Stephen, thank you for your comments , i thouroughly enjoyed the input as well as the rhetoric, you have confirmed whith what i have thought along basicly common sense angling and skill, and although i make every attempt to return the fishies back to their evironment i do understand that glory has its price also i dont hesitate in eating the fishies when i want to. Well done brad robinson --- Stephen DiCerbo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > At 04:22 PM 4/9/02, you wrote: > >Dear lister's, > >In my progression of fishing, I am finding myself > >wanting to catch bigger fish on lighter tackle. > >my question is this, lighter tackle means longer > >playing time. Thus the fish must get tired,and face > a > >chance of dying.is it more ethical to use heavier > >tackle with fewer chances of harming the trophy or > if > >done properly can a concious angler use lighter > >tackle. Im looking for more challenge in my > angling > >the landing isnt as important to me as the battle > >itself but the most important thing to me is the > >welfare of the fish > > > Ethics are a system of personal beliefs..... > if the most > important thing to you is the welfare of the fish, > you have answered > your own question...... you can take this to the > extreme of not fishing > at all , or to some modification of fishing that > limits the sport and the > challenge, yet suits your feelings about the sport > and the > endgame involved.... > > Some folks think the sport and the challenge is > all in the take of the > fly, the deception..... they are able to fish with > flies that have no > points, and forgo the battle of wits and the > adrenaline of the fight, the > closure of "counting coup" received by landing the > fish (in whatever manner) > > For me, this is simply not possible........ > the fight and the > conclusion of that fight are the biggest part of the > sport..... hell, the > fish can manage to hook himself through no skill of > mine, half the time..... > > I find, however, that there is a balance in > the progression of > improved skill with lighter tackle.... you > should reduce the "weight" > of your tackle only as you become skilled enough to > land your fish without > overstressing him....... how you fight him is how > you fight > him..... If, during the fight you decide you wish > to land the prize at ANY > cost, and you mickey mouse around with a fish on > light tackle , you stand > the chance of overplaying him...... > > If, however, you decide while fighting him that > you will do every > thing in your power to bring him in under the least > stressful conditions, > then you have made the choice between overplay or > not to over > play.... the tackle doesn't do this..... you are > either skilled enough > to bring him in efficiently with the light tackle, > or you are not skilled > enough to do so, and he breaks away, and is free. > > Understand that even heavy heavy tackle doesn't > insure a quick and > effortless finish to the game.... little Tunny > will tear off so fast > and so far as to be a serious threat to slicing your > hand with the > flyline. Yet their excellent fighting instincts is > often their downfall, > as the intense effort changes their blood chemistry, > and they can be a > challenge to revive after the fight. > > > One thing you do need to accept is that from > point zero, from impaling > the fish, you are stressing him, and putting him at > risk..... releasing a > fish upright and breathing doesn't insure his > survival.... C&R is > less successful than most zealots think, and it is > often times something > that they use to assuage their wounded ethics. It > is a blood sport you > participate in, my friend.... at some level we all > need to accept that. > > you might consider changing the structure of > your ethics..... I > come from a management background, and although fish > are revered and > honored creatures to me, deserving of my > respect..... I do not lose > sight of the fact that they are animals, a > resource to be treasure and > maintained, but a dead fish is often part of the > game. > > > Perhaps you got more rhetoric here than you > wished, but I believe your > answer can be found here, and is a matter of > degrees.... > > > Splinta >
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