I have a friend who is a "meat" fisherman. He fishes to fill his table and stretches the rules on the multi-day limit as he likes to smoke and eat steelhead as an example. While PA has a 2 fish per day limit, he has been known to acquire his 6 total possession limit by adding an illegal extra to his cooler on certain days.
This bothers me even though steelhead do not naturally reproduce in this waterand are all reportedly stocked fish. Some other friends consider any stocked fish fair kill but would never consider keeping a wild or native fish including the guy above.
Another friend fishes only stocked trout waters to fill his cooler because, while he sees no reason for C&R, he would never consider killing a wild trout. His thoughts are that the trout rarely make it through the hot summer unless they migrate up into the cooler runs which are C&R. Thus, he never fishes them.
I prefer to put all fish back unless an invasive species or a rare meal for the family. My issue is that I don't want to kill the fish which are wild and taste better, nor do I want to eat hatchery fish which don't usually taste that great. Every so often, I will take a steelhead home to smoke and eat but it's usually a hassle since the drive home is half a day or more.
Now if it's a grouper....all bets are off...but they are bottom dwellers and not subject to flys to my knowledge. They are subject to a quick fry in beer batter that same day though.
----Original Message Follows----
From: Rodney Barilleaux [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [VFB] C&R Rules
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 12:57:41 -0600
Now there are ways to get around
all this... fish in the morning, catch your "daily
bag limit", cook them up, then go back out ... You
have no fish in your possession when you go back out...
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