"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...

They have yet to see a tax or fee that they do not like.

Timbo and I have gone round and round on this subject for years.
Catch and kill almost killed one of the most beautiful native brookie
waters in the country. Meat gatherers (if that ain't a word, it is
now!) devastated the river by taking all the large fish as
meals/trophies. I can remember a Sunday 15 or so years ago with 17
anglers in a spot that can handle 6 or 7, AND there was another six or
so waiting for a spot to fish. They were all after meat. A 16 incher
in those days was a very big brook trout..

The State of Maine protected the brookies in this river by finally
making it illegal to kill one, and put a season on killing only one
land locked salmon. It did not take long for the native brookies to
recover. I have taken many in the 3 to 5 pound range, and a friend
took a 7 pounder on a #10 Royal Wulff (go figure). The landlocks have
also come back - I landed/released a 25 incher last June.

Conclusion: Catch and release works. Imagine a five pound brook
trout rising up and taking a #16 Goddard Caddis. You set the hook and
five minutes later you have fought and successfully released a fish
that is now wiser. You are stuck with the puzzle of how to fool him
again. What to use........ he'll still be haunting that little riffle
at the head of that pool, but he's wiser now. You have to be wiser
too or else he'll win. Your paths *will* cross again.

Amen Brotha!

I like the idea that my children might have the opportunity to catch the
same fish or offspring from that fish. If Tim eats it, that could never
happen!

Have a great weekend David,
JT