JR wrote:
rw wrote:

....
...... We are, after all, hurting the fish for our pleasure. That's
what they object to. Even if we don't get gratification in the
actually HURTING the fish, we still inflict it...... ....
...... I, personally, don't particularly care how much discomfort a
fish on the end of my line experiences, as long as it isn't
gratuitous. It's just a fish.


What makes it not gratuitous? The fact that it gives us pleasure?

I'm considering gratuitous discomfort to be unnecessary discomfort. A
certain amount of discomfort of the fish is necessary if we are going to
catch them. In fact, it's the same amount of discomfort (per fish) if we
release them as if we eat them, or even less if you consider getting hit
on the head or put on a stringer "discomfort."

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.