On May 13, 1:31 pm, sergeantsville frank sergeantsville.frank.
wrote:

What I meant is that the wild fish are few, and unless I can learn how
to tell the diffs, besides the perfect fins on wilds, then I don't want
to chance taking wild fish. I don't like the idea of killing the fish,

Fishing kills fish. Even if you release all you catch, you'll
occasionally hook one in the eye, or gill, or one will simply expire
because it fought too hard. In fishing, death happens. Better get used
to it.

but if I do take one, I hope to be fairly confident that it was put
there by man. make sense?

I'm guessing that most trout you catch are rainbows and browns. If
that is the case, they were ALL "put there by man", at least at some
time in the past. Brook trout are the only trout native to the east. I
agree that it is worthwhile to value wild non-native fish, but
realistically, they represent an artificial, man-made ecosystem.

BTW, a properly stringered fish won't suffocate, and keeping fish
alive on a stringer is the best way to keep them fresh. Unfortunately,
wading in a stream is not conducive to proper stringering. Second best
is throwing 'em on ice immediately, and otherwise keeping them as cool
as possible is the way to go. That's why those old timers carried
wicker creels. In any case, fish are neurologically simple creatures,
and while we should be responsibly humane in our treatment, I wouldn't
go overboard in worrying about whether we are "torturing" them...

And that, like RDean said, is just my opinion (yes I gots one),

Jon.