Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.

That all sounds very cute.

"properly" another strange word.

I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

I like to do things right, and for me getting the fish, no matter
how small, on the reel is right, meet, proper and honorable. I
don't ever have much slack line out of the reel. That's one of the
things you learn as you get better at this fly fishing thing, so
the difference between pulling in the line by hand and taking up
the slack to play the fish "right" is negligible.

Respecting the fish by honoring the sport of fly fishing, or strange
fetish of an elitist snob. Call it whatever you want. That's how I
do things and if you want to disparage my motives, well that's just
roff, isn't it ?

--
Ken Fortenberry