[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> In a message dated 1/11/2002 4:54:02 PM Mountain Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>
> http://www.bsaflyfishing.com
>
>
>
> Just looked at the requirements for the merit badge. Great to see
> they're stressing safety and the environment. Seemed a little odd that
> one of the requirements was to catch two fish and release one of them
> and cook and eat the other one. I personally believe we can't stress
> catch and release too many times and the positive impact it has on our
> fisheries. Its good that the BSA made releasing one of the fish
> mandatory, but wish the second could have been optionally released.
I think the way they have it is right.... the object of the BSA would not be
to impose or
suggest one person's personal choice of what to do with a catch , but to equally
expose the scout
to possibilities of choice that exist for one type of conservation measure, along with
the perfectly
legitimate use of a natural resource under the auspices of fisheries management, and
with self reliance.
Catch and release CAN be over stressed, and often is, by those who see it as
the "only way",
when in fact, in a lot of situations it is of no help or little consequence, and
promotes waste of
a resource, the "real offense"....
It is good to see that the scouts are being shown that they don't need to kill
all that they
catch, but it is equally important to show that they don't need to release all that
they catch,
either.... the ability to clean, cook and eat ones catch allow the experience to come
full circle,
and are important to aspects of life other than fishing.
I think they got it right
Splinta
