never get enough fishing and as time goes and we have more concerns for stocks I notice that we are less inclined to fish.  We also usually only fly fish.  Often encourage our buddies to take the first bunch of casts in a fresh pool while we just sit back and watch.
I think that part of this is that we are just more mature and calm about everything but for sure a large part of it is just an evolution of respect for the sport and the fish.  We are c and r fishers in the fresh.
I even know on one guy who has pretty much stopped fishing  as a contribution to conservation and fishes feelings.
I will continue to fish.   I do have a tendancy to just forget about a fish after it has been caught.  When I do think about it I think about how a fish has a very sore mouth and neck and back and how long till it can eat again or if its last peircing in its mouth will get infected.  Crazy I know but thats what goes on in my head.
Anyway,  I will continue to fish but I have certainly changed my attitude.

Great Topic