A slap in the face

[rrt]

As a confirmed catch-and-release fisherman, I sometimes forget that fishing, including fly-fishing, is still a blood sport, that a small percentage of the fish we release die even with careful handling. Yesterday morning, I landed a trout while using a nymph, and I could see that somehow my nymph had become entangled in his gills inside his mouth; he was deep hooked and bleeding badly. Though I tried to remove the fly carefully, the gill had actually been drawn up into the trout's mouth when I had played him. He had no chance to live, and so I quickly dispatched him, put him in the bag I carry my raincoat in, and brought him home. It had been a number of years since I had brought a trout home; I nearly forgot how to clean one, but I managed. Anyhow, I guess this incident provided a slap in the face to remind me that we c/r types are not all innocence out there, that we do indeed cause the deaths of some of our finny adversaries. The next time we have a fish dinner around here, I plan to have the sleek brownie as my portion.

 

[wetnet]

Not a ton of people like to eat trout with a million tiny bones. I am very adept at small bone management and while I use barbless hooks and support catch & release I will eat a trout without guilt should I decide to.

Catch and release aside, I would rather see someone eat what they catch fresh rather than give it away or let it get freezer burnt just because they caught it.

Hope you enjoyed your dinner.

 

[JackM]

Unfortunately, I do not much like fish, nor carrying them around. If I harm or kill a fish, he goes back in the water. There are plenty of natural predators and scavengers that will benefit from and enjoy their easy meal more than I would.

I always say a prayer to Saint Piscatorius when I harm one of his protectorates.

 

[wetnet]

JackM wrote:
Unfortunately, I do not much like fish, nor carrying them around. If I harm or kill a fish, he goes back in the water. There are plenty of natural predators and scavengers that will benefit from and enjoy their easy meal more than I would.

I always say a prayer to Saint Piscatorius when I harm one of his protectorates.

Really?

Gosh, those poor guys in the bible must be in some real trouble, with all of their big baskets of fish, they must have said a ton of prayers.

I do not hunt or fish for something I am not willing to eat. Fish are the one thing that you can get to see close up and personal for damage and let it go to thrive. Not everything is, especially after you pull a trigger.

If it is your choice to release everything you catch, with a prayer or not that's all good. If you chose to eat a fish you don't need to ask anyone's permission.

If you don't like to eat trout that's fine Maurice you are free to share the meal with anyone or anything you want to. I recently killed a possum with an easy meal I think. Too much spoiled goodies in the composter. I think he exploded. If you have a possum prayer send it forward. He dug underneath the bin and I feel terrible. We have wire underneath it now.

 

[Maurice]

wetnet wrote:

JackM wrote:
Unfortunately, I do not much like fish, nor carrying them around. If I harm or kill a fish, he goes back in the water. There are plenty of natural predators and scavengers that will benefit from and enjoy their easy meal more than I would.

I always say a prayer to Saint Piscatorius when I harm one of his protectorates.

Really?

Gosh, those poor guys in the bible must be in some real trouble, with all of their big baskets of fish, they must have said a ton of prayers.

I do not hunt or fish for something I am not willing to eat. Fish are the one thing that you can get to see close up and personal for damage and let it go to thrive. Not everything is, especially after you pull a trigger.

If it is your choice to release everything you catch, with a prayer or not that's all good. If you chose to eat a fish you don't need to ask anyone's permission.

If you don't like to eat trout that's fine Maurice you are free to share the meal with anyone or anything you want to. I recently killed a possum with an easy meal I think. Too much spoiled goodies in the composter. I think he exploded. If you have a possum prayer send it forward. He dug underneath the bin and I feel terrible. We have wire underneath it now.

Really??

Well I Never! at least not This time.....it was my evil twin Jack to whom you've quoted.

 

[TimMurphy]

rrt wrote:
As a confirmed catch-and-release fisherman, I sometimes forget that fishing, including fly-fishing, is still a blood sport, that a small percentage of the fish we release die even with careful handling. Yesterday morning, I landed a trout while using a nymph, and I could see that somehow my nymph had become entangled in his gills inside his mouth; he was deep hooked and bleeding badly. Though I tried to remove the fly carefully, the gill had actually been drawn up into the trout's mouth when I had played him. He had no chance to live, and so I quickly dispatched him, put him in the bag I carry my raincoat in, and brought him home. It had been a number of years since I had brought a trout home; I nearly forgot how to clean one, but I managed. Anyhow, I guess this incident provided a slap in the face to remind me that we c/r types are not all innocence out there, that we do indeed cause the deaths of some of our finny adversaries. The next time we have a fish dinner around here, I plan to have the sleek brownie as my portion.

Dear rrt,

What you wrote is so true and yet it runs counter to all that we as "fly fisherman" propose to support?

Fishing is a blood sport, there is absolutely no mistaking that fact.

One might assume, incorrectly of course, that somehow fishing is like the credits in a movie and say, that no fish was harmed in the making of our mental picture but that's simply windpissing.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[wetnet]

Well that will teach me. I saw you lurking in the background. Gosh I'm getting old. 50 soon. More like 90 today.

Don't tell anyone, I'm getting Sushi tonight. LOL!

 

[JackM]

If someone were nearby that I thought would take and eat, then I would bestow my sacrifish on them.

 

[wetnet]

JackM wrote:
If someone were nearby that I thought would take and eat, then I would bestow my sacrifish on them.

LOL! Very Good!

We had a composter full of bluegills after filleting them and found a raccoon on the back porch in the cat food. Guess we forgot to add almonds and lemon sweet cream butter.

 

[TimMurphy]

wetnet wrote:

JackM wrote:
If someone were nearby that I thought would take and eat, then I would bestow my sacrifish on them.

LOL! Very Good!

We had a composter full of bluegills after filleting them and found a raccoon on the back porch in the cat food. Guess we forgot to add almonds and lemon sweet cream butter.

Dear wetnet,

Raccoons are inquisitive and opportunistic, more'n'likely you forget to leave the lid up on the composter.

Probably for the best else the bear the from Choconut might have come a calling?

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[dubthethorax]

same thing happened to me a few weeks back. I made a post about it as well. I couldnt revive a bow in the warmer water I caught him in so he came home with me. I felt bad about cleaning him, but damn, he did taste good.

If you prepare a trout the right way, the entire spine and bones will lift right out, leaving you with fresh delicious meat.

 

[jeff]

With pan size trout, you can cut the head off and gut the fish. Then roll the fish in some flour. Then throw it in a frying pan and fry in some butter. When the trout is cooked, grab the backbone and pull. The whole bone structure slides out of the meat. I will eat a couple every year this way. Quite tasty and void of most bones
:-D

 

[Fishidiot]

rrt wrote:
As a confirmed catch-and-release fisherman, I sometimes forget that fishing, including fly-fishing, is still a blood sport, that a small percentage of the fish we release die even with careful handling. Yesterday morning, I landed a trout while using a nymph, and I could see that somehow my nymph had become entangled in his gills inside his mouth; he was deep hooked and bleeding badly. Though I tried to remove the fly carefully, the gill had actually been drawn up into the trout's mouth when I had played him. He had no chance to live, and so I quickly dispatched him, put him in the bag I carry my raincoat in, and brought him home. It had been a number of years since I had brought a trout home; I nearly forgot how to clean one, but I managed. Anyhow, I guess this incident provided a slap in the face to remind me that we c/r types are not all innocence out there, that we do indeed cause the deaths of some of our finny adversaries. The next time we have a fish dinner around here, I plan to have the sleek brownie as my portion.

I agree. It's not a bad slap (or wake up call, or whatever you want to call it) to be reminded that this is indeed a blood sport. How one chooses to look at the harvest of wild game/fish is, of course, a personal philosophical matter. I'm firmly in the camp that feels that limited harvest of wild game in a sustainable manner, esp for food, is perfectly acceptable. I enjoy eating fish and harvest a few for food every year....and wouldn't think of apologizing for that. Mostly, I'll eat stocked trout from warming streams. I'd prefer to release wild trout and bass. Nevertheless, a deep hooked smallie or wild brown (where legal) could certainly wind up on my plate and I wouldn't lose any sleep after a tasty meal. To believe that a C&R angler never causes any fish mortality is, of course, a delusion.

 

[PatrickC]

There is NEVER anything in it for the fish when we catch them. I always find it interesting that those whom would fight to the death to protect their precious wild trout stream and constantly boast catch and release with proper handling because they are such great advocates for the fish. If you were truly a great advocate for causing NO harm to the fish...you'd join PETA and stop fishing all together That being said, I agree there is no reason to go out of your way to disrespect any fishing resource.

 

[troutbert]

There is no contradiction involved when flyfishers fight to protect the streams and practice catch-and-release.

Both are simply rational self-interest for flyfishers.

Most flyfishers prefer fishing in streams with abundant trout and hatches, as opposed to few.

And protecting and restoring streams and limiting harvest are ways to achieve that.

PETA has nothing to do with it.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Ya i wasn't sure what that was all about.

 

[PatrickC]

All it was about is that there is never anything in it for the fish when we catch them. What do they get out of us fooling them, hooking them, and yanking them out of their habitat? Nothing. They get nothing out of it. All I am suggesting is that we call a spade a spade. We like to catch fish, because it is gratifying to us. We protect the fish and their environment because of what we get out of it. If we were soley interested in the fish, we would conserve the environment and then stay out of it. But, the fact is, that's not what we do. We protect the habitat, introduce fish that we want to catch (at the expense of native species...like brook trout), and then we catch them out of that habitat. Admittedly, I am guilty of that. The PETA statement is accurate. If you are really in it for the fish, you would fight tooth and nail for their ethical treatment...which would never involve catching them and yanking them out of their environment. That is what we do. But, when we look at it that way, well, we just don't like the way it looks... The fact is, we do what is gratifying to us, not what is ultimately best for the fish. We either make peace with that and go on and sleep at night or we rationalize it some other way so we can go on and sleep at night.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

What I meant was, I'm not sure what that has to do with fighting to the death to protect their precious wild trout streams and constantly boast catch and release. Some fish die because of fishing, we do it out of enjoyment, it is a blood sport.

Advocating for better regs, techniques and habitat has nothing to do with joining PETA and asking for the ethical treatment of fish. Your right in that if people cared 100% about the fish they would not be fishing at all.

Its an imperfect world. As you said, people will do things based mostly on what they can get out of it but this is not all ways true either. If allowing people to fish and keep fish in 99% of PA's waters gets them involved in restoring habitat, I'm all for it. Advocating for better regs in PA's best waters has nothing to do with doing what is best for the fish. I dont agree that there is nothing in it for the fish. If people occasionally eat or drag them around with hooks gets them involved, the fish gain a ton of support and perhaps better habitat. Also some of us restore habitat and help clean mine acid drainage for cleaner water. I have helped on projects under general regs and without wild trout in those streams. I got nothing out of it other than knowing I helped make a, abeit small, difference.

I have advocated for such regs as C&R and I want to see PA have a better overall sport fishery for large trout and I will never consider joining PETA.

 

[PatrickC]

I agree with you. The regs would make a better fishery for our benefit. I just think some folks struggle to see that. I'm not joining PETA either. I actually think the even bigger picture is that it is fully to our benefit to restore every stream we can everywhere. Think about the environemental impact that alone would have...that would fully benefit humans existance on this planet.

 

[FarmerDave]

jeff wrote:
With pan size trout, you can cut the head off and gut the fish. Then roll the fish in some flour. Then throw it in a frying pan and fry in some butter. When the trout is cooked, grab the backbone and pull. The whole bone structure slides out of the meat. I will eat a couple every year this way. Quite tasty and void of most bones
:-D

I prefer to leave the head on whether I fry, bake or broil. The fish dries out less, and it gives you something to grasp when removing the skeleton. The only time I’ll remove the head is when pan frying and it won’t fit with the head on. But I do have a big pan.