On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 22:08:22 -0600, "Stinkweed"
wrote:

How do you all feel about fish and release. I love to fish, but I don't
like to eat the fish so they are released, when I mention this some people
feels that it is not a nice thing to do. You should fish to eat or not fish
at all. I'm just curious as to what the opinion of this group is.

I catch and release all the time. I only take a fish very
occasionally.

Those people who believe that you should only "fish to eat," as you
put it, are missing an important point... there are very few people in
the developed world who need to fish as a matter of survival. We do it
for pleasure. If anybody can't handle that simple fact of life, they
need to see a proctologist to assist them with the removal of their
heads from the orifice from which they are pontificating.

Unless they are vegans, (you can identify them by the pale complexion,
dry brittle hair and the plastic shoes,) they subscribe to a system
that provides them with meat and dairy produce through farming methods
that are"not nice." Don't concern yourself with the judgment of
ignorant hypocrites. Why should you waste your breath trying to
justify yourself to the likes of them?

Then there are those who believe that C&R has little to contribute to
conservation of wild stock, so you might as well take the fish you
catch home, but at least their argument is cogent. They will tell you
that C&R is a pointless exercise. Sadly, this is a valid POV.

All in all, it is down to personal choice and I choose to C&R.

As long as you treat the fish properly, it has little chance of
suffering any long term problems from being hooked. Have a look here.
http://www.letsflyfish.com/candr.htm It's on Ally Gowan's site, (the
man who gave us Ally's Shrimp.) I happen to agree with his take on the
C&R debate.

The trouble is, I've seen some fishermen abuse fish when they are
C&Ring. The last time I was out stockie bashing, I saw an idiot drag a
trout right up the bank, (which was sandy,) take the hook out of the
fish, before picking it up with dry hands and throwing it back in the
water. I don't give that trout much chance of survival.

John

http://groups.msn.com/scottishflyfisher