Please dont beat me up Big Rod!
Don't worry, looks like you've already beaten yourself up in this thread. You're not getting what this discussion is really about, which is to minimize, not eliminate, negative impact on our fishery resource when participating in recreational fishing. Other issues such as overplaying fish are also brought up regularly in this discussion forum. It has not been brought up in this discussion simply because, it has no relevance to it.
As mentioned earlier, aside from most posters' constructive criticisms (what are you scared of anyway, how else do you learn and progress), it seems like you're the only one who is getting a pair of knotty panties. Since you don't seem to get it, the rest of this post is more relevant to others who are interested in this issue.
Just like any other technical aspects in sport fishing, there is a learning curve to catching and releasing. Chancing are, beginners will not know what to do when starting out, so it's important that seasoned anglers are there to provide feedbacks when it is being done incorrectly.
This is not to suggest that Damien is not a seasoned angler. In fact, he most likely is, based on his contributions on the forum. That's why some are probably a bit surprised by the photos posted. Personally, that is not how I would have handled those fish. A pair of waders is indeed a great asset when beach fishing, not just for proper fish handling but for accessing better waters. I would have kept that catch and release net submerged while the fish was in it. I wouldn't have left the fish laying out of the water until it is still for a photo op.
This is not to say that I've never done my fair share of fish mishandling when they are released. I've left my first big bull trout on dry land so a photo could be taken before released. Last year I deep hooked a small bull trout with a spinner and couldn't get the hook out. While the fish was in the water the whole time, the waves made it especially difficult and the fish went belly up in the horizon after it was released. These things happen, and it's never a bad idea to review and decide if it could have been done differently.
These days, I always have a pair of waders on when I am fishing on a beach. When I am fishing in the tidal Fraser River during fall, a catch and release net is always with me. Why? Because I see fishing as a privilege and try not to take it for granted. If that makes me an elitist, so be it. At the end of the day, what makes me happy is knowing that I have done my best, not what others think of me.
Fish mishandling indeed occurs more frequently among beginners than seasoned anglers. Beginners, as another mentioned, of course want to get a photo of that special fish (first coho, biggest rainbow trout to date) if it is to be released. As an angler who progresses and catches more fish, the interest will shift from photo collection to the welfare of the released fish. It may just be another coho salmon, but it is an opportunity of thousands more offsprings if it spawns successfully. The least anglers can do is to minimize its chance of mortality prior to its spawning.
Does Damien agree and take others advices in this thread? Who cares? Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he'll admit it, but most likely not, nobody likes to be told wrongful doings. Regardless, discussions like this will continue to pop up and are good for the fisheries as long as it is done in a respectful manner. Hundreds of others will read this and take note of the do's and don'ts. To say that we should all just keep quiet and pretend everything is fine in this activity, it is irresponsible IMO.
This thread turned awesome.
Stop stirring up the forum.
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Topic: Lower Mainland, September 25th 2011: Ho's on the beach. A break from Pink fever (Read 26959 times)